Updates to Ferris campus revealed at board meeting

Updates on plans for the Ferris campus and educational specifications for the new health facility were presented at the June 9 school board meeting.

Gregory Brown, director of capital projects for Spokane Public Schools and Steve McNutt, principal of Northwest Architectural Company, presented the latest work on this project, financed by voter approval of the 2003 bond.

According to Brown, five community meetings were held, as well as weekly meetings through most of April and May with representatives of the Ferris staff. Two meetings were held with the entire Ferris staff, and concepts were available for the public to view at the Lincoln Heights design open house last month.

After comments from both the community and staff, two preferred schemes were developed.

The two schemes will be refined to come up with one scheme and this draft will be presented at the school board’s July work session for review, comment and approval.

After meeting with City Traffic Engineers, Brown said that they may need to rethink plans for the location of the student parking lot. There are concerns about dumping 500 cars onto the proposed Ray couplet.

While some details are still being revised, there is relative certainty that the health facility will be located between the field house and track.

Bids will go out next spring and construction is scheduled for summer 2005.

Washington Award for Vocational Excellence grants awarded

Each spring, two seniors from each of the state’s 49 legislative districts are awarded Washington Award for Vocational Excellence (WAVE) grants.

The grants provide six quarters or four semesters of tuition and service fees at state colleges, universities or vocational schools for the selected students.

Natasha Kirilovich of Lewis and Clark High School and Ashley Gordon from the Skills Center were the two representatives chosen from the 3rd Legislative District.

Marcy Pederson from the Skills Center was chosen from the 4th District and the 5th District representative is James Lytton from North Central High School.

The grant winners were selected on the basis of achievement, leadership and community service by a panel of state leaders in professional-technical education, government and business.