![Adams Elementary School students pose for a photo with Mayor Lisa Brown [back row, fourth from left], school Superintendent Adam Swinyard [back row, far left], Parks Director Garrett Jones [back row, right] and others at a Wednesday celebration of the passage of the school district's $200 million bond issue and the Parks Department's $240 million property tax levy. A new Adams School will be one of the first projects funded by the bond issue.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7eaef46/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2911x2711+0+0/resize/840x782!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fd5%2F4c%2Fc0b5fe6c4af39fe84f520fd3ee41%2Fadams-school-ceremonial-photo.jpeg)
Spokane schools and parks officials today celebrated the victories of their respective general election ballot measures.
The results for the $240 million parks levy and $200 million school bond issue won’t be final for about two weeks. But both appear to have the votes they need.
This morning’s ceremony was held in front of one of the first projects to be funded by the bond issue: the 116-year-old Adams Elementary School, across the street from Ferris High School. Principal Beth Nye says the building is scheduled to be leveled in December so that construction can begin early next year.
“We are about to start packing up boxes and make our way over to Camp Adams. It's going to be quite an endeavor, but we're happy to do it so that we can have a building that's modern and ADA accessible, which is one thing we don't currently have,” she said.
Camp Adams is a reference to the former Jefferson School, several blocks from Adams. It will house Adams students until their new building is ready, expected to be in the fall of 2027. The district will share Adams with the Boys and Girls Club of Spokane County, which will provide after-school activities for students.
At the city parks department, director Garrett Jones says his staff will spend the winter designing projects to be done next year.
“What you'll see in the spring is widespread improvements around level of service for parks. So adding dollars to our maintenance staff and resources to our maintenance staff and adding the first round of the additional park rangers. That will happen in the first part of 2026,” he said.
Jones says levy dollars will go toward restroom and playground improvements all around the city. One of the first major projects will be the development of a new Meadowglen Park in North Indian Trail. Plans include 14 acres of park land and 16 acres of natural area. The project will be paid for by $2.5 million in local property tax money and about $2 million in state grants.
The results for the two ballot measures won’t be finalized until November 25.
