Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Washington State District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

  • By Matt Jones
  • 05/26/26

Key Takeaways

  • Cheney School District announced plans for a new elementary school in Airway Heights, Washington, expected to open in fall 2027 and serve about 500 students in grades K–5.
  • The project is funded by a $72 million bond approved in 2024 and is intended to reduce overcrowding and eliminate reliance on portable classrooms in the district.
  • District officials say the new school will include expanded facilities such as a larger gym, multipurpose space, and field to better support both students and the broader community.

Cheney School District No. 360 in Spokane County, Wash., recently announced that construction has begun on a new elementary school, according to local news. The district held a groundbreaking ceremony on May 18 in Airway Heights for the yet-to-be-named school, which is scheduled to open in fall 2027. The school will play home to about 500 students in grades K–5.

According to local news, funding comes from a $72-million bond approved by voters in 2024. The purpose of the new facility is to relieve overcrowding in the district’s five existing elementary schools, all of which are operating above capacity and have funneled students into portable classrooms. The district also estimates another 760 students to enroll over the next ten years, 500 from Airway Heights, according to The Spokesman-Review.

“To get out of portables is going to be fantastic,” said Dr. Ben Ferney, district superintendent. “Sunset Elementary, our one elementary school in Airway Heights, is huge; it’s over 600 students. So that is going to be the school that is relieved the most.”

The district partnered with Intergus Architecture and Garco Construction for the project’s design and construction, respectively.

“With that growth, obviously, you build schools where the kids are. So being able to build here is awesome,” Ferney said. “It’s got a larger gym, it’s got a larger multipurpose space, it’s got a huge field. So I think the community use is going to be pretty big.”

About the Author

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

Featured

  • URI Cuts Underwater Ribbon on New Ocean Robotics Laboratory

    The University of Rhode Island recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Ocean Robotics Laboratory at its Narragansett Bay Campus, according to a news release. Two students used a remotely operated vehicle to cut an underwater ribbon in a 30-by-20-foot test tank.

  • University of Pennsylvania Releases Design of Future Physical Sciences Building

    The University of Pennsylvania (Penn) in Philadelphia, Penn., recently released renderings of an upcoming 350,000-square-foot Physical Sciences Building, according to news release. The facility was designed by CO Architects and will unite the university’s departments of Physics and Astronomy, Mathematics, and Earth and Environmental Science.

  • Barbara Vick Western Branch

    Barbara Vick Western Branch

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. The Barbara Vick Western Branch has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Grand Prize award in the category of Renovation.

  • Deferred Maintenance Issues Growing at Universities, Gordian Reports

    U.S. colleges and universities are falling increasingly behind on facilities maintenance and repair, according to Gordian’s 13th annual State of Facilities in Higher Education report. The deferred capital renewal burden has reached $156 per gross square foot, an 8% increase over the previous year.