Jim Allen

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News >  Education

Central Valley, Ferris and North Central among top local schools in annual U.S. News and World Report rankings

UPDATED: Wed., May 1, 2019

U.S. News and World Report gave out its annual report cards this week, 17,000 of them to every high school in the nation, with so-so results for Eastern Washington. The best earned only a solid B, with most falling in the middle range of 364 schools statewide.

News >  Education

Local school districts crunching budget numbers after Legislature gives more money

Tue., April 30, 2019

For Spokane Public Schools and other districts in the region, the news out of Olympia last weekend was very good.

News >  Education

Central Valley may cut 60 teaching and classroom jobs as part of budget shortfall

Sat., April 27, 2019

The Central Valley School District may eliminate about 60 teaching and other classroom staff positions as administrators deal with a $12 million budget shortfall next year.

News >  Spokane

Finding the perfect house may be difficult, but financing has never been easier

Sat., April 27, 2019

Buying a home has seldom been this easy, especially if you have a solid credit rating and aren’t hampered by student loans or other debt.

News >  Spokane

Potential homebuyers stay out of the market for many reasons, but it comes with a cost

Sat., April 27, 2019

If history teaches us anything, says Rob Higgins, executive officer of the Spokane Association Realtors, it’s that opportunity shouldn’t be spurned.

News >  Education

More than a metaphor: A new door opens for Sacajawea students, just maybe not how expected

Fri., April 26, 2019

The moment of truth arrived at 10 o’clock Thursday morning at Sacajawea Middle School. As teacher Kim Taylor and her advanced engineering students looked on, a police robot wrapped its claws around a metal doorknob and did something amazing. It turned the knob and opened a wooden door.

News >  Washington

New criminal definitions for teen sexting emphasize smarter phone use, but keeps punishment for ‘malicious activity’

Fri., April 26, 2019

A new Washington state law that lessens the penalties for “sexting” by minors will help teenagers learn from their mistakes, said educators and some lawmakers this week.

News >  Education

Mead families urge board to save alternative programs and schools amid budget cuts

Thu., April 25, 2019

While students, parents and staff of Mead School District applauded efforts to deal with a $12 million budget deficit next year, they also urged the school board to spare their most treasured programs from cuts.

News >  Education

Amid swarm of layoffs, West and East Valley schools credit planning and smaller raises for minimal cuts

Wed., April 24, 2019

In a contentious spring of budget-cutting and layoffs, two smaller school districts in Spokane Valley are, almost, feel-good stories.

News >  Education

Central Valley schools bracing for budget cuts and layoffs

Wed., April 24, 2019

Facing a projected $12 million budget deficit next year, the Central Valley School District is bracing for cuts in staffing and programs.

News >  Education

Mead waits on school budget cuts until community weighs options

Wed., April 24, 2019

Facing a $12 million budget deficit and some difficult choices, Mead School District has hit the pause button.

News >  Spokane

Ferris educator named state Science Teacher of the Year

Tue., April 23, 2019

Darci Hastings, a Ferris High School teacher for 20 years, has been named state Science Teacher of the Year

News >  Education

Spokane school district proposes shorter Fridays and larger class sizes as budget cuts loom

Sat., April 20, 2019

Budget cuts and layoffs at Spokane Public Schools may mean that students are let out of school 75 minutes early every Friday to give teachers weekly preparation and planning time.

News >  Education

Schools in low-income neighborhoods will shoulder most teacher layoffs

UPDATED: Fri., April 19, 2019

As Spokane Public Schools deals with a $31 million budget deficit next year, tough layoff conversations were held across the district last week. However, the cuts fell like a machete in Spokane’s low-income neighborhoods.

News >  Education

Shawn Woodward named as new Mead School District superintendent

UPDATED: Tue., April 16, 2019

Shawn Woodward, who has led the Lake Pend Oreille School District for the past seven years, has been named superintendent of the Mead School District.

News >  Spokane

High number of layoffs at Rogers High School shows ongoing disparity among city’s schools

UPDATED: Wed., April 17, 2019

As if they needed another one, the students in Hillyard are getting a tough lesson in economics.

News >  Education

$60,000 awarded to Spokane’s brightest high school seniors

UPDATED: Tue., April 16, 2019

Twenty-four high school seniors took home awards from $1,000 to $4,000 in six categories.

News >  Spokane

North Central reinvigorates theater program with ‘Chicago’ as school layoffs claim drama teacher

Sat., April 13, 2019

NC’s drama teacher pushes ahead with production of musical “Chicago” even as school officials hand her layoff notice

News >  Spokane

School libraries targeted as Spokane Public Schools issues layoff notices

UPDATED: Fri., April 12, 2019

On Thursday, every librarian in Spoke Public Schools received notice that their jobs will be eliminated next year. Those with less experience will probably be laid off this summer, as the district copes with a

News >  Spokane

Spokane schools issues 325 layoff notices amid budget shortfall

UPDATED: Sat., April 13, 2019

One of every 12 employees at Spokane Public Schools could lose their job before the next school year.

News >  Education

Spokane Public Schools approves budget priorities as funding from Legislature remains up in the air

Thu., April 11, 2019

Facing the possibility of staff cutbacks this fall, the Spokane Public Schools board of directors tried to reaffirm Wednesday night that next year’s budget will prioritize basic education.

News >  Education

Gonzaga Prep’s Ryan Decker turned open-heart surgery into a success story to help others

Tue., April 9, 2019

The best and worst day of Ryan Decker’s life came in the seventh grade when she had open-heart surgery.

News >  Spokane

Future Spokane middle schools: More glass, light, academic ‘neighborhoods’ envisioned

UPDATED: Mon., April 8, 2019

Spokane Public Schools officials have met with an architecture firm to continue the hard work of designing six new middle school buildings by 2024 that are geared toward learning for sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders.

Sports >  Area sports

Former G-Prep standout Oti Gildon reaches final stop in college hoops journey – a Final Four trip

UPDATED: Thu., April 4, 2019

The journey is complete. Oti Gildon and Kelly Graves are in the Final Four.

News >  Spokane

When it comes to Bloomsday team names, creativity counts

UPDATED: Wed., April 3, 2019

Those are just three of the 29 finalists – out of 350 entries – in a contest that rewards clever minds instead of fast times. The list was announced Wednesday, not long after a Bloomsday panel met over a lunch that was spent “laughing over some of the creative play on words some teams submitted,” Cup Director Sarah Ranson said. The winner gets a plaque and an invitation to the annual awards luncheon following the race on May 5.