The top reported proficiency rate is 52% in English language arts. The lowest is 41% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Nine Mile Falls Elementary
Nine Mile Falls Elementary is a regular public school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in the Nine Mile Falls School District, located in an unincorporated exurb northwest of Spokane. With a small enrollment and a single building on the west side of the Spokane River, it is the only elementary school in the district and sits near Sontag Park and the historic Nine Mile Dam. The school is not a charter or magnet, and its Title I status was not provided.
State testing results from the 2024-25 school year are available for grades four and five, while grade three scores were suppressed, a routine practice when group sizes are very small. In mathematics, fourth graders showed a proficiency rate above the majority line, while fifth graders scored below it. In English language arts, fifth graders posted a rate above the majority threshold, but fourth graders fell below. Science results for fifth graders were below the majority mark. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school’s overall proficiency index places it above the midpoint when measured against other districts in Spokane County. That relative position is a strength, but the grade-level variability means a family should look closely at how the school supports students who are not yet meeting benchmarks.
The student body is small and predominantly white, with a modest share of students identifying as two or more races and a very small Hispanic population. Economic need is present: about a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a level that is moderate and not unusual for a rural exurban setting. Student counts by grade are all in the teens or low twenties, giving each grade a class-size feel that is typical of a small elementary school.
Nine Mile Falls itself is an exurb that has not been absorbed by Spokane’s suburban expansion. The community stretches along the steep river valley, with ponderosa pine forest on undeveloped land. The elementary school is on the western side, near the fire station and a restaurant; the post office and most services are across the river on the eastern side. There is no traditional downtown or walkable commercial core. The Spokane River Centennial Trail begins at Sontag Park and provides a recreational link to Riverside State Park. The dam and its historic hydroelectric complex are a local landmark. Residents likely commute to Spokane for work, and local employers include Avista Utilities and the school district itself. No major new housing developments or growth projects were identified in available sources, consistent with a place that has remained rural in character.
Housing values in the area are high relative to the national typical, reflecting the broader Spokane-area market and the appeal of riverfront and forested exurban living. The district itself reported no recent significant changes that would affect families, based on publicly available information; it has been a stable, small district serving this community over time.
For a family considering Nine Mile Falls Elementary, the picture is of a small, rural-adjacent school with academic results that are slightly above the county median overall but uneven by grade and subject. The setting offers outdoor access and a quiet, dispersed exurban life. The school’s size means individual attention is possible, but a parent may want to inquire about interventions for math and science in the upper elementary grades, where proficiency rates lag. It fits families who value a small-school atmosphere in a natural, low-density environment and are comfortable with a commute to Spokane for many services and employment.
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