To pass a bond: Cheney Public Schools measure passes, the first after county-wide February failure

Nov. 13—Two years in the making and already one failure under their belts, passing a $72 million bond was a "team effort," Cheney Public Schools Superintendent Ben Ferney said.

In February, five school districts in the county asked voters to agree to decadeslong property taxes that would pay for major construction in these districts. Dreams of new schools, additions and renovations were crushed for bond-seeking districts Spokane, Cheney, West Valley, Deer Park and Riverside, leaving school leaders to wonder why.

Perhaps the cost of living soured property owners on more expenses. Maybe voters weren't compelled to turn in their ballots in a special election. In a divisive political climate, how possible is it to get 60% of a population to agree on anything, especially taxes?

This month, Cheney Public Schools voters proved they could reach a consensus, at least enough to overcome the lofty supermajority approval needed to pass a bond.

"Folks showed up, and they showed up in a big way to support our school district, and just the positive impact we're going to have on our students in the coming years, I'm just thrilled about it," Ferney said.

Their $72 million proposal passed with flying colors, garnering over 62% "yes" votes, according to Wednesday night counts. That's nearly 8 points higher than their February attempt with the same projects and price tag on the bond.

Soon, Cheney High School's stadium will see new bleachers and fencing, Salnave and Windsor elementaries will get designated bus lanes, and kitchens around the district will see renovations and updates, among other projects.

The biggest and most expensive undertaking funded through the bond, Airway Heights will soon see a new elementary school, with potentially a new high school or middle school years down the road. As the city sees a population surge, kids will soon have a second elementary school to attend, easing some of the pressure on Sunset Elementary already at 121% of its intended capacity.

The district doesn't have a concrete timeline as to when it will break ground on projects, Ferney said, but it will likely prioritize quicker work like the stadium and bus loop while nailing down the timeline for the construction of the new Airway Heights elementary school.

Acquiring land will also be a priority as Airway Heights is ballooning in population and showing no signs of slowing, increasing the demand for land.

The district is searching for sites for an elementary school, secondary school and bus barn to be constructed with future funding mechanisms.

The district owns a site for the elementary school, 11 acres on Craig Road and First Avenue in northwestern Airway Heights purchased with levy dollars in 2020.

There are neighborhoods and playgrounds erected near the school, Ferney said, foreshadowing the busy community to come: kids walking to and from school, and residents renting the gym for music performances after hours.

"You have a community around that, you have access to the building for parents and guardians and folks to be able to go to school for school events, also then you have the fields that are available," Ferney said. "It really does help bring out the best in the community to have the school right there."

The city of Airway Heights passed a resolution in support of the bond. Parent groups and volunteers flocked to campaign through sign waving, door knocking, trunk-or-treating, rodeo appearances, and other forms of "small town campaigning," said Zach Zorrozua, who mobilized a coalition of volunteers through his group West Plains Citizens for Excellent Education.

"We went to every community event we could get to, and we talked about the need for the bond, and we engaged the community much more, and it worked," Zorrozua said.

Volunteers worked to ensure residents of each of the three distinct communities encompassed by the 380-square-foot district understood what was in it for them. They spent deliberate energy in Airway Heights. The focused campaign appeared to have paid off, as these precincts showed a surge in support for the November bond compared to the same measure in February.

Schools in Airway Heights, Cheney proper and unincorporated West Plains would each see returns on their investments as kids grow up and become the new Cheney community, Zorrozua said.

"Our ability to get good jobs and have a good wage and good quality of life really depends on the education we get, even if you don't go to college," he said.

A Cheney grad, Zorrozua is proud of the education he got there. His wife is a principal at Cheney Middle School, where one of his kids attends school. He rattles off the names of friends with whom he graduated who own thriving local businesses, crediting their Cheney education with fueling their success.

"I have a lot of hope for the future," he said.

He's looking decades away, and upon the bond's passage, said he is relieved future generations will enjoy the same education he wears with pride.

"If my kids end up building a house in Airway Heights or in Cheney, I know that there's going to be a school for their kids to go to," Zorrozua said.

Elena Perry's work is funded in part by members of the Spokane community via the Community Journalism and Civic Engagement Fund. This story can be republished by other organizations for free under a Creative Commons license. For more information on this, please contact our newspaper's managing editor.