Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Wash. School District Awards Bid for New High School

  • By Matt Jones
  • 04/12/21

The Moses Lake School Board in Moses Lake, Wash., has awarded a contract for the construction of a new high school, informally referred to as the Real World Academy. At a meeting last week, the board voted 4-1 to give the $48.9-million contract to Absher Construction Co., based out of Puyallup, Wash. The project was originally budgeted for $51 million.

“Absher does a lot in the K-12 sector, but there were five bids, all from very reliable firms,” said Superintendent Josh Meek.

The high school will have a student population of roughly 700­–900, and it will focus primarily on technical and career education. It was part of a school construction bond passed in 2017 that also originally included plans for a second new high school with a student capacity of 1,600 and a new elementary school. After district voters challenged the certification of the bond election, it was upheld by a panel of three appellate court judges in Spokane in 2018. By then, the school board had changed, and its new members preferred the construction of one smaller high school and two new elementary schools.

The decision to move forward with Real World Academy has proved controversial. School board member Bryce McPartland, who voted against awarding the contract to Absher, said that the smaller technical academy isn’t what district residents originally voted for.

“The taxpayers of this district did not approve this,” said McPartland. “They rejected the expansion of the campus. That the Real World Academy is the second high school approved by voters is not supported by the facts.”

Meek said that construction is hopefully scheduled to begin during April for an opening date of August 2022. Preparations to the construction site have been in the works since January. One of the other new elementary schools, Groff Elementary School, is slated to open to students for the fall 2021 semester.

“I’m pretty excited about the bid, and we’re getting ready to build,” said Vickey Melcher, Board President.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • University of Arizona Approves New Residence Hall

    The Arizona Board of Regents recently approved plans for a new residence hall at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz., according to a news release. The new facility is scheduled to open in fall 2028 and have the capacity for more than 1,200 students, enforcing a new university expectation that all first-year students live on campus.

  • Photo courtesy of Kraus-Anderson

    Minnesota District Completes $49.7M Addition, Renovation Project

    St. Paul Public Schools in St. Paul, Minn., recently announced the completion of a $49.7-million addition and remodeling project at two district schools, according to a news release.

  • Stanford Online Reveals New Immersive Learning Studio

    Stanford Online recently marked its 30th anniversary with the announcement of a new immersive learning studio, according to a university news release. The studio takes advantage of AI-powered and immersive learning technologies to continue delivering personalized and faculty-led education.

  • Wold Architects & Engineers Announces Acquisition of JJCA

    Wold Architects & Engineers, based in Minneapolis, Minn., recently announced that it has acquired JJCA, an architecture firm based in Nashville, Tenn., according to a press release. JJCA specializes in healthcare and education design; the partnership allows both firms to expand their presence across the country while building on existing strengths.