SPOKANE, Wash. — Kids in our community could soon have better access to after-school programs through the Boys and Girls Club, if a proposed bond and levy plan is passed this fall.
‘Together Spokane’ is a joint bond and levy plan proposed by Spokane Public Schools and Spokane Parks and Recreation.
If passed, the plan would provide a $240 million levy to Parks and Recreation over 20 years and a $200 million bond to SPS over 20 years.
Parks and Recreation already voted earlier this month to place the levy on the November ballot.
The Boys and Girls Club in Spokane is partnering with SPS and the Parks Department in hopes that the plan will pass and allow the club to expand youth services throughout the city.
“We’re looking to serve more kids by being in more neighborhoods,” said Wendy Drum, CEO of Boys and Girls Club of Spokane County.
Currently, the only Boys and Girls club within the city is housed in a 1950s building in Northeast Spokane. It serves about 650 kids and provides over 100,000 meals to kids in Spokane every year.
Drum said its standalone location creates accessibility challenges for families from other neighborhoods.
If passed, Together Spokane would establish new Boys and Girls Club locations within Madison and Adams Elementary Schools, allowing the organization to serve more children in both north and south Spokane neighborhoods.
“Being in the schools will allow kids to essentially walk down the hall and have a safe and positive place to go for after-school programs,” Drum explained.
The Boys and Girls Club offers various youth development programs that fill critical gaps in childcare and enrichment.
“We do physical activity, after-school programs and social-emotional learning, and so essentially, we are a huge resource in gap-programming between when kids are out of school and when parents are available after work,” Drum said.
The proposed bond and levy would cost taxpayers an estimated $29 for every $100,000 of assessed property value per year.
If the plan is approved, both Madison and Adams Elementary Schools would be completely rebuilt. Adams Elementary requires only the bond to pass for replacement, while Madison Elementary needs both the bond and levy to be approved.
“We need to provide assets to our community that provide a multitude of experiences for both kids and adults. And, that’s what makes the Madison project so special,” Dr. Adam Swinyard, Spokane Public Schools Superintendent said. “It’s a community center that has a school inside of it, a Boys and Girls Club inside of it, a five-court Field House and an event venue for our community, not just a school.”
Spokane Public Schools will vote Wednesday night on whether or not to place the bond on the November ballot.
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