Original Research by School Decision on Stem Academy at Svt
Stem Academy at SVT is a small high school in Spokane Valley that serves grades nine through twelve and operates as a regular public school within the Central Valley School District. Its name signals a focus on science, technology, engineering, and math, though the data does not describe how the school structures that emphasis, such as whether it uses a specialized curriculum, selective admissions, or extended course offerings. The school’s enrollment is roughly two hundred students, with the largest class at the ninth-grade level and each subsequent grade slightly smaller.
The student body is predominantly white, with small shares of students who identify as two or more races, Hispanic, Asian, or American Indian or Alaska Native. About three in ten students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not reported.
State assessment results are available for a single school year, 2024–25, and show a mixed picture. In English language arts, a very large share of students met the state standard. In science, the share was similarly high. In math, a majority of students met the standard, but the share was notably lower than in the other two subjects. Because only one year of results is reported, there is no information on whether these performance levels represent an improvement, a decline, or stability. A parent may want to ask the school for multi-year trends to get a fuller sense of academic trajectory.
Several key metrics were not available. The school does not have a reported graduation rate, which is a significant gap for a high school. Chronic absenteeism data, discipline data, and information about course access, such as Advanced Placement or career and technical education offerings, were also absent. Without these, a parent cannot assess how well the school supports students through to graduation or what range of academic pathways it provides. The school’s status as a regular public school rather than an alternative or special-purpose school means these gaps likely reflect reporting limitations rather than the school’s nature, but they are worth raising directly with the school.
The school sits in Spokane Valley, a large suburb of Spokane that formed from a collection of formerly unincorporated communities. The city is auto-oriented and lacks a traditional downtown core; civic and retail activity is concentrated along major corridors such as Sprague Avenue and around the Spokane Valley Mall. The area has extensive commercial development, multiple school district boundaries, and a growing population. Housing values and rents in the zip code are lower than the state average but have risen in recent years, placing the area in a moderately priced segment of the regional market.
The Central Valley School District is one of the larger districts in Spokane County, operating about three dozen schools. The district recently passed a replacement Educational Programs and Operations levy that supports ongoing operational costs but does not fund new construction. This levy shapes local property tax obligations and district funding. The district’s annual budget is substantial, reflecting the scale of its operations.
Stem Academy at SVT offers a small-school environment within a large district, with assessment results that are strong in literacy and science and more moderate in math. The lack of a reported graduation rate and limited data on programming and student support means a parent considering this school will want to ask detailed questions about postsecondary outcomes, course offerings, and how the school’s STEM focus translates into daily instruction and student experience.
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