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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

$2.5 million needed for Spokane Valley Tech

CV School Board to seek state funds

Central Valley’s School Board will ask the Washington Legislature for $2.5 million to complete the Spokane Valley Tech.

The board approved a resolution Monday night to lobby officials for an allotment in the capital budget.

Superintendent Ben Small hopes to expand the school with its complete class load by the 2014-’15 school year with about 10 programs, including entrepreneurship, medical, and alternative energy.

Without the money, the school can operate, but not at full capacity, Small said.

“The function of the whole building is dependent on the entire build out. We don’t have administrative offices done yet and we don’t have our commons done where kids can present and defend the work they’re doing,” he said.

Cosmetology is the only program currently moved into the school and offering courses to students.

The school is at 115 S. University Road, in a former Rite-Aid.

Small expects aerospace classes to start there in about two weeks, but they’re still bringing in equipment for the class.

The program has nine students enrolled out of 24 seats.

This is the first time the district has asked for state funds for the technical school.

In other business, the board also considered changes to excused and unexcused absences policies.

A proposed policy change would no longer require handwritten notes from parents to excuse their children from school. A phone call, email or another form of communication would suffice, said district spokeswoman Melanie Rose.

The proposal also eliminates a reference in the district policy to a state law that allows excused absences to students who are visiting their deployed or active duty military parents. Instead, the district would broaden the policy and allow principals and the student’s parent or guardian to agree to any proposed activity as an excused absence.

The board is scheduled to vote on the proposal at its Feb. 25 meeting.

An earlier version of this story misidentified the technical school, Spokane Valley Tech.