Ahwatukee Foothills Prep will be moving to a new location next month.
The local public charter school is moving to a 38,000-square-foot location in the Laguna Village Shopping Center, located at the southeast corner of Kyrene and Ray roads. Their current location, off 50th Street, is nearly double the size at around 66,000 square feet.
The move was decided in August, and was due to the end of the current lease. It was also an opportunity for a more modern and energy-efficient building, said Howard Brown, chief administrative officer and principal.
"We were looking at two routes - buying our current building or finding a new place," Brown said. "There was a lot of back and forth on the issue, but what it really came down to was the location and, financially, it was a better choice."
They will not change the name immediately, but Brown said he does anticipate that it will eventually change due to the relocation. With the reduction in size, the capacity will drop from about 600 to 450.
There are fewer hallways in the new location and they will combine gym and physical education activities with the lunch room to form a multipurpose room. In their current location, they have both a gym and a separate room for lunch.
Thus far, Brown said that many of Ahwatukee Foothills Prep families decided to stay with the school after the move was announced. The bus routes will also stay the same.
"From what I hear, the feedback has mostly been positive, and for some families it will actually be closer to their homes," Brown said. "For some families, it will be an increase in their inconvenience and they are still deciding if they want to continue on with us."
To facilitate the move, the school's fall break was moved up to the week of Oct. 3-7. During that time, everything will be moved to the new location.
• Contact writer: (480) 898-4903 or troemhild@ahwatukee.com
