Paul Mitchell cosmetology school opens in Spokane Valley
A new cosmetology school has opened in Spokane Valley.
Paul Mitchell the School – Spokane opened in November with a handful of students learning cutting and styling technique backed by the well-known industry name and product line made famous in the 1980s with hair sculpting lotion and awapuhi shampoo.
“I was surprised to find that the area of this size didn’t already have a Paul Mitchell school,” said local franchise co-owner and the school’s director, George Brunt. “It seemed like a perfect fit,” he said of the opportunity.
Brunt moved to the area a year ago from California to prepare for the opening of the school and to be near extended family. He decided to venture out from practicing law in favor of educating future hairdressers after seeing his parents’ success in opening six Paul Mitchell schools across the country.
“I had a notion in my head of what beauty schools were, and they weren’t anything like this,” he said.
Training here includes various aspects of the professional workplace not always taught in cosmetology schools, Blunt said, such as tracking chemical usage among clients and learning how to sell product to clients. Students also receive inspirational support from Paul Mitchell Schools co-founder Winn Claybaugh and John Paul Mitchell Systems co-founder and CEO John Paul Dejoria.
Spokane’s school is one of 108 in the United States that have opened since 2000. Other co-owners with Blunt are Devri Ficklin of Las Vegas and Jodi Wonacott of Salt Lake City, both longtime employees within the Paul Mitchell company.
Spokane Valley’s school is in 12,000 square feet of a former K-Mart building near the intersection of Sprague Avenue and Sullivan Road. Instead of blue light specials, guests can now find themselves in a hip, industrial atmosphere for a cut and curl, among other salon services.
The school is designed to train 200 students at one time. There are three faculty members and class size is limited to 25 students. New classes begin every 60 days. Cost is $12,000 for education and supplies. And students are eligible for their cosmetology licenses after about a year of training.
Students are prepared to meet the public for services such as haircut, color and perms after their first six weeks of core training, Blunt said. The salon studio is not yet set up for nail care and facials, he noted.
The public is invited to stop in or make hair appointments Tuesday through Friday from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Prices are available on the school’s Web site.