At Monday night’s study session, the Airway Heights City Council got a look at a potential capital facilities bond the Cheney School District hopes to put on the February election ballot. District administration presented a $55 million proposal that would renovate and modernize Cheney High School and three elementary schools.
Since its $44.48 million bond — which would have added a 700-seat auditorium, expanded classroom and physical fitness space, remodeled and modernized the high school only — failed twice in 2015, the district embarked on a process to gather community feedback through workshops and online Thoughtexchange conversations to learn what elements it should include in its next capital facilities proposal.
The proposal includes $7.8 million for Sunset Elementary School in Airway Heights. The work includes 10 new classrooms that would expand into the playground area, a new gym, site work to revamp the bus loop and a secure entryway, similar to what the middle schools currently have.
Associate Superintendent Sean Dotson, who was previously the principal at Sunset, said the school’s current gym — which is also the cafeteria — would function more as a multi-purpose room after the remodel.
“It would also allow the school to run two P.E. classes at the same time,” Dotson said. “The additional classrooms would allow the district to bring back some of the Airway Heights students who are attending Snowdon Elementary School.”
The proposal includes additional classrooms and renovations for Betz ($3.2 million) and Windsor ($7.25 million) elementary schools, as well as $35.9 million for the high school.
The bond would fund 17 additional classrooms, a 500-seat auditorium, more athletic and fitness space and an expanded commons area at the high school. It would also add a second-floor shell for more classrooms in the future.
Superintendent Rob Roettger added that there is $250,000 in the bond to go toward purchasing land. The estimated tax impact of the bond is 75 cents per $1,000 of assessed value.
Roettger said the Cheney School Board will make its final decision on the bond at its Dec. 7 meeting at Windsor Elementary School.
“There could potentially be some adjustments (to the proposal),” Roettger said.
Mayor Kevin Richey said the district could expect some pushback from the community on the bond as residents feel the school district has overlooked the city in the past on certain matters. Others are upset because there is no high school in or around Airway Heights.
“We’re one of the few communities in the region that don’t have a high school and that’s an essential part of the community,” Richey said.
Richey said he appreciates the district’s willingness to invest money to improve Sunset and that its new proposal is better than the previous one.
“Your investment in Sunset is great and it’s going to change some minds, but not all of them,” Richey said.
Al Stover can be reached at [email protected].
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