SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane Public Schools and Spokane Parks and Recreation hosted their fourth and final “Together Spokane” town hall Tuesday night, wrapping up a series of community meetings to promote a $440 million bond and levy package that will appear on November ballots.
The final town hall took place at Ferris High School and focused on Spokane’s south region. Superintendent Dr. Adam Swinyard and Parks and Recreation Director Garrett Jones shared updates on proposed projects that would be funded through the coordinated ballot measures.
During the meeting, the Spokane Youth Sports Association officially announced that, if the measures pass, it would abandon plans to build a sports complex in the Glenrose neighborhood. Instead, the organization would partner on the construction of a facility at Ferris High School.
“We see this as an opportunity not only to collaborate but to bring field space opportunities to play to kids more quickly,” said Ben Walker, executive director of SYSA.
The announcement drew nods of approval from several in the crowd.
For Jennifer Little, a Spokane Public Schools parent, the town hall reinforced her support for the initiative. Little has deep ties to the district, having attended Adams Elementary herself alongside her sister. Both of her children also attended the same school.
“It’s really an investment in our community, our kids,” Little said. “I’m thrilled. Just so excited.”
Walker acknowledged that the Together Spokane initiative would mean higher taxes for community members, a challenging reality in today’s economic climate. However, he emphasized the importance of not delaying opportunities for young people.
“What I don’t think we can afford to do, however, is wait to provide these opportunities to kids and to match their desire to get out and be active,” Walker said.
Little echoed that sentiment and highlighted the collaborative nature of the initiative as a key strength.
“Partnering these groups together, we have a lot more say in how that’s going to happen with the city, than if it was just a school bond or a park bond,” she said.
Community members who missed the town halls can still participate in the discussion. A virtual town hall is scheduled for October 14. For more information and the link to attend, visit www.spokaneschools.org.
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