Cheney School District, WA

Original Research by School Decision on Cheney School District

The Cheney School District serves a broad swath of Spokane County, covering the city of Cheney and reaching into Airway Heights, Medical Lake, and parts of Spokane itself. It is a full PK-through-12 district with an enrollment that places it among the larger systems in the county. The student body is predominantly white, with a Hispanic population that makes up the next largest group, and smaller shares of students who identify as two or more races, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, Asian, Black, and American Indian or Alaska Native. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals was not available, nor were counts for students with disabilities or English learners, so a parent would want to ask the district directly about those support structures.

On state assessments, the district's results sit in the bottom quartile for overall proficiency among Spokane County's districts. In English language arts, proficiency rates across grades three through eight cluster in the high thirties to low fifties, with the highest rate at grade seven and the lowest at grade three. Math proficiency is lower across the board, with rates in the twenties and thirties; grade six shows the weakest result. Science proficiency, tested in grades five and eight, lands in the mid-forties to low fifties. The district's chronic absenteeism rate falls below the midpoint among county districts, meaning a higher share of students are missing substantial school than in many neighboring systems. A parent may want to ask the district what strategies are in place to address attendance.

The district operates a full set of schools: several elementary schools, two middle schools, a comprehensive high school, and an alternative high school called Three Springs High School. There is also a program called HomeWorks, a Birth To Three early learning program, and a school of choice called WIN Academy. The presence of an alternative high school and a dropout-recovery program called Cheney Open Doors suggests the district provides multiple pathways to a diploma, though the four-year graduation rate was not available in the data, so a parent would need to ask the district directly for that figure.

Housing in the district's attendance area is moderately priced relative to the state. The weighted home value across the district's ZIP codes sits below the Washington state benchmark, and rents are also below the state median. The largest ZIP code, 99004 covering Cheney, shows home values that have been essentially flat year over year, while the smaller ZIP codes in Airway Heights and Medical Lake have seen modest increases. The district's per-pupil spending falls in the lower range among Spokane County's districts, which may be relevant for a family comparing resource levels.

The district's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile among Spokane County's districts. Chronic absenteeism is above the midpoint for the county, meaning a higher rate of students are missing significant school days. A parent considering the district would want to ask about attendance initiatives and how the district supports students who are behind academically. The district's website and school-level data would be the next step for a family looking to understand which elementary or middle school serves their neighborhood and what specific programs each building offers.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

5,658

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 14%

Black 2%

White 68%

Asian 2%

Two+ 7%

Am. Indian / AK Native 2%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 4%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 3

29%

54%

Gr 4

29%

56%

Gr 5

39%

63%

Gr 6

30%

48%

Gr 7

38%

65%

Gr 8

31%

60%

Math

Gr 3

31%

58%

Gr 4

30%

56%

Gr 5

24%

52%

Gr 6

17%

32%

Gr 7

18%

46%

Gr 8

21%

47%

Science

Gr 5

40%

68%

Gr 8

34%

58%

Schools in this District

13 schools are officially reported under this district.

Three Springs High School

HomeWorks

Birth To Three

Phil Snowdon Elementary

Westwood Middle School

Cheney Open Doors

WIN Academy

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

6 grades reported

41%

Grade 3

41%

Grade 4

36%

Grade 5

23%

Grade 6

31%

Grade 7

32%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

38%

Grade 3

40%

Grade 4

50%

Grade 5

38%

Grade 6

50%

Grade 7

43%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

52%

Grade 5

45%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$433,161

Year-over-year change+0.0%

Range across 6 ZIP codes$314K to $579K

vs. state typical0.72x

vs. national typical1.18x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (6 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
99004	Cheney	$423K	+0.0%	80.8%
99224	Spokane	$521K	-0.7%	11.0%
99022	Medical Lake	$434K	+2.2%	2.2%
99001	Airway Heights	$376K	+1.2%	1.9%
99170		$314K	+0.1%	0.7%
99031	Spangle	$579K	-0.0%	0.1%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,473/mo

Year-over-year change+3.0%

Range across 3 ZIP codes$1,456 to $1,662/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (3 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
99004	Cheney	$1,456	+3.6%	80.8%
99224	Spokane	$1,567	-0.9%	11.0%
99001	Airway Heights	$1,662	—	1.9%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$2,186/mo

Home price / national median income5.2x

Annual rent / national median income21.1%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$713/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$604,087 (-0.6% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.