![The BASIS school under construction in the Eastmark development in Mesa, shown Friday, July 12, 2013. / Tim Hacker:Tribune]](https://s4745.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/The-BASIS-school-under-construction-in-the-Eastmark-development-in-Mesa-shown-Friday-July-12-2013.-Tim-HackerTribune.jpg)
By Eric Mungenast | East Valley Tribune
Although miles apart in distance, BASIS’ two newest Arizona campuses in Mesa and Ahwatukee have similar visions about what they want to accomplish in their first year as they try to live up to the organization’s sterling reputation.
Opening this week, the two new campuses differ in the number of students they’ll start with — 400 for the Mesa campus located by the incoming Eastmark community, and 600 for the Ahwatukee campus — but each offers grades five through 10 in year one. From there, the schools will add a grade each year into the 2015-16 school year — the year their first senior classes will graduate — until they offer classes for grades five through 12.
It’s a model the eight other Arizona BASIS campuses follow, although Mesa’s head of school, Jill McConnell, said the organization might experiment with a K-4 program at its Tucson campus. She’s not sure if BASIS will expand the pilot program beyond BASIS’ first campus, but she said there’s a market for a broader program in Mesa.
“It’s my personal hope that the K-4 program will be a neighbor for us for our 5-12 education,” she said.
Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents BASIS.
