Shorter summers, more frequent breaks and a later start time for the oldest students could become a reality in Spokane Public Schools as early as the 2026-2027 school year.
The sturdy yet inviting 1970s-style brick and plaster single-story Arcadia Elementary School doesn’t clue passersby into the urgency and uncertainty felt by the staff inside the school.
Book bans in public schools and libraries all over the United States have been fueled in recent years largely by dozens of conservative activist groups working to suppress books about LGBTQ+ people and people of color.
Voters across Spokane County rejected school bonds seven months ago that would have paid for major projects such as new schools, repaving parking lots and remodeling buildings.
Now adorned in a fresh coat of paint, with crayon artwork pasted to hallways, signs in English and Spanish, and the racket of kids shooting hoops outside, the former Pratt school building in East Spokane is abuzz with energy.
After casting a vote for president, governor, and state schools superintendent, voters in the West Valley School District will also be asked if they support a property tax levy to pay for remodeling and repairing school buildings.
The first day of school is momentous enough in any student’s life. It’s a day typically marked by nervous excitement to cross the threshold into a new classroom where they’ll spend 180 days of their lives.
School districts across Washington should work with their communities over the next year to update policies for limiting cellphones during instructional time, according to guidance published Wednesday by the state superintendent’s office.
Spokane Public Schools approved a $590 million general budget at its Wednesday board meeting, contracting to brace for the sunset of COVID-era federal support but cutting no programs or staff.
