Jim Allen

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News >  Spokane

Spokane school bond would help Spanish immersion and On Track Academy programs

UPDATED: Wed., Oct. 3, 2018

Two special programs that serve opposite ends of Spokane Public Schools’ broad collection of students stand to gain more space and traction as voters decide on a

Sports >  Gonzaga women

Three Gonzaga seniors have high expectations as women’s basketball practice opens

UPDATED: Tue., Oct. 2, 2018

Great expectations are the norm every fall at the Kennel. That goes triple for the three senior starters on the Gonzaga women’s team, who also expect to win a third straight West Coast Conference title this year.

News >  Education

Passage of Spokane Public Schools bond would ease Lewis and Clark’s lunchtime chaos

Tue., Oct. 2, 2018

Lewis and Clark High School is the last Spokane Public School without a central place for students to eat lunch. A bond on the November ballot would change that.

News >  Education

School district mum on Roosevelt Elementary principal’s resignation

UPDATED: Tue., Oct. 2, 2018

Roosevelt Elementary School’s principal resigned after less than a month on the job.

News >  Education

Spokane Public Schools look to $495.3 million bond to rebuild 3 mid-century middle schools

UPDATED: Wed., Oct. 3, 2018

Welcome to Glover Middle School, where the principal doesn’t wear a button-down shirt because his office is too warm, where students recently went five days without hot water and where asbestos lurks behind every wall. “You’d better step away from there,” joked teacher Danial Witkowski, who teaches robotics in a classroom that dates from when the school opened in 1959.

News >  Education

New middle schools in Spokane Public Schools bond would help lower class sizes in elementaries

Sun., Sept. 30, 2018

The $495 million school Spokane Public Schools bond on the Nov. 6 ballot offers many things, but the biggest is a reduction in classroom size for kindergarten through third grade. By adding three new middle schools and replacing three others, the district could move sixth graders into those new buildings and free space for younger students.

News >  Education

Spokane Public Schools $495 million bond proposal: An overview

Sun., Sept. 30, 2018

The $495 million bond proposal voters will consider in the Nov. 6 election would create three new middle schools, replace three other middle schools, pay for a new

News >  Education

Eyes on the skies: New course gives Shadle Park students a taste of aerospace manufacturing

Sat., Sept. 29, 2018

This summer, Spokane Public Schools’ board formally adopted the Shadle Park aerospace technology pilot program as an approved curriculum.

News >  Spokane

East Valley School District seeks infrastructure levy in November ballot

UPDATED: Thu., Oct. 4, 2018

Aging infrastructure is catching up with the East Valley School District and its sense of security for students and staff.

News >  Education

Bagged, tagged and out of reach: Spokane teachers respond to in-class cellphone usage

Thu., Sept. 27, 2018

Even as they become increasingly necessary to daily life, cellphones in the classroom are a growing distraction. Spokane teachers are searching for a response.

News >  Spokane

Bigger, more extensive Spokane dog park planned for South Hill

Fri., Sept. 21, 2018

The ongoing partnership between the city and Spokane Public Schools may produce a bigger and better dog park, with longer trails and less conflict with neighbors.

News >  Education

Spokane Public Schools planning to reduce staffing through attrition to pay for teacher raises

UPDATED: Thu., Sept. 20, 2018

After delivering large pay raises for teachers and other staff, Spokane Public Schools administrators are now looking to shrink the size of its workforce.

News >  Education

Walking School Bus helps Spokane children get to school and instills confidence

Thu., Sept. 20, 2018

Thanks to dozens of volunteers, the Walking School Bus helps young children – those who live too close to school for a conventional bus ride – find their way safely to school and hopefully toward a better life.

News >  Spokane

Buzz kill: Spokane schools trying to discourage students from ‘energy’ drinks

Wed., Sept. 19, 2018

Like coffee and pop, any Spokane fifth-grader can buy caffeinated drinks legally at any supermarket or quick stop, no questions asked.

News >  Education

North Central’s Myah Rodriguez pursuing her own history after beating cancer

Tue., Sept. 18, 2018

North Central High School student Myah Rodriguez overcame childhood cancer to become a leader with a bright future.

News >  Health

Teens in Spokane County are vaping more, while smoking and drinking less

Sat., Sept. 15, 2018

Almost one in six teens in Spokane County uses e-cigarettes. At the same time, teen use of alcohol and cigarettes has declined dramatically.

News >  Spokane

A year later and still strong: Community comes together on anniversary of Freeman High shooting

UPDATED: Fri., Sept. 14, 2018

One year after tragedy struck Freeman High, the school and the community are still Freeman Strong, even through the tears. Many were shed Thursday night as more than 200 people gathered in the middle of the football field.

News >  Spokane

A year after tragedy, Freeman High will hold candlelight vigil tonight

Thu., Sept. 13, 2018

One year later, Freeman is still strong. And vulnerable. Reminders of strength are everywhere, as hashtagged signs hang on houses and barns and the cars and trucks that ply the roads south of Spokane.

News >  Education

In many Spokane County schools, about 30 percent of students are chronically absent

UPDATED: Thu., Sept. 13, 2018

Around the nation, this is Attendance Awareness Month – not that educators in Spokane need any reminding. In the Spokane Public Schools last year, chronic absenteeism – defined as missing 10 to 15 percent of school days – was 29.3 percent. That number is little changed from the year before, but still a big source of concern.

News >  Spokane

What makes a tomato a grand champion? A Spokane County fair judge explains.

UPDATED: Wed., Sept. 12, 2018

Take it from those who love it most: The Spokane County Interstate Fair will grow on you – much like the pumpkins in the Agriculture Building.

News >  Education

For school systems, McCleary decision gave with one hand and took with the other

Sun., Sept. 9, 2018

The irony isn’t lost on the state’s school districts, teachers and the public they serve: that the $2 billion windfall created by the landmark McCleary court decision has reaped a whirlwind of contention, a chaotic summer of salary negotiations and an uncertain future for everyone.

News >  Education

Central Valley School District teachers vote overwhelmingly to approve now contract

UPDATED: Fri., Sept. 7, 2018

Central Valley School District teachers moved swiftly and decisively to approve a new salary contract Friday afternoon.

News >  Education

Full-day kindergarten starts fifth year in Spokane Public Schools

UPDATED: Thu., Sept. 6, 2018

On Wednesday morning at Cooper Elementary School, new kindergartners brought their essential supplies, all stuffed in their backpacks. So did their parents – straight from a tissue box.

News >  Education

Tentative deal reached in Central Valley School District teachers’ contract negotiations

Thu., Sept. 6, 2018

After weeks of slow progress in salary negotiations, the Central Valley School District and its teachers’ union sprinted to the finish line Monday night to reach a tentative agreement on a one-year contract.

News >  Education

With fire trucks and high-fives, Roosevelt Elementary opens for first day of school

Fri., Aug. 31, 2018

At Roosevelt Elementary, the first day of school was as shiny and new as a fire truck.