The Spokane Public Schools (SPS) Board of Directors approved a proposal this week to reduce the district’s footprint, save money, and enhance opportunities for students at The Community School (TCS).
The plan relocates both TCS and the SPS central administrative offices to a newly purchased building at 501 N. Riverpoint Blvd. This move is expected to save SPS more than $300,000 annually while also generating up to $1 million per year for the next 3-5 years from existing tenants in the Riverpoint facility.
“Not only is this good for kids, but this becomes a good business deal for the school district,” SPS Superintendent Adam Swinyard told members of the media at TCS on Tuesday. “We want to be a world-class school district, but as one of the largest employers in Spokane County we also strive to be a world-class business operation. And so, this is an example of those two worlds coalescing together in a way that makes sense and saves money for the taxpayer.”
In Community
For more than a decade, TCS has operated as a project-based learning high school out of the Bancroft Building, which was originally built in 1958 as an elementary school. While students and staff strive to find creative solutions in using the space, it’s not an ideal home for a unique high-school learning model.
"We make it work. We turn hallways into recording areas, or we turn a small corner of a room into a conference area,” TCS principal Dr. Cindy McMahon told KREM 2 News this week.
The relocation will place TCS in the heart of Spokane’s University District, offering students direct access to universities, nonprofit organizations, and local businesses – kicking the school’s community-integrated learning into a higher gear.
"It's kind of a dream come true," Dr. McMahon shared with KXLY. "That would be right there where the where the action is."
“One of the key tenets of project-based learning is working directly with the community,” Dr. Swinyard said. “This move allows students to integrate with higher ed, government, and business in ways that bring their projects to life.”
Clockwise from top: The Community School at the Bancroft Building, the recently purchased Riverpoint One Building, and the current SPS Administration Building.
Phased Approach
The relocation of TCS and the SPS central office is part of a two-phase property consolidation plan:
Phase One is already moving forward with the purchase of the University District building and SPS Board approval. The transition will happen gradually as current tenants relocate over the next several years. The Community School will move in first, followed by the district office.
Phase Two is part of a broader strategy under the Together Spokane initiative and is contingent upon the passage of a proposed Nov. 2025 bond . It involves the potential sale or lease of three additional district-owned properties, followed by construction of a joint operations and storage facility that could potentially be shared by SPS, the City of Spokane, Spokane Police and Fire departments, as well as the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture (MAC). If that happens, MAC would be able to repurpose its current, on-site storage to expand exhibit space and educational programming.
Dr. Swinyard emphasized that this plan – and Together Spokane as a whole – are part of a larger exercise in creatively considering how public spaces should be used.
“When government agencies collaborate, we reduce costs and create better opportunities for the community,” he said. “This plan allows us to make smart financial decisions while keeping the focus on students.”
We welcome feedback from our community about the property consolidation plan and other elements of Together Spokane. Please complete a Brief Survey to share your thoughts.
Cover photo: High school students at The Community School create chalk art in the school parking lot during their annual "Spring into Action" event.