East Valley School District Bond (Feb. 12, 2013)
About the Measure
A new performing arts center, athletic facility and building renovations are some of the items East Valley School District hopes for with a bond proposal that seeks $65 million over 25 years. The bond would raise property tax by about $1.35 per $1,000 assessed value. That’s about $202.50 for a $150,000 house annually.
Complete Coverage
Spokane voters approve library tax
Spokane voters easily approved a City Charter amendment giving the police ombudsman more authority and a tax to ensure that branch libraries won’t close.
EV teacher receives Spokane’s 100th transplant
Whether it was the balloons or the lively rendition of “Happy Birthday,” it was impossible to miss the party room on the seventh floor of Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center on Wednesday morning. It was East Valley High School math teacher Roger Jamison’s birthday. Or rather, his stem cell birthday.
Data helps teachers learn about kindergartners’ abilities
Washington kindergartners are physically coordinated enough for their first year of school, but their ability to count to 20 and clearly express themselves are lagging, according to a new assessment released by the state. Early-learning advocates suspected the state’s kindergartners were entering school less than fully prepared, especially low-income and minority students. Now there’s data to back up the theory.
Test scores rise as districts adopt tailored strategies
Chester Elementary School fifth-graders debated in class recently whether cutting a worm in half resulted in two worms or a dead one. Since the class was divided on the issue, the teacher told students to think about the answer as they continued to familiarize themselves with the squirmy vermis.
Math, science test scores up
Statewide test results released Wednesday show more Washington students are passing their science and math exams. Spokane Public Schools, Mead and East Valley school district students improved math scores in all grades in which assessments were given, third through eighth and 10th, according to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Central Valley sixth-graders’ scores dropped 9 percentage points, while in West Valley third- and fifth-graders tested lower than last year.
School districts move to from-scratch cooking
The aromas of herbed baked chicken and cheesy macaroni wafted through the air. While a few cooks clad in white coats busily stocked a salad bar and set up a buffet table, others checked the poultry and made sure the baked pasta had browned. The scene, representative of a busy bistro, will become a common sight in a handful of school district cafeterias around Eastern Washington starting this fall.