Students, families, alumni, staff and community members gathered at 37th and Regal on Thursday, May 14 to celebrate breaking ground for a new Adams Elementary School.
Voters approved replacing the 116-year-old building through the 2025 bond as part of the Together Spokane initiative with Spokane Parks and Recreation to improve schools, parks, and neighborhoods throughout the city.
“There’s a lot to be proud of in our district’s ability to extend the useful life of buildings as far as we possibly can,” superintendent Dr. Adam Swinyard told KXLY. “After a hundred years, we get to the point where modernizing, replacing, is a much better stewardship of the taxpayers' dollar and that resource is to provide that new space for kids.”
Adams Groundbreaking Celebration by Spokane Schools
With Adams students and staff relocating to the former Jefferson Elementary at 37th and Grand at the end of 2025, demolition and site clearing took place in early 2026. The new multi-story building will be 20,000 square feet larger than the previous building and include elevators — something its predecessor lacked.
“It will be ADA accessible. It will be a modern facility for modern learning,” principal Beth Nye shared with KHQ. “It's very exciting for our community. We've been waiting for this for many, many years.”
Along with Spokane School Board president Jenny Slagle and School Board directors Mike Wiser and Nicole Bishop, Spokane County Commissioner (District 2) Amber Waldref and Council Member (District 3) Zach Zappone attended the event.
“While there's emotion in saying goodbye to a familiar building, what comes next represents something hopeful — an investment in students and families and the future of this community,” said Slagle, who is also a former Adams parent herself.
With building design by NAC Architecture and construction by Garco, the new Adams is slated to open for the 2027-28 school year. Follow updates at TogetherSpokane.org/Adams.
Watch a recording of the celebration:
Groundbreaking participants:
Mike Wiser, School Board
Nikki Lockwood, School Board
Nicole Bishop, School Board President
Dr. Adam Swinyard, Superintendent
Beth Nye, Principal
Meredith McNally, Adams Music teacher and parent
Jensen Ramos, Adams student
Mike Keenan, SPS Capital Projects
Jamie Welsh, Garco
Brooke Hanley, NAC
IN THE NEWS
The Spokesman-Review: Construction starts on new Adams Elementary School
KXLY: Spokane Public Schools breaks ground on new Adams Elementary
KHQ: New Adams Elementary breaks ground on Spokane’s South Hill
KREM: Spokane Public Schools celebrates groundbreaking of new Adams Elementary
SPR: News Today [4:25-5:16]