Original Research by School Decision on Medical Lake High School
Medical Lake High School serves grades nine through twelve as a regular public school in the Medical Lake School District, a small district that also serves Fairchild Air Force Base. The school sits in the town of Medical Lake, a small city in Spokane County roughly a short drive west of Spokane. The local economy is anchored by Eastern State Hospital and Fairchild Air Force Base, and many residents commute to Spokane for work. The town has a small-town, family-oriented feel, with outdoor recreation centered on its namesake lake and several nearby bodies of water. A major disruption occurred in 2023 when the Gray Fire burned a large area and destroyed many structures, leading to evacuations; recovery from that event remains an ongoing concern for the community.
The high school enrolls a student body that is predominantly white, with a Hispanic population representing a modest share and smaller numbers of students who are Black, Asian, two or more races, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the source materials.
State testing results are available for a single school year, so there is no trend to examine. In English language arts, a strong majority of students met the proficiency standard. In math, about half of students met the standard. In science, roughly half of students met the standard. These results give a snapshot of a school where literacy performance is a clear strength, while math and science attainment sit at a level that a parent may want to discuss with the school to understand how the school supports students in those subjects. No graduation rate was reported in the data, and the comparison set that would position this school relative to other districts in Spokane County was not applicable because the necessary metrics were missing.
The district received a Department of Defense Education Activity Academic Support Program Grant in 2024, which funds a multi-year effort to integrate Professional Learning Communities across all schools. The grant is designed to improve academic growth and achievement, with a particular focus on military-connected students, through building organizational capacity, enhancing classroom and curriculum support, and implementing evidence-based strategies. This grant represents a significant, externally funded push to change how instruction is delivered district-wide, and it may be a point of interest for families connected to Fairchild Air Force Base, which is served by the district.
The school's setting in Medical Lake means that many students come from families employed by Eastern State Hospital or Fairchild Air Force Base, or from families who commute to Spokane. The town is car-dependent, with a low-density built environment and public bus service provided by Spokane Transit Authority. Housing values in the area are below the state benchmark, and the estimated monthly mortgage cost is lower than the national median household income would support, suggesting that the area is relatively affordable compared to much of Washington state. The town's civic life centers on the lake, seasonal events like the Founders Day Parade and a winter festival, and community organizations such as the Lion's Club and Kiwanis.
For a family considering this school, the picture is one of a small high school in a small town with a strong military and institutional employer presence, where the district is actively investing in instructional improvement through a recent grant. The academic data shows a school where English language arts is a clear strength, while math and science results are more mixed. The lack of a reported graduation rate and the absence of trend data mean that a parent will want to ask the school directly about how students progress through to graduation and how the school supports students who need additional help in math and science.
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