Jim Allen

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News >  K-12 education

Spokane Public Schools to seek $221 million replacement levy in February

UPDATED: Thu., Oct. 29, 2020

For the Spokane Public Schools board of directors, a proposed $221.6 million replacement levy was an easy sell.

Sports >  Area sports

Kamie Ethridge, Washington State women’s basketball ‘seeing positives’ ahead of uncertain season

Thu., Oct. 29, 2020

Year three of the Kamie Ethridge Era at Washington State begins with more uncertainty than she’d like, but that’s life in 2020.

News

Spokane County library system to reopen buildings Nov. 12

UPDATED: Thu., Oct. 29, 2020

Check it out: Libraries in parts of the Spokane area are about to reopen, and soon.

News >  K-12 education

SPS first-graders back Nov. 9; second-graders Nov. 30

UPDATED: Wed., Oct. 28, 2020

Moving too quickly for some people and not nearly urgently enough for others, Spokane Public Schools will begin to bring first-graders back to classes on Nov. 9.

News >  K-12 education

Central Valley to bring back second-graders next week

UPDATED: Wed., Oct. 28, 2020

More than 3,000 students in the Central Valley School District could be back in classes by the end of next week.

Sports >  Gonzaga athletics

Gonzaga wrangled talent, ranch-tough work ethic with Chandler Smith, Jill Townsend

UPDATED: Wed., Nov. 18, 2020

When the land called her home, Chandler Smith didn’t think twice.

Sports >  Gonzaga athletics

Gonzaga women picked to win WCC for eighth straight season

UPDATED: Tue., Oct. 27, 2020

There is no sure thing in college basketball – especially this year – but based on past performance, the Gonzaga women are as close as it gets.

News

Registering young voters has been a challenge to overcome amid pandemic

Tue., Oct. 27, 2020

Rosie Zhou can’t wait for her chance to vote.

News >  K-12 education

Spokane Public Schools board looks at levy options in 2021

Mon., Oct. 26, 2020

Two of the district’s major goals – restoring lost programs and rebuilding its fund balance – aren’t mutually exclusive, but attaining both has become problematic amid the economic recession brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

News >  Education

Lakeland School District opts to keep students in school with masks optional as COVID-19 cases rise

UPDATED: Fri., Oct. 23, 2020

A lot of numbers were tossed around during Friday morning’s special meeting of the Lakeland Joint School District board.

News >  Education

Kootenai County school districts rework plans – or not – as COVID-19 crisis in community grows

UPDATED: Fri., Oct. 23, 2020

Confronted with sharply rising cases of COVID-19, the three largest school districts in Kootenai County responded Friday with diverse approaches to the crisis.

News >  Idaho

With Kootenai County move into the Red, school districts plan meetings to discuss next moves

UPDATED: Fri., Oct. 23, 2020

Now that the Panhandle Health District has moved Kootenai County into the highest-risk Red category for coronavirus transmission and eliminated its mask mandate, school boards for the county’s largest districts will meet Friday to plan next steps.

News >  K-12 education

When will first-graders at SPS come back? District contemplates next steps on reopening

UPDATED: Thu., Oct. 22, 2020

The protesters outside begged to disagree, but Spokane Public Schools board members and staff offered a positive outlook Wednesday night on the district’s cautious approach in bringing students back to buildings.

News >  K-12 education

SPS pushes back timeline for naming schools

UPDATED: Fri., Oct. 23, 2020

Citizens will get more time to offer suggestions for three new middle schools in Spokane.

News

School board to move ahead with naming, renaming schools

Wed., Oct. 21, 2020

Spokane Public Schools is moving forward with plans for naming new schools and renaming some old ones along with some of their nicknames and mascots.

News

Schools continue to grapple with COVID-19 decisions as cases - and opinions - grow

UPDATED: Tue., Oct. 20, 2020

As kindergartners returned to classes full time this week, Adam Swinyard liked what he saw.

Sports >  Gonzaga athletics

Gonzaga women ‘getting closer’ to putting basketball schedule together

UPDATED: Mon., Oct. 19, 2020

The first question of Monday’s virtual press conference hadn’t yet been asked, but Lisa Fortier saw it coming.

News >  Education

Coeur d’Alene schools regroup in face of COVID-19 surge

UPDATED: Mon., Oct. 19, 2020

The Coeur d'Alene School District board voted unanimously to allow 4 days per week of in-person instruction for kindergartners through 8th-graders beginning Oct. 26, pushing ahead amid rising COVID-19 cases in its schools and across Kootenai County.

News >  K-12 education

Homeless children in Spokane struggle to keep up during distance learning

Mon., Oct. 19, 2020

Distance learning has been tough on all students across the region, but those without a permanent shelter face additional challenges. Homeless students already are at greater risk of falling behind in class, and the pandemic has only heightened those concerns for educators and parents. 

News >  Education

Teaching civics to outspoken students got tougher in the midst of protests, pandemic and presidential election

Sun., Oct. 18, 2020

As if managing a high school civics class wasn’t stimulating enough, along came COVID-19 and one of the most contentious election seasons in history.

News

SPS takes first step toward levy

Sun., Oct. 18, 2020

Spokane Public Schools is taking the first steps toward asking voters to approve up to a $200 million, three-year replacement levy in February.

News >  K-12 education

COVID-19 in local schools: Some report outbreaks – others don’t report their cases at all

UPDATED: Fri., Oct. 16, 2020

For educators and students in Spokane and North Idaho, the COVID-19 pandemic isn’t going away anytime soon.

News >  Education

Central Valley to begin phasing in first-graders Oct. 21

UPDATED: Thu., Oct. 15, 2020

The doors are about to open a little wider in the Central Valley School District.

News

Kootenai County districts may have to take a step back

Thu., Oct. 15, 2020

Things aren’t trending well for in-person learning in the Coeur d’Alene School District.

Sports >  Gonzaga athletics

Coach Lisa Fortier brimming with confidence as Gonzaga women open practice

UPDATED: Fri., Oct. 16, 2020

Gonzaga women’s basketball coach Lisa Fortier is a reflection of her team – confident but not cocky, especially in the face of a pandemic.