Jim Allen

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News >  Local Government

County treasurer extends property tax deadline, calls for teacher pay cuts

UPDATED: Thu., Aug. 27, 2020

Spokane County residents have an additional 60 days to pay their property taxes after the treasurer’s office announced Thursday its second extension of the year.

News >  Local Government

Spokane County treasurer to outline property tax relief plan

UPDATED: Thu., Aug. 27, 2020

Spokane County Treasurer Michael Baumgartner suggested Wednesday that he will offer more property tax relief to homeowners this year as the pandemic tightens pocketbooks and local school districts shift to online learning.

News

New football stadium for Mead schools beckons return to normal

Wed., Aug. 26, 2020

A few miles north of Spokane, at the corner of Market Street and Farwell Road, a gleaming field of green turf is ready for football.

News >  Education

Lakeland district adopts plan that makes masks optional, begins with in-class learning 2 days a week

UPDATED: Tue., Aug. 25, 2020

Seeking compromise on an issue where little existed, the Lakeland Joint School District has decided to limit the number of students returning for in-person lessons.

News

Mead teachers blast back-to-school model

UPDATED: Mon., Aug. 24, 2020

The Mead School District board of directors should reconsider its decision to allow most children to return for face-to-face learning this fall, dozens of teachers told the school board Monday night.

News

Mead schools investigate ‘How to Redneck’ student video espousing racial violence

UPDATED: Mon., Aug. 24, 2020

The Mead School District and the Spokane County Sheriff’s office are investigating a video posted by a high school student that espouses racial violence.

News

Spokane Public Schools Day Camp gets big demand

UPDATED: Mon., Aug. 24, 2020

Spokane Public Schools’ new day camp has drawn overwhelming interest from working families.

News >  K-12 education

Lakeland charts its own back-to-school plan

UPDATED: Fri., Aug. 21, 2020

Time will tell whether the Lakeland Joint School District is taking a brave step or a reckless one in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

News >  K-12 education

Rural Washington school districts face special challenges in reopening

Thu., Aug. 20, 2020

Even in the most remote school districts of Eastern Washington, there’s no hiding from COVID-19.

News >  K-12 education

Gonzaga Prep students will attend classes in-person once a week

UPDATED: Wed., Aug. 19, 2020

Students at Gonzaga Preparatory School will be in classrooms one day each week this fall, the Catholic high school announced Tuesday.

News >  K-12 education

SPS board to address back to school, other issues

UPDATED: Tue., Aug. 18, 2020

The Spokane Public Schools board will hold a special meeting Wednesday night to cover a wide range of issues, including plans for beginning in-person learning once COVID-19 infection rates decline to acceptable levels.

News

West Valley joins trend, will start year with distance learning only

UPDATED: Mon., Aug. 17, 2020

Joining the majority of districts in Spokane County, the West Valley School District voted unanimously Monday night to begin the year with distance learning only.

News

CdA schools to start with blended learning

UPDATED: Mon., Aug. 17, 2020

Kootenai County is seeing lower COVID-19 transmission rates, but they’re not yet good enough to send children back to buildings full-time, the Coeur d’Alene School District board agreed Monday afternoon.

News >  Education

‘We are going through a collective trauma’: Foster children in Spokane face major stresses during pandemic

Mon., Aug. 17, 2020

A recent survey by Treehouse, a statewide nonprofit assisting foster children, found that the population is facing challenges receiving education assistance during the pandemic. Social workers hope the new school year will begin with more services in place. 

News >  Education

Sunday deadline for Spokane parents to pick year-long distance-learning option

UPDATED: Fri., Aug. 14, 2020

The school year is four weeks away, but parents in Spokane Public Schools have until Sunday to make a key decision about what distance learning will look like for their children.

News >  Education

‘We just want a choice’: Protesting parents demand in-school learning option

UPDATED: Fri., Aug. 14, 2020

Parents should be given the choice of whether their children learn from home or at schools, a small group of protesters said Friday afternoon outside the Spokane Regional Health District offices.

News >  Education

Spokane superintendent acknowledges funding, teaching uncertainties as atypical school year approaches

UPDATED: Thu., Aug. 13, 2020

The students, families and teachers of Spokane Public Schools will face all manner of uncertainties in the upcoming school year, Superintendent Adam Swinyard said Thursday.

News >  Education

SPS schools opening pushed back two weeks

UPDATED: Wed., Aug. 12, 2020

Citing the need to better prepare teachers and staff for distance learning, Spokane Public Schools announced Wednesday afternoon that the school year will be pushed back by two weeks.

News >  WA Government

Culp urges students to return to school, with or without masks

UPDATED: Wed., Aug. 12, 2020

Gubernatorial candidate Loren Culp spent Wednesday morning handing out backpacks to children.

News >  Education

Single platform, more child care, class meetings: SPS expected to adopt new distance-learning model

UPDATED: Tue., Aug. 11, 2020

The Spokane Public Schools board of directors is expected to approve Wednesday night a distance-learning model that includes expanded child care, a laptop for every student and a single learning platform.

News >  Education

‘Great for working parents’: Spokane district to offer distance learning at school sites

UPDATED: Tue., Aug. 11, 2020

In a move that is sure to attract heavy interest from working families, Spokane Public Schools will offer distance learning at school buildings for every elementary student who wants it.

News >  Education

‘This is the bulk of what we need’: School disruptions don’t hinder Salvation Army effort to hand out backpacks, supplies

UPDATED: Wed., Aug. 12, 2020

Nothing says back to school like a new backpack, even if goes no farther than the kitchen table.

Sports >  Gonzaga women

Gonzaga women’s basketball ‘itching to get back’ after virus concerns extended time away from court

UPDATED: Mon., Aug. 10, 2020

Whatever it takes, Jill Townsend will find a way to win – and stay in shape.

News

Health Officer Bob Lutz talks about schools and hard choices about reopening

UPDATED: Mon., Aug. 10, 2020

School districts that open their doors to students this fall may learn some hard lessons about COVID-19 transmission, Spokane Regional Health Officer Bob Lutz predicted Monday.

News >  Education

School officials hope to encourage ospreys to stick around even after Joe Albi Stadium is demolished

Sat., Aug. 8, 2020

The new middle school in northwest Spokane won’t be ready for two more years, but it already has an unofficial mascot: the osprey.