As schools across the nation have joined the fight against student cellphone usage, Washington stands out among the pack. Last week, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction released guidance for all school districts in the state to prohibit phones in the classroom by the 2025-26 school year. But Spokane Public Schools is already one step ahead, as its school board voted unanimously on Aug. 28 to institute a smart device ban for the 2024-25 school year. In fact, SPS is a few steps ahead, as the district also revealed a plan last week to engage students when they're not on the phone. The Engage In Real Life initiative, aka EngageIRL, will see the district partner with the Innovia Foundation's LaunchNW to increase "access and opportunities" for all students to engage in some type of activity outside of school. This includes clubs, sports, arts activities and other community events. To learn more about the initiative, visit engageirl.com. (COLTON RASANEN)
STREET HEALTH
Unhoused people in Spokane will soon have more access to medical care. Last week, the city of Spokane announced that it is using a $1 million appropriation from the Washington State Legislature to partner with CHAS Health and expand the organization's medical outreach to people living on the street. The CHAS Street Medicine team provides mobile primary care, wound care, foot care, referral coordination, resource navigation and emergency services coordination to people who are homeless, and has done so since 2021. "They stepped up when there wasn't a request for their services and have been filling that gap," City Council President Betsy Wilkerson said last week when voting to approve the contract. The state funding — which CHAS Health asked for in collaboration with Challenge Seattle, an alliance of organizations focused on civic issues — will expand the Street Medicine team's hours to possibly include Saturdays and evenings. "The CHAS Street Medicine team does incredible work and provides crucial services for those experiencing homelessness, battling substance abuse disorder and suffering from mental health challenges," Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown said in a statement. "We are incredibly excited to partner with CHAS so they can expand the powerful work they already do." (NATE SANFORD)
ANOTHER ASK
Last Wednesday, the Coeur d'Alene School Board voted unanimously to put a two-year $50 million supplemental levy on the Nov. 5 ballot. School board trustees first considered a $25.75 million-per-year levy to increase the district's funding in the face of an expected deficit, but ultimately chose a smaller option. The $25 million-per-year ask would replace the current levy that's set to expire at the end of the 2024-25 school year. The tax impact is expected to remain the same as the previous levy, the Coeur d'Alene Press reported. A supplemental levy pays for the district's expenses that aren't fully covered by state or federal funding, which often include extracurricular activities, teacher salaries and technology upgrades. A forum to inform the public about the levy and its impact is scheduled from 10 am to 11:30 am on Saturday, Sept. 7, at the Ramsey Park Picnic Shelter, 3525 N. Ramsey Rd., Coeur d'Alene. (COLTON RASANEN) ♦
