Wish List Complete For New 9-Mile School

Thu., June 19, 1997

By Jonathan Martin jonathanm@spokesman.com

The new Nine Mile Falls middle school won’t open for 16 months, but teachers and staff have finished a wish list for the building.

Among the requested gizmos is a school-wide Internet wiring system, adjustable walls and big commons areas. Students will be segregated by grade in separate wings.

“It’s almost like Christmas, we are making these great lists,” said Kevin Simpson, sixth-grade teacher at Lake Spokane Elementary.

The district plans to publish the specifications next week, which were drawn up by teachers, staff and parents after visits to a handful of new schools around the state. Construction companies are expected to submit bids beginning July 22.

The plans were drawn by Architects West, the firm that designed Coeur d’Alene’s Lake City High.

The 62,500-square-foot building is funded by a $7 million bond issue approved by voters in February. The bond issue pays for everything necessary to outfit the school, from chalk to sports uniforms.

At about $90.47 per square foot, the new middle school comes in below the state average, according to statistics from the State Superintendent of Public Instruction’s office. Mead’s new high school cost about $100 per square foot.

“We’ve designed a pretty basic structure,” said Superintendent Don Baumberger. “We haven’t gotten too elaborate.”

One of the best features, according to Simpson, is the separate wing for each grade.

“We don’t necessarily want a 12-year-old influenced by the thinking of a 14-, 15-year-old. Separating them into wings will be a real preventative maintenance feature,” said Simpson, president of the Nine Mile Falls teachers union.

The new school was approved by a 68 percent margin, an endorsement from the rapidly growing Suncrest area. The student population has been growing by 7 percent, twice the rate of neighboring districts.

The middle school, with grades 6-8, should open with about 450 students, 150 short of its capacity.

The high school, which currently holds students in grades 7-12, should be down to about 500 students when the middle school opens. The high school currently bulges at more than 750 students, one-third larger than its capacity.

The high school is so overcrowded that classes are held in the library and staff room. Six portables will be leased for one year to house the students.

To pay for the middle school building, district residents will pay about $150 extra on a $100,000 home, although that number could drop if growth continues. The bond will be repaid within 15 years.

, DataTimes

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.