Almira K-8 School Earns, Outstanding Project Award LDB 2024

September 1, 2024

Source: Learning By Design

When thick black smoke billowed above Almira, a small Eastern Washington farming town, in 2021, neighbors rushed to save the heart of the community- the town’s only school from a fast-spreading electrical fire.

Students and staff were stunned. Many second graders wanted to know if firefighters could save their backpacks and favorite crayons.

While the historic building was destroyed, the fire did not extinguish their love for learning and could not be a reason for students to fall behind.

Teachers set up make-shift classrooms in a local church and community center. Middle school students were bussed 20 miles away to Coulee City.

By the next school year, the town’s only football field transformed into a village of portables.

The urgency to return to normal sparked a statewide modern-day barn raising. It was an incredible feat that took 20 months to complete.

The new Almira school is more than a piece of beautiful architecture. It represents resilience, the power of community, and an unwavering commitment to the next generation.