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Cheney High School is situated on approximately 27 acres, nestled between Sixth and Eighth streets in the heart of Cheney, Wash. The school building itself occupies about five acres, leaving just over 20 acres for parking lots and playfields. By today’s standards, a minimum of 50 acres–preferably 60–is needed to support a high school and the growing list of activities that follow. CHS’s plot of land is just half the necessary size.

“That’s really the root of the problem,” said Brett Hale, Cheney High School Principal. “We’re a school of 1400-1500 kids, a 3A high school, and we’re playing on surfaces that are about 30 acres. We need about 50 to 60 acres to really be able to serve all of our students there.”

Cheney High School made the best of its space for decades, but by the early 2000s, it was running out of room, and fast. In 2009, Cheney Public Schools utilized surplus bond funds from the 2000 bond—designated for school additions or expansions—to purchase the property formerly known as Crunk’s Hill. By 2012, the district had transformed the site into a dedicated complex of athletic fields for Cheney High School. This added almost 20 acres of playing fields and for the past 13 years, Crunk’s has been utilized mostly as overflow when the school-adjacent areas are all in use. Yet, Cheney High’s playfields were still suffering from overuse. 

 Several factors contributed to the decline of the playing fields. During the summer, limited water availability forced a significant reduction or complete halt in irrigation, altogether, leaving the grass dead and dry by the start of the school year. Shuffling teams around like a puzzle between practices, competition, and seasons gave little to no downtime for the fields to ‘rest’ and recover. The constant use created nearly unusable fields, presenting as a muddied mess of grass and dirt. When it rained, there was not enough grass root structure to maintain structural integrity, and when it dried, there were uneven playing surfaces and bare dirt, leading to unsafe conditions for players.  

“We’ve had to turn off all the water to our sports fields–going back 15 or 20 years now–every summer,” said Rich Brown, Director of Maintenance & Operations. “So they all dry, and then we try to bring them back to life before school starts, which is not helpful…The biggest problem with letting your fields dry up is the only things that do survive are the weeds. So dry fields are also compounded by excessive weed growth, and you can’t treat the weeds because you don’t have water to water it in. So, it’s a compounding problem.”

Changes to summer watering across the City of Cheney have been in the works for nearly five years. In late July 2020, the Cheney City Council approved the Purple Pipe Project, a reclaimed wastewater project aimed at reducing the demand on the City of Cheney’s potable water supply by using reclaimed wastewater. The new irrigation pipeline is in its final phase, and will provide water across the city, including Crunk’s.

“The City of Cheney’s Water Reclamation Project, better known as the Purple Pipe to Parks and Playfields Project, will provide an almost unlimited supply of highly treated irrigation water to large green spaces,” said Mayor of Cheney Chris Grover. “The Cheney School District, with its many playfields including Crunk’s Field, will significantly benefit from unrestricted usage of this water source, while reducing the demand on the city’s domestic potable water supply.”

The Purple Pipe Project addresses the issue of irrigation at CHS, but field overuse remains a challenge. In the fall, the main stadium field is shared by seven different groups, including the football program (three teams), girls soccer (three teams), and marching band, all rotating use of the space. In the spring, the boys soccer program (three teams) and track and field teams add four more activity groups to the schedule, compounding the strain on the field. 

To find a sustainable solution, input was gathered from key stakeholders—including representatives from all affected activity groups, Maintenance & Operations, Principal Hale, Athletic Director Ken Ryan, and district administration. From these discussions, the idea emerged to create the Cheney High School Crunk’s Soccer Complex. Rather than serving as an overflow site, the new facility will become the dedicated home for both the CHS boys and girls soccer programs.

“We are really excited about this project,” Superintendent Ben Ferney said. “It’s going to be funded through capital levy dollars that were passed last February–separate from the bond that was passed in November. We are just so thankful for a supportive community to make this happen.”

“When I first heard about [Crunk’s], I was excited about it, just because it means the field will be really specifically taken care of with soccer in mind,” said John O’Dell, a parent of a soccer player. “It gives them an opportunity to have a home field advantage, to really know their field, to practice on it and know that it’s not going to be damaged.”

Designating Crunk’s as the soccer complex is twofold: it provides a specific facility for soccer, with field maintenance specific to the sport, and it also reduces the use of the playfields at CHS. In turn, this will provide the necessary time for the fields to ‘rest’ and grow properly. 

“Being able to spread people out, practice and even play on different fields at different times gives the other fields an opportunity to recover,” Brown said. “Rotating the events through different fields gives other areas time to regrow.”

For Athletic Director Ken Ryan, Crunks provides the ability for entire programs to practice and play in the same space. In the past, soccer teams were dispersed among the various fields at CHS and Crunk’s, limiting exposure between varsity, junior varsity, and C-squad teams. It will also create a legitimate home field experience, fostering pride in the Blackhawk way.

“If we want to keep pushing forward to be the best we can be, then our facilities need to be the best they can be,” Ryan said. “Moving to Crunk’s is going to make that happen because it is, right now, the best grass field that we have. And our maintenance [staff] is going to continue to improve that, and we are going to make it the best soccer field for our kids.”

Upgrades to the Crunk’s Complex will begin this summer, starting with the installation of fencing and targeted grass maintenance to fill in holes and eliminate weeds.

“I feel like it will definitely grow our program and make us all super close,” said Kinley Collins, a sophomore and two-year varsity soccer player. “Make us more like a family.”

 

After an extensive interview process, Cheney Public Schools is pleased to announce that Megan Kensok has been selected as the next Assistant to the Superintendent, pending Board approval. Evaluations included representatives from key stakeholder groups across the district, who interacted and engaged with each candidate throughout the process.

Initial virtual interviews screened candidates and narrowed the selection pool for final interviews, which were held on-site at district administration buildings. Candidates each participated in possible scenarios and engaged in several assessments, followed by a final interview with multiple stakeholders. Following this process, Kensok was selected as the best fit for the Assistant to the Superintendent position.

"I am excited to welcome Megan to the Cheney Public Schools team as the Assistant to the Superintendent,” said Superintendent Ben Ferney. “This role demands trust, collaboration, and a shared commitment to our goals—and Megan truly represents these qualities. She will be a great addition to our team."

Kensok joins Cheney Public Schools after more than a decade at East Valley Middle School. Since 2013, she has served as the school secretary for the Knights, taking on a wide range of responsibilities that reflect both depth and versatility. Her work included creating and managing student and building schedules, processing enrollment and withdrawal requests, and handling timecards, orders, and invoices. Kensok also oversaw the school’s budget, website, and social media accounts, while managing personnel paperwork, coordinating substitute teachers, and assigning building keys. Throughout her time at East Valley, she worked closely with students, families, and staff, often balancing multiple tasks throughout the school day with efficiency and care.

Before beginning her career in education, Kensok worked in healthcare administration—first as a patient services representative at Rockwood Physical Therapy and later as an insurance coordinator with Spine Team Spokane.

"I’m excited and grateful for the opportunity to join Cheney Public Schools as the Assistant to the Superintendent,” Kensok said. “With over a decade of experience in education, I’m honored to join a district that values innovation, inclusivity, and collaboration. I can’t wait to get started and contribute to the meaningful work already happening to support and empower the students of Cheney Public Schools."

 

After an extensive interview process, Cheney Public Schools is pleased to announce that Brianna Barber has been selected as the categorically funded Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA) for Instructional Support and K-12 Team Lead. The interview process included key stakeholders from across the district, including administrators and representatives from the Teaching and Learning department, who interacted and engaged with each candidate throughout the interview process.

As part of the interview process, each candidate created and facilitated their own professional development activity, guiding the interview committee through the experience. Then, the candidate engaged with the interview committee during a question and answer session. Following this process, Barber was selected as the best fit for the new TOSA for Instructional Support and K-12 Team Lead position.

"We are so excited for Bri to join our T&L team,” said Director of Teaching and Learning Dr. Kelly Niccolls. “The PLC process and lead role is so vital to our district's success, and we are confident in Bri's leadership of that work. We are grateful for the PLC leads, school admin and district team's intentional participation and feedback in our interview process that allowed us to have this confidence in hiring Bri from a competitive finalist pool.

Barber’s transition to the TOSA position continues her work with Cheney Public Schools as she has been teaching at Cheney Middle School since 2022. During her time with CMS, Barber has taught eighth-grade earth and space science, while also serving as the Professional Learning Community (PLC) Science Lead. As the PLC team lead, Barber organized and facilitated monthly meetings with the department team, leading them through district initiatives, recording and reflection of student data, and instructional support. Barber has also been part of CMS’s guiding coalition since 2022. During this time, she contributed to the move from traditional grading to standards based grading, as well as organized and facilitated the implementation of student advisory and intervention cycles to improve student achievement outcomes. In addition to these roles, Barber has also served as the Highly Capable Program Middle Level Coordinator since 2023. Prior to her time with Cheney Public Schools, Barber was a fourth and fifth-grade teacher with the Coeur d’Alene School District from 2020-2022, and was a substitute teacher for Lakeland School District from 2018-2019.

“I am filled with excitement and gratitude looking towards my new position as K-12 PLC Lead Support TOSA,” said Barber. “I appreciate each person who participated in the hiring process, as well as all of my experiences at Cheney Middle School and throughout my career that have prepared me for this opportunity. I am looking forward to working collaboratively alongside district and school leadership teams to make continued growth towards our improvement goals and am excited and hopeful to further impact teachers and students alike.”

 

The April Community Connections Newsletter is now available. Click here to read!

After an extensive interview process, Cheney Public Schools is pleased to announce that Coretta Hoffman has been selected as the next assistant principal of Cheney High School, pending Board approval. The interview process included representatives from several stakeholder groups—district administration, staff, and students—who interacted and engaged with each candidate throughout the process. 

Cheney High School staff and district leadership collaborated to lead each candidate through a comprehensive interview process, including a student-led interview where CHS students were able to interact and engage with each candidate. Following this process, Hoffman was selected as the best fit to join the administrative staff at Cheney High School. 

“I am extremely excited to announce that Coretta Hoffman will be joining us as our new assistant principal, beginning officially on July 1st!” said CHS Principal Brett Hale. “Coretta has been a highly effective assistant principal at Mead High School for the past 10 years. Prior to that, she was a math instructional coach in the Moses Lake School District. Coretta brings a wealth of experience in instructional leadership and professional development, and has a strong reputation for supporting and serving students, parents, and teachers. She is known for her strong relationship skills, and tireless work ethic. She is going to be a tremendous addition to our team!”

Hoffman will arrive at Cheney High School with nearly 30 years of experience in education; for the last decade, Hoffman has been an assistant principal in the Mead School District with a wide range of responsibilities. These include, but are not limited to: supervision and evaluation of teaching and support staff through instructional leadership and professional development, building and maintaining positive relationships with the greater school community, and improving school performance by developing and implementing data-driven instructional strategies. Before becoming an assistant principal, Hoffman spent 19 years as a math teacher in schools across Washington state. She also served as a secondary mathematics instructional coach for the Moses Lake School District from 2005-11. In this role, she collaborated with district leaders to align math curriculum with state standards, ensuring consistency across grade levels and schools. Hoffman earned her Bachelor’s of Science in Mathematics from Linfield College, with a Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of Puget Sound and an Administrator Certificate from EWU.

“I am excited to join the team at Cheney High School, a team that is student-centered and puts student connection first,” Hoffman said. “That is where my heart and passion lies–building connections with students and staff. I am thrilled to be able to continue supporting that mission in my work with Cheney High School.”