Alison Boggs

Five-year-old Jay Cline and his kindergarten teacher, Cathy Walter, share a laugh in his class at University Elementary School. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

Central Valley School District's 1,100 employees got a lesson Tuesday on how to keep violence out of schools. Their instructor was Jesus Villahermosa, a deputy sheriff in Tacoma who stressed taking a proactive approach to preventing violence. He's delivered his message to 50,000 school employees, students, parents and business groups nationwide. "Proactive is not something you just choose to be," Villahermosa told CV's staff, who gathered Tuesday at Central Valley High School's gym. "You have to choose to be it every day. It's a commitment to safety."

Angie Thayer spent the better part of last week running across the lawn of Central Valley High School with her feet in contorted positions. Thayer, 15, is a member of the school's color guard and practiced from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every day last week. The color guard performs with the marching band, dancing and waving colorful flags in synchronized motion along with the music.

Jeff Aaseby, Jenilyn Cvech, Charlotte Braunschweig and Annie Bryceson had an EV preview Thursday. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

Sixty-nine percent of Central Valley School District seventh through 12th graders said they would not report it if they saw a student with a weapon at school. Eighteen percent said they had brought a weapon to school. Only 9 percent said there is no gang activity in the schools. These are some of the statistics uncovered in a recent poll conducted by Central Valley School District to learn about students' feelings and actions. The poll is conducted every year, but was expanded this year in light of rising youth violence in Spokane County.

More than 200 frightened Spokane Valley residents showed up for a meeting Wednesday night to vent feelings about their children's safety following a gang-related shooting in their neighborhood. One woman whose child is in seventh-grade said she'd seen gang graffiti and drug deals happen right outside the school. Another woman was worried that gangs are waiting to sell drugs to middle school children when they are released for the day.

1. With new shoes and a backpack, 5-year-old Kenny Phifer is ready for school. Kenny will join the newest class of Otis Orchards Elementary School. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review 2. Robbie Syron will be starting at Centennial Middle School. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review 3. Carisa McCathern will be a ninth-grader at Freeman High. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

With classes beginning this week and next, Spokane Valley school districts are scrambling to prepare for the influx of thousands of children. "It's like studying for finals," said Harry Amend, superintendent of Freeman School District, south of the Valley. "It's coming whether we're ready or not." Freeman's 885 students started classes on Tuesday, Aug. 29. Classes at Central Valley, East Valley and West Valley schools begin Sept. 6.

Tiny Freeman High School was the top scorer among Spokane Valley schools on the Scholastic Aptitude Test. But most other Valley schools fared well, trouncing the national average scores on the annual college entrance exam. Nationwide, the average this year was 428 in the verbal portion of the exam, up from 423 in 1994, and 482 in math, up from 479 in 1994.

A meeting set up to discuss safety issues in West Valley School District will take on added significance after a gang-related shooting Sunday. "I send (parents) a letter saying we need to be safe, and four or five days later we have a shooting outside my office," Superintendent Dave Smith told the West Valley School Board this week. The shooting occurred Sunday night outside WV's district office at Argonne and Buckeye. Three youths were hit by a spray of bullets from a passing car. Police arrested a 17-year-old, but are still looking for his two companions.

Erik Ohlund is the new principal at University High School. He is the rookie among four new principals at Valley high schools. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

At long last, political candidates have won the right to advertise at an annual neighborhood celebration in the Spokane Valley. Trouble is, they'll have to get wet to do it. For $25, candidates can buy the right to sit in a dunk tank for a half-hour on Sept. 16, just three days before the primary.

Nancy Gerber at play with some of her daycare children. She has been collecting creative activity ideas for 20 years. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

On Thursday, 273 boxes of crayons, 3,930 pencils and 203 notebooks arrived at the Spokane Valley Center of Sharing, ready for distribution to needy school children.

The Central Valley School Board decided Monday night to ask voters to approve a $23 million bond issue in March 1996. CV's bond, like four that have failed in recent years, will focus on remodeling Bowdish Junior High and building an elementary school in Liberty Lake. Bonds have failed, but the Spokane Valley's population has continued to grow, forcing CV to bus some students from their neighborhoods to other schools that have extra space.

The shuffling continues as the Central Valley School Board fills openings resulting from the resignation of Superintendent Dick Sovde. In July, assistant superintendent and personnel director Wally Stanley was named interim superintendent for the 1995-96 school year while the school board searches for a permanent replacement. The board is trying to choose a consulting firm to help run the search process, with hopes of having a new superintendent in place by July.

Sasha Jackowich was a natural for leadership trip. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

East Valley's alternative high school proposal passed unanimously at the district's board meeting Wednesday night despite considerable concerns about the program's future. Only 15 students have committed to the program and scheduling does not seem to be as flexible as initially planned. Despite the problems, board members and district administrators have thrown their support beyond the program, hoping to attract dropouts back to school.

Linda Tompkins, a 12-year member of the Central Valley School Board, decided Thursday not to run for re-election, setting her sights instead on a Spokane County Superior Court judgeship. Although Tompkins said she would not run against a sitting judge, talk of two upcoming retirements and another possible position funded by county commissioners encouraged her to make her interest known. "I'm waiting for an opening to take place," Tompkins said Thursday. "I spoke with the governor, and I feel confident he'd look at my appointment with a positive flair."

West Valley School District's maintenance staff was busy Wednesday converting a custodian's room into a teachers' lounge. It's one of the last dominoes to fall into place for the district as it struggles to find room for almost 100 new students. The bulk of the increase is due to a small graduating class and a huge first grade. Only 165 students left the district this year, and 220 kindergarteners will advance to first grade in the fall, necessitating two new first-grade classrooms.

Edgecliff Park in the Spokane Valley is about to become less dusty and more fun. Construction crews will begin paving two gravel parking lots that border the park on Sixth and Eighth avenues in early August. In September, new playground equipment will be installed. Edgecliff is on Park Road, between Sixth and Eighth.

Stanley

The political season is almost upon Spokane County, and with it, an annual debate. Should Valleyfest, the Spokane Valley's annual neighborhood celebration, allow candidates to advertise in Terrace View Park? "It's come up over and over and over again," said Valleyfest director Sue Delucchi. "It's difficult trying to find a way to cope with that."

1. John Davis, 11, will be enrolled at West Valley High School and also will take a class at Gonzaga University this fall. Photo by Dan Pelle/The Spokesman-Review 2. John Davis studies a puzzle book while his 15-year-old brother, Jack, watches. Photo by Dan Pelle/The Spokesman-Review