Private school finds a home at old U-Hi

The Central Valley School Board has agreed to lease space to a homeless Spokane Valley Christian school.

At its regular meeting Monday night, the school board unanimously approved a 23-month lease agreement between the district and Valley Christian School for space at the former University High School.

The private school has agreed to pay Central Valley $90,000 a year to occupy 30,000 square feet of the old high school at 10212 E. Ninth, now referred to as University Center. The lease begins on Aug. 31 and ends July 31, 2007.

“It makes sense to me, if we aren’t going to use the building, that at least part of it be occupied,” said Cindy McMullen, Central Valley board member. “It fills a short-term community need; it helps us support other methods of education in our community.”

Since the new U-Hi opened in 2002, the Central Valley School District has continued to use the former 160,000-square-foot high school building for special education pre-school programs, and as a bus depot for part of the school bus fleet. The building has also most recently been used as temporary housing for students as Central Valley continues to remodel its school buildings, and will continue to be in the future.

The board voted last month to offer the site for lease until future remodels begin. At least three parties, including Valley Christian, expressed interest in the building, said Dave Jackman, district administrator.

“There was also a local church without a site and a YMCA day care,” Jackman said.

Valley Christian seemed like the best fit.

The private school was left looking for space to house its 300 students in grades kindergarten through 12 in May, when the church that owns the current school building terminated the lease amid a state investigation involving the school’s head administrator, Wes Evans.

The school had been housed in a building adjacent to Valley Fourth Memorial Church on South Bowdish Road for more than 30 years, and once operated as a mission of the church. The two split in 2002.

Among concerns cited by the church were allegations that Evans covered up alleged abuse by Steve Altmeyer, the former head boys basketball coach.

Valley Christian will use about 12 classrooms at University Center, as well as a small gym, a computer room and the front office area, Jackman said. The space will be for students in grades seven through 12. Students in grades kindergarten through six will be housed at Valley Assembly of God Church on East Broadway.

The school has also agreed to a $5,000-a-year lease agreement with Sports USA, a multiuse sports complex in Spokane Valley, for high school basketball and volleyball games. The school is well known for its strong athletic programs.

Valley Christian school officials are hopeful that the current move is only temporary, until a new school can be built on a 34-acre site that the school owns on Barker Road north of Interstate 90. They hope to attract as many as 800 students once the school is built.

“Our land is paid for and we’re in the process of moving forward,” said Evans, who was at the meeting Monday. “We’re continuing with that vision to meet the needs of the families that have chosen Valley Christian.”