State grant pays for Chandler junior high’s new roof

By Jason W. Brooks
Mail | X: @JasonWBrooks2

A state grant is going to be the sole source of funding in replacing a Chandler Unified junior high school roof.

The CUSD Governing Board unanimously approved a $3.87 million contract with Progressive Roofing at its Nov. 12 meeting for Bogle Junior High School.

Assistant Superintendent for Operations Tom Dunn said staff only brought the item to the board because CUSD was recently approved for a coveted building renewal grant from the School Facilities Division of Arizona Department of Administration.

CUSD’s chief finance officer, Lana Berry, a few times in the past three years has downplayed the possibility of CUSD getting approved for building renewal grants, as those historically went to districts that were growing and needed all-new facilities, while Chandler’s enrollment is shrinking.

But CUSD has gone on a bit of a roll the past two school years as it focused on aging roofing, receiving an $11 million grant from the School Facilities Division about a year ago.

“That same type of grant covered Chandler High, and Conley (Elementary) and Basha High School have roofs that are under review by the state right now,” Dunn said. ”So we’re continually putting roofs in front of that board.”

The roof at Bogle Junior High — a school that opened in 1998 — is nearing its end-of-life expectancy and needs to be replaced, a staff report states.

The Nov. 12 meeting was held about a week after Chandler Unified voters narrowly approved a $271.5 million bond to pay for physical-plant costs and school equipment, such as vehicles and computers. Every project paid for with grants leaves more money CUSD can spend on other campus needs, such as its aging array of HVAC systems at its 44 schools.

Dunn said the project will likely begin in January and is expected to take 12 to 18 months to complete.

Jason W. Brooks can be reached at jbrooks@iniusa.org. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as those meet our  Civility Guidelines.

INDEPENDENT NEWSMEDIA

Jason W. Brooks
News Editor | Chandler Independent

Jason W. Brooks joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2021 as an associate editor. After a year covering Buckeye, he has covered Chandler since the fall of 2022, in addition to assisting the Daily Independent throughout his time at INI.

Education: University of New Mexico, bachelor of arts in journalism and mass communication, print emphasis, English minor.

Random Fact: He and his siblings witnessed a Space Shuttle launch and landing in the same year in person, on opposite coasts.

Hobbies: Karaoke, bicycling and American Sign Language.

Community: He supports animal shelters.