Mead Learning Options, Spokane WA

Original Research by School Decision on Mead Learning Options

Mead Learning Options is an alternative school in Spokane serving every grade from kindergarten through twelfth. It is part of the Mead School District, which covers a portion of Spokane’s north side. Spokane itself is the economic and cultural hub of the Inland Northwest, a city whose historic downtown core runs along the Spokane River and whose economy has diversified from mining and timber into healthcare, government, education, and logistics. The school is housed on Five Mile Road, in a north Spokane area that mixes residential neighborhoods with commercial corridors.

The student body is predominantly white, with a small share of Hispanic students and a similarly small share of students identifying as two or more races. About a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is a moderate level compared to many district schools. Data on students with individualized education plans and English learners was not available; a parent who wants to understand support for those groups would need to ask the school directly.

Academically, Mead Learning Options posts a proficiency index that falls above the midpoint among the districts in Spokane County, a solid standing. That overall figure hides variation by subject and grade. In English language arts, proficiency rates across grades three through eight cluster in the mid-forties to mid-sixties, with sixth and seventh graders performing at the higher end. Math proficiency is lower across most grades, ranging from about a third to just under half of students meeting the state bar. Science results are mixed: fifth graders exceed two-thirds proficient, while eighth graders are under half. The school has only a single year of state test data available, so there is no multi-year trend to assess improvement.

Because Mead Learning Options is an alternative school, the standard metrics like a graduation rate may not apply in the same way they would for a comprehensive high school. No graduation rate was reported in the data we reviewed, which is common for alternative settings where students may follow non-traditional pathways to a diploma. A family interested in postsecondary outcomes should ask the school directly about completion rates, credit recovery options, and how the school tracks students who leave before earning a diploma.

The broader district context offers some stability. In early 2023, Mead School District voters approved a four-year replacement educational programs and operations levy, funding a significant share of the district’s operating budget through 2027. That levy supports staff, curriculum, technology, athletics, and extracurriculars. It passed with strong community support, which signals ongoing financial commitment to the programs that serve Mead Learning Options students.

Housing in the area is relatively more affordable than in Western Washington. In the ZIP code that includes the school, home values have held fairly steady, and rents are moderate compared to state benchmarks. The national median household income has been rising slowly, and mortgage rates were in the mid-six percent range in mid-2026, a factor for families considering a home purchase near the school.

For a family weighing this school, the most relevant takeaway is that Mead Learning Options is an alternative program with a wide grade span, serving a mostly white and moderately low-income population. Its test results show a mixed academic picture, stronger in reading than in math, with science a bright spot at the elementary level. The absence of graduation rate data and special population counts means a parent should seek more detail from the school to assess how it serves students with different needs. The district’s stable levy funding and Spokane’s relatively moderate housing costs are practical considerations, but the school’s academic fit will depend on a family’s specific priorities for their child.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 343%

School 43% · District 73% · ▼ 29 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Grade 435%

School 35% · District 54% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Grade 534%

School 34% · District 52% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 648%

School 48% · District 27% · ▲ 21 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 742%

School 42% · District 48% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▲ 4 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 838%

School 38% · District 36% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 4 pts above state median · even with county median

English language arts

Grade 351%

School 51% · District 57% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 446%

School 46% · District 56% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 552%

School 52% · District 64% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 666%

School 66% · District 55% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 763%

School 63% · District 27% · ▲ 36 pts above district

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 852%

School 52% · District 27% · ▲ 24 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Science

Grade 567%

School 67% · District 64% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 847%

School 47% · District 47%

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

This schoolMead School District, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income39%Higher-income57%18 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income50%Higher-income53%3 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income55%Higher-income72%18 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income82%Higher-income56%25 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income58%Higher-income49%9 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income33%Higher-income49%15 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income40%Higher-income33%7 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income39%Higher-income53%14 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income42%Higher-income42%1 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income53%Higher-income30%23 pp gap