Queen Creek Unified School District (QCUSD) recently broke ground on Mountain Trail Academy at the intersection of East Galveston Street and South Mountain Road in Mesa, Ariz. This new campus will serve kindergarten through sixth grade students starting in July 2025. Designed by SPS+ Architects and constructed by McCarthy Building Companies Inc., Mountain Trail Academy will be QCUSD’s 10th elementary school.
Mountain Trail Academy will feature a 90,000-square-foot facility capable of accommodating 1,000 students. The school will have 40 makerspace classrooms, which are equipped with collaborative seating arrangements to encourage creative exploration, hands-on learning and problem solving. In addition, the buildings will include 10 flex-use learning spaces with attached restrooms.
As the fastest-growing school district in Arizona, QCUSD is committed to meeting the needs of its expanding community. The construction and acquisition of land for Mountain Trail Academy are funded by money awarded from the state School Facilities Division, which requires an extensive qualification process and is calculated based on schools approaching their capacity. Limited funding is allocated by the state over the course of two years. Currently, QCUSD does not have bond funding for capital projects.
"We are excited to break ground on Mountain Trail Academy, our district’s 10th elementary school,” said QCUSD Superintendent Dr. Perry Berry. “This new campus is a testament to our commitment to providing exceptional educational opportunities to our growing community. Designed with a STEAM focus, Mountain Trail will serve as an environment where creativity and innovation can thrive. We look forward to welcoming our students and staff to this new space in July 2025.”
"As a community builder, we’re very excited to work with our partners at Queen Creek Unified School District to bring this state-of-the-art facility to families and students in the East Valley,” said McCarthy Project Director Andrea Ramos. “Our project team enjoys bringing educational facilities to life, and we have enjoyed the all-in collaboration with Queen Creek in bringing to life this brand-new school that keeps future flexibility a priority.”
"SPS+ is honored to collaborate with QCUSD in the creation of Mountain Trail Academy, a modern elementary school designed to inspire learning,” said SPS+ Managing Partner Mark Davenport. “Alongside its two buildings, the school boasts vast outdoor spaces. SPS+ remains dedicated to fostering enriched learning environments, reflecting our unwavering commitment to educational excellence."
Construction of Mountain Trail Academy will coincide with campus additions taking place on four of the district’s existing campuses: Eastmark High School, Crismon High School, Gateway Polytechnic Academy and Schnepf Elementary. With a steady increase in residential population over the past five years, QCUSD received funding from Arizona’s School Facilities Division to alleviate overcrowding on its existing campuses.