Pride Prep, Spokane’s first charter school, has begun remodeling a space that will double its size and accommodate its first high school classes this fall. 

The organization’s middle school, which opened in 2015, currently occupies a 15,000-square-foot space at 811 E. Sprague. 

Matt Miller, an innovation strategist for Pride Prep, says the school leases its current space through Spokane-based WEB Properties Inc., a commercial real estate company that represents the building’s owner.

“We lease the space from WEB Properties, so all of the remodeling work to create the new high school space will also be done through them,” he says. “No outside funding was needed on our part.”

Miller says the new high school, to be called Innovation High School, will occupy 17,000 square feet of vacant warehouse space directly east of the current middle school space, which is located on the far west side of the building. 

He says the new high school will include classrooms, a maker shop, and a restaurant/food production learning space, and should be completed by the end of July.

“The space is open enough that there’s no need for demo work, so we’re expecting things to move along quickly,” he says.

Bill Butler, president and owner of WEB Properties, says the project, which has yet to go out for bids, is being designed by Spokane-based Christopher Morlan Architect PLLC.

Miller says the school is planning for extensive growth. 

 “We currently serve about 240 students in grades six through eight, and 22 faculty,” he says. “As new students enroll and others grow into the next grade level, we’ll need to be able to accommodate those upper grades.”

 Miller says by next year, the school expects to have a total of about 340 students and 35 faculty. 

“Eventually, we plan to have about 600 students total, somewhere around 80 students per grade level,” he says.