Valley School District, WA

Original Research by School Decision on Valley School District

Valley School District serves a wide but sparsely populated stretch of Stevens County in northeastern Washington, with the small towns of Valley, Chewelah, Addy, and Springdale within its boundaries. The district is relatively compact in enrollment terms, with a student population that, based on the grade-level counts, is heavily concentrated in the elementary and middle school grades; the high school grades are very small by comparison, suggesting that a portion of older students may attend options outside the district. The student body is predominantly white, with a sizable Hispanic presence and smaller shares of Asian, Black, multiracial, and Native American students. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals was not available, which limits one view of the economic context of the community.

On state assessments for the 2024-25 school year, the academic picture is mixed and somewhat fragmented due to many grade-level results being suppressed for small group sizes. Across the tested grade levels that did report, the overall proficiency index for the district sits below the midpoint among Stevens County's districts. In English language arts, the reported results span a wide range: third graders showed a proficiency rate that was a soft spot, fifth graders reached the midpoint of the range, and the aggregate for all tested students in ELA was below half. In math, the reported results were lower, with sixth grade showing a proficiency rate near a quarter and seventh grade somewhat higher, while other grade-level results were suppressed. In science, the single reported grade, fifth, showed a proficiency rate above half. Because many grade-by-grade results were suppressed, the overall picture is incomplete, and a parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand how students at specific grade levels are performing.

One area where the district stands out among its county peers is chronic absenteeism. The reported rate here is in the top quartile among Stevens County's districts, meaning it is among the lowest in the county, which suggests that student attendance is a relative strength. Per-pupil current spending falls in the lower range compared to other districts in the county, which may factor into the resources available at each school. The four-year graduation rate was not reported, and given the small number of high school students enrolled, this metric likely does not apply in a typical way.

The district operates four schools: a traditional PK-12 building called Valley School, an early learning center, and two alternative settings, Columbia Virtual Academy and Paideia High School. The presence of these alternative options suggests the district provides flexibility for families seeking different instructional models, particularly at the upper grade levels. A search for recent district-level changes found little of lasting impact, so the district's operations appear stable without major recent shifts to its program or leadership that would alter the picture. Housing in the area is generally affordable relative to national benchmarks, with values spread across the four zip codes that make up the district's tax base, and home values have seen a modest uptick recently.

Overall, Valley School District is a small, rural system that serves a student body concentrated in the earlier grades. Its attendance record is a clear strength, while academic proficiency on state tests shows room for growth, particularly in math and some ELA grades. The district has adapted to its size and setting by offering virtual and alternative high school programs. Families moving into this part of Stevens County will find a school system that is small enough that individual attention is plausible, where attendance is strong, and where the academic numbers are more mixed than robust.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

1,085

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 16%

Black 5%

White 64%

Asian 6%

Two+ 8%

Am. Indian / AK Native 1%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

Schools in this District

4 schools are officially reported under this district.

Valley School

Columbia Virtual Academy

Paideia High School

Valley Early Learning Center

Academic Performance

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

Mathematics

2 grades reported

22%

Grade 6

39%

Grade 7

English Language Arts

4 grades reported

25%

Grade 3

50%

Grade 5

28%

Grade 6

39%

Grade 7

Science

1 grade reported

56%

Grade 5

Housing & Real Estate

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

Home Values

Typical home value$357,464

Year-over-year change+2.4%

Range across 4 ZIP codes$312K to $368K

vs. state typical0.59x

vs. national typical0.97x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (4 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
99181	Valley	$366K	+2.1%	52.6%
99109	Chewelah	$347K	+2.5%	36.1%
99173	Springdale	$312K	+5.9%	2.2%
99101	Addy	$368K	+2.9%	0.3%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$1,804/mo

Home price / national median income4.3x

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.