Board approves $41.99 million GMP to replace Hartford Sylvia Encinas Elementary

The Chandler Unified School District board voted unanimously on Dec. 10 to approve a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) of $41,989,861 with Core Construction to replace Hartford Sylvia Encinas Elementary.

Project scope and funding

Tom Dunn presented the project as an approximately 83,000-square-foot replacement campus designed for roughly 750 students. The GMP includes $39,992,063 from the district’s 2025 bond and $1,997,798 from adjacent-ways funding.

Construction schedule and site logistics

Dunn said the design team (Grace Architects, formerly Orcutt Winslow) completed community engagement (multiple sessions) and construction documents; permits have been submitted. Work is expected to begin in February 2026, with phased construction allowing students to remain on the existing campus while portions of the new building and parking are built. District move-in for classrooms is targeted for July 2027, with full completion in January 2028.

Community engagement and transparency

Trustees asked about drawings, phases and classroom counts; Dunn said conceptual drawings were previously shared at joint city presentations and more detailed visuals will be provided at the next planning session. The district will hold final community engagement on exterior color and interior finishes in January and publish a project dashboard and updates online so taxpayers can track progress and bond dollars.

Vote and next steps

A motion to approve the GMP passed by acclamation. The district will proceed with permit responses and pre-construction planning, with additional capital updates provided to the board during upcoming planning sessions.