Moses Lake’s new elementary school expected to serve 550-600 students
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 25 minutes AGO
A new elementary school to replace North and Larson Heights schools is tentatively expected to break ground next fall and be ready for students in the fall of 2029.
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Joel Martin has been with the Columbia Basin Herald for more than 25 years in a variety of roles and is the most-tenured employee in the building. Martin is a married father of eight and enjoys spending time with his children and his wife, Christina. He is passionate about the paper’s mission of informing the people of the Columbia Basin because he knows it is important to record the history of the communities the publication serves. | October 19, 2026 2:05 AM
MOSES LAKE — The 12th elementary school in Moses Lake will actually be a combination of two existing schools, North and Larson Heights elementary, Executive Director of Safety & Well-Being Scott West told the Moses Lake School Board at its meeting Thursday.
“It will be our largest elementary school,” West said. “If the school were to open next week, we'd be welcoming approximately 550 students in the combination of Larson Heights and North elementary schools. Our largest elementary school to date is right around 460.”
The timeline is tentative, West said, but the district hopes to break ground in fall 2027 and have the new school ready and welcoming students in the fall of 2029. The Klosh Group, based in Portland, will manage the project. The new elementary school will be located where North Elementary currently is, West said.
An elementary school with an enrollment of 550-600 students is something new for Moses Lake, West said, but not for Washington as a whole. Some K-5 schools on the west side have more than 900 students, according to the school ranking website Niche. The largest elementary school east of the Cascades is in College Place, with a 2025 enrollment of nearly 700.
The district will send delegations of district officials and other community stakeholders to check out other large elementary schools in the region and see what they’re doing right that Moses Lake could emulate, West said.
“Some of those areas of focus are the educational classroom size and configuration, special education and library media, as far as the educational aspect goes,” West said. “Safety considerations, student arrival and dismissal: those are key considerations as we're developing the designs of a new school. Visibility, emergency response, so our emergency crews can come in and out of the school facilities quickly and efficiently. Also the operation is going to be a key consideration: custodial efficiency, access for maintenance, food deliveries, and other storage and supervision; those are all considerations.”
West plans to report to the board on the progress of the listening and study sessions every month, he said.
ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
Moses Lake’s new elementary school expected to serve 550-600 students
MOSES LAKE — The 12th elementary school in Moses Lake will actually be a combination of two existing schools, North and Larson Heights elementary, Executive Director of Safety & Well-Being Scott West told the Moses Lake School Board at its meeting Thursday.
Endless battle
Noxious Weed Control Board works to keep invasive plants under control
MOSES LAKE — Some of the nastiest plants in Grant County were the topic of a class led by Jay Johnson, a consultant with the Grant County Noxious Weed Control Board, Tuesday. The Noxious Weed Control Board, as its name would suggest, is tasked with keeping weeds under control in Grant County. That’s not a small job; the board’s website lists 129 species of noxious weeds that are found around Grant County. A noxious weed is defined as an invasive, non-native plant that threatens agricultural crops, local ecosystems or fish and wildlife habitat, according to the Noxious Weed Control Board. Washington state law requires that these weeds be identified and their spread kept to a minimum, if not completely eradicated. “We’re one of those agencies a lot of people don’t really understand,” Johnson said. “We’re a county office and … our funding is tax-based assessment. When you get your tax bill and you look down at all the expenses that you pay for, there we are.”
BASIN EVENTS: Oct. 16-24
COLUMBIA BASIN — Whether you feel like shopping, crafting, learning or seeing a show, there’s something happening for you this week in the Basin. Oct. 16 ‘My Family (Mi Familia)’ screening Spanning three generations, “My Family (Mi Familia)” is a heartfelt drama that follows the Sánchez family as they build their lives in East Los Angeles. Through love, hardship, triumph, and sacrifice, the film explores the immigrant experience, the strength of family bonds, and the traditions that connect one generation to the next. Lowrider show and taco truck before the screening. Sponsored by Columbia Basin Allied Arts, EDUBS C/S and the Moses Lake Creative District. $12 per person. Doors open at 6 p.m., film begins at 7 p.m. at the Moses Lake Civic Center Auditorium, 401 S. Balsam St. Tickets and info: www.cba-arts.org.