Construction of Central Valley School District’s new middle school is on track, Superintendent Ben Small says

Hundreds of people gathered Tuesday afternoon for a “Behind the Fence” sneak peak at the new Selkirk Middle School under construction just south of Mission Avenue on the edge of the Liberty Lake city limits.

Central Valley School District Superintendent Ben Small handed out fluorescent vests, hard hats and safety glasses to those going on guided tours of the building. Giving people a look at buildings under construction has become a tradition, Small said.

“We did this with almost all our schools,” he said. “We want people to come in and see how we’re doing and what’s going on.”

The school will be open by the time the next school year starts in the fall. “We’re on schedule,” Small said. “The quality of the work has just been outstanding.”

Walker Construction is working on the $27.4 million two-story project, though work crews cleared out of the way for Tuesday’s tours. People who have visited the school district’s other new facilities might notice that the school’s design is similar to North Pines Middle School. The district reused and adapted the design to save money. Construction is being paid for by a bond passed by voters in early 2018.

Many rooms were taped off Tuesday, but visitors could wander inside some classrooms, the gym and the second-floor library with floor-to-ceiling windows that offer stunning views of the mountains to the south. The exterior of the building is mostly done. On the inside the electrical work is not complete and work lights are strung from the ceiling. Heat is provided by large portable heaters with fans.

The building also has a community room that can be rented by the public, a welcome addition given the short supply of public meeting rooms in Liberty Lake. The room will have a small kitchen and has an outside entrance so people won’t have to walk through the building to access it.

There’s no shortage of windows, even in the gym, allowing plenty of natural light into the building. Playing fields are going in outside and students will also be able to cross Mission Avenue and use the tennis courts in the new 11-acre Harvest Park that is under construction.

Quite a few families who came for a tour have students who either will be attending the school this fall or in a few years. Tracy Means took a tour with her son Brady, who will attend eighth grade at the school in the fall. They both said they loved the new school, particularly the library.

“The library was amazing with the view,” she said.

But the best part of the new school is that her son, who now attends Greenacres Middle School, won’t have to travel so far from their home in Liberty Lake to go to school.

“I’m really excited for him,” she said. “It’s closer to home. This is right in our backyard.”

Ty Larsen will be the school’s principal and was helping give tours. He said his excitement is about an 11 on a scale from 1 to 10. He’s also a big fan of the library’s design and view.

“We’re trying to set it up as a spot for kids to be in, not just check out books,” he said. “It feels like you’re right outside.”

Larsen said he’s looking forward to having plenty of room. “Instead of packing kids into Greenacres (Middle School), they can go to an appropriately-designed school,” he said.

He said he’s excited that kids from Liberty Lake who are scattered among the district’s middle schools will be able to have their own school in the community. “Now we get one school, which is kind of nice to have,” he said.

Larsen is also looking forward to creating a new community with his students and teachers built around their identity as the Selkirk Middle School Wolves. Wolves were chosen as the mascot because they live in the Selkirk Mountains that gave the school its name, he said.

“They’re pack animals and stick together,” he said.

A public dedication ceremony is set for 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 22.