Mesa Public Schools leases vacant space to local private school for kids with autism

MESA – Mesa Public Schools is putting unused space at two campuses to good use by leasing it to a local private school that serves children with autism.

Polaris Academy is taking over space at Rhodes and Smith junior high schools, partitioning off a section at each location.

Both venues are under construction and will open to Polaris Academy students in the 2026-27 school year, significantly increasing the private school’s capacity.

As more public schools close around the state due to declining enrollment and budget shortfalls, there are more and more empty school buildings, some of which do not have designated plans.

According to research organization Common Sense Institute Arizona, public districts in the state have 78 million square feet of unused space, room for 630,000 more students.

How Mesa Public Schools and Polaris benefit from lease deal

For Mesa Public Schools, the vacant spaces at Rhodes in the Dobson Ranch area (1860 S. Longmore) and Smith in east Mesa (10100 E. Adobe Road) provided an opportunity to bring in revenue and support the community.

Superintendent Matthew Strom said his district will collect $2 million-$3 million on each of the two contracts over a decade. In addition, Polaris is doing its own renovations and paying for electricity and water.

Mesa Public Schools is the largest district in Arizona, serving more than 54,000 students.

“Our junior highs were built for seventh through ninth graders, about 1,500 to 1,600 kids. Most of our junior highs now are below 900 kids. And so, we have space available and they’re in the education business, just like we are. So therefore, they come in and they take over a portion of the space,” Strom said.

Nathan Palmer, CEO and co-founder of Polaris Academy, said his school needs space beyond its main campus near Southern Avenue and Power Road, which has just over 100 students. The two leases bring the school’s total capacity to 400 students.

Strom said the partnership provides a space for a section of the Mesa community that may not fit into the typical public school environment.

Palmer said expanding locally offers potential opportunities to collaborate with the connecting schools and help families with kids at both Polaris and Mesa Public Schools.

“The public campus space brings to us what we couldn’t find in the private world, and that’s open land. Private development maximizes use of a space. So, while you can get a decent-sized building, outdoor playgrounds and sports fields are really hard [to find], and sports fields in general are difficult to come by,” he said.

Funding for this journalism is made possible by the Arizona Local News Foundation.

Related

Gilbert, Balsz school districts vote to close schools before 2026-27 yearPhoenix district weighs closure of 2 schools, including campus for immigrant studentsArizona voters to choose Republican and Democratic nominees for top education positionFormer Mesa High School official claims that an inaccurate police report destroyed his careerFormer ASU President, who elevated university’s status, dies at 89Peoria Unified names new principal for school at center of teacher sex scandal