New Shaw Middle School and On Track Academy Buildings Open for Students on Hillyard Community Campus
Thursday, September 2nd was a joyous day for Northeast Spokane students, families and organizations. After three years of visioning, planning and building, Shaw Middle School, the new Hillyard Library, and the new On Track Academy opened up to hundreds of students on the Hillyard Community Campus just across from Northeast Community Center. We were so happy to see students and staff enjoying the first day of school in incredible new spaces. The $70M investment by the community on this campus will reap benefits for years to come.
The new Shaw Middle School features “neighborhoods” of classrooms, a huge open atrium space, specialty rooms for band, STEM labs and is literally connected to the new Hillyard Public Library so students and community members can share books, technology and space (the school is sectioned off during the school day). It also features a “CaFE” — Community and Family Engagement space at the front of the building, which will house family and student support staff.
The new Lisa Mattson On Track Academy, a credit-completion high school behind Shaw, is also an amazing new space that features an Engineering lab and creative spaces, allowing the high school students to leave their portable classrooms once and for all and get their own building to “Create What’s Next.”
The ZONE and Northeast Community Center facilitated an action-planning process over the past six months with all the partners on the campus. We’ve developed plans to connect students and families to resources across the campus. Our goal is to continue creating a welcoming place where all are included, supported in reaching their goals and dreams. The best is yet to come!