SPOKANE, Wash. — It’s that time of the year for Spokane Public Schools as well as many other school districts across the Inland Northwest. Back to school! Hundreds of students on the South Hill will walk through the doors of two newly built middle school buildings on Tuesday.
The first is Carla Peperzak Middle School which is named after a Holocaust survivor who lives in Spokane. Peperzak will be present at the school on Tuesday for a ribbon cutting ceremony. She will have the opportunity to meet and watch students arrive at the school for the very first time.
The ribbon cutting at Carla Peperzak Middle School won’t be the only one taking place on Tuesday. Ten minutes down the road, Sacajawea Middle School will open a brand-new building. KREM 2 was able to tour the new building a few weeks back and got a firsthand look at what students can expect.
Both projects signal the completion of a plan that was put together by Spokane Public Schools in 2018. The goal was to create more space for 6th graders moving up from elementary into middle school.
Yasuhara and Flett Middle Schools were finished on the north side of the district last year. Glover and Shaw Middle Schools were also replaced with new buildings in 2021.
Principal at Sacajawea Middle School, Tracey Leyde said, “The same kids, the same families, the same traditions but just in a different space. We’re going to love them just as we always have and take care of them.”
Tuesday’s ribbon cutting ceremonies are expected to begin at 8:30 AM. There will be school board members and city leaders in attendance along with a tour of the facilities.
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