Arizona District Breaks Ground on Community Training, Learning Center

The Tolleson Union High School District (TUHSD) in Tolleson, Ariz., recently broke ground on a new Training & Learning Center (TLC) for both district professionals and the community at large, according to a news release. The 90,000-square-foot facility has an estimated completion date of spring 2027. The district partnered with DLR Group and Root Architects for the project’s design and McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. for construction.

The facility will provide a training and gathering space to district educators while also serving as a meeting and event space for the West Valley community. Amenities will include multiple large training rooms, an outdoor terrace, and office and administrative space for the district’s IT and HR departments.

The TLC will also play home to the Family Resource Center—which offers resources like food and clothing, medical and legal services, and computer access—to underserved families in the community.

“We are very excited about adding a new Training and Learning Center in Glendale, Arizona,” said Superintendent Jeremy Calles. “This new facility will allow professional development opportunities for our staff so that they can better serve our students in the classroom. We are also very excited about the addition of our brand-new Family Resource Center that will be built into this facility. We will be able to offer a variety of services to our families and connect them with partners to help them with whatever they may need, including connecting with social services and outside agencies that can provide assistance. Additionally, this facility will provide space for our Distance Learning Academy staff and house several of our departments.”

The district is also currently building a new high school with an estimated completion date of summer 2027, set to hold 2,400 students. The TLC will serve as a vital resource for expanding the district’s educational programs and onboarding new teachers during a time of rapid growth, according to the news release.

“This Training & Learning Center is more than a gathering space,” said Paul Kubik, McCarthy project director. “It represents a culture of community at the heart of Tolleson’s approach to supporting its educators and local families. We feel very fortunate to assist the district, DLR Group, and Root Architects in creating a space that fosters collaboration between its schools and develops partnerships with local residents.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Chartwells Launches Campus Dining Evaluation Framework

    Contract food-service management provider Chartwells Higher Education recently announced the launch of BLUEPRINT, according to a news release. The evaluation framework was designed to provide a data-driven and customizable roadmap towards optimizing campus dining services and, by extension, the student experience.

  • Surging Demand for Student Housing Fuels Major Campus Investment Opportunities

    University leaders throughout the U.S. are accelerating plans to modernize and expand student housing as enrollment stabilizes and demand for on-campus living rebounds. Recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics indicates that total postsecondary enrollment is projected to grow through the end of the decade, with undergraduate enrollment alone expected to increase by more than 8 percent by 2030.

  • Stanford Completes Construction on Graduate School of Education Facility

    Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., recently announced the end of construction on a new home for its Graduate School of Education, according to a news release. The university partnered with McCarthy Building Companies on the 160,000-square-foot project, which involved two major renovations and one new construction effort.

  • Spaces4Learning Launches 2026 Education Design Showcase Awards

    Spaces4Learning has opened submissions for the 2026 Education Design Showcase! The awards program launched in 1999 with the goal of celebrating innovative, practical solutions in the planning, design, and construction of K–12 and higher-education facilities. EDS recognizes new developments that help achieve optimal learning environments, as well as the architecture firms that brought the ideas to life.