When school starts back up in September, Spokane Public Schools students will be faced with stricter cellphone policies than they've seen before. On Wednesday, the SPS Board of Directors reviewed an updated policy that will prohibit cellphone usage during class time at all schools. The board is expected to make the plan official on Aug. 28. The policy also applies to smartwatches, non-medical listening devices such as headsets and earbuds, and any other technology that may cause distractions during class. At elementary and middle schools, the no-devices policy will be enforced throughout the entire school day, while high school students will be permitted to use their devices during lunch and between classes. "This whole past year we've been gathering community input," board President Nikki Otero Lockwood said during a news conference on Tuesday. "We feel like we're ready now to make this change." SPS Superintendent Adam Swinyard said there's near-unanimous support in the district for the new policy, which aims to increase in-person social connection, minimize classroom distractions and enhance well-being. (COLTON RASANEN)
PEOPLE OVER CARS
On Monday, Spokane became the first major city in Washington to abolish minimum parking requirements for all kinds of new developments citywide. Developers can still build parking if they want to, of course. But they'll no longer be required to. The move is a major victory for urbanists who have long argued that parking mandates make it prohibitively expensive to build new housing and worsen the overall quality of cities by emphasizing cars over people. The Spokane City Council voted 4-1 (with City Council member Michael Cathcart opposed, and Council President Betsy Wilkerson and City Council member Jonathan Bingle absent) to adopt the changes on Aug. 12. Parking mandates "increase the urban heat island effect and make our city objectively uglier," Erik Lowe, leader of the Spokane Reimagined pedestrian advocacy group, said while testifying in favor of the change that night. According to the Parking Reform Network, an advocacy group that tracks parking policy across the country, Spokane is now the 12th-largest American city to abolish minimum parking requirements citywide. "This is an example of the council repealing government regulation, which is an exciting opportunity," City Council member Zack Zappone said. (NATE SANFORD)
OUTDOOR LEARNING
Last week, Spokane's city Park Board passed a resolution to explore the creation of an outdoor learning classroom pilot program at People's Park. The project's curriculum would offer students experiential learning and foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of environmental education, natural resource stewardship, and Indigenous culture, according to the resolution. If the program moves forward, the city would partner with the Spokane Tribe of Indians, the nonprofit ku cnxi (We Join In) and Spokane Public Schools. The Spokane Tribe of Indians recognizes People's Park as a culturally significant site. "Having our youth immersed in place-based education near the Spokane River will help heal our hearts and connect with our ancestors," Spokane Tribal Council member Tiger Peone said in a Park Board news release about the program. The partners will begin creating a framework for the project detailing the goals, partner responsibilities and seeking community feedback on early conceptual designs for the program. (VICTOR CORRAL MARTINEZ) ♦
