Pauline Flett Middle School, Spokane WA

Original Research by School Decision on Pauline Flett Middle School

Pauline Flett Middle School, located in northwest Spokane, is one of three new middle schools that opened in the Spokane Public Schools district as part of a major facility bond. The building itself is only a few years old, which families often see as a meaningful advantage: the classrooms, common areas, and infrastructure are modern, and the school was designed around current educational needs rather than retrofitted into an older structure. For a middle school serving grades six through eight, that provides a clean physical start.

The school is part of Spokane School District, the city’s largest public school system. Spokane itself is the economic and cultural hub of the inland Northwest, a city whose historic downtown runs along the Spokane River. The local economy has diversified over the past few decades away from its roots in mining, timber, and agriculture toward healthcare, government, education, and logistics. Major employers include Fairchild Air Force Base, Providence Health Care, and the district itself. Housing in the area around the school is relatively affordable compared to much of western Washington, with home values and rents that are moderate by regional standards. The school sits in a residential section of the city, not far from the Spokane International Airport and a short drive from downtown.

On state assessments administered in the 2024-25 school year, the school’s overall proficiency across math, English language arts, and science placed it among the lower-performing schools within Spokane County. This is the only year of testing data available for the school, so there is no trend to examine yet. Math proficiency was lower than ELA proficiency, and science results for eighth graders also fell below the county median. A parent evaluating this school will want to look into how the school is addressing those results, whether through targeted instruction, intervention programs, or curriculum adjustments. Because the school is new, the district may still be refining its approach in this building.

The student body is predominantly white, with a modest share of students identifying as two or more races and a smaller share of Hispanic students. A substantial portion of the student population comes from low-income households, as measured by the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Information on students receiving special education services and English learner status was not available in the data reviewed, so families with children in those categories should ask the school directly about how their needs are met.

As a middle school, Flett feeds into the district’s high schools, and its academic program is shaped by the district’s curriculum. No specific program offerings such as advanced courses, electives, or career pathways were listed in the available data. Given the school’s newness and the district’s ongoing facility investments, families may want to ask about what electives and enrichment options are available and how the school supports students who are below grade level in core subjects.

The school environment and access information, including discipline rates, chronic absenteeism, and staffing ratios, were not provided. These are important dimensions of the middle school experience, and a parent may want to raise them directly with the school or the district. Overall, Pauline Flett Middle School is a well-maintained, recently constructed building in a district that has invested significantly in its middle school infrastructure. Its academic results are a soft spot that warrants further inquiry, and the school’s long-term trajectory remains to be seen.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 644%

School 44% · District 39% · ▲ 4 pts above district

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

Grade 735%

School 35% · District 71% · ▼ 36 pts below district

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

Grade 830%

School 30% · District 35% · ▼ 5 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 647%

School 47% · District 43% · ▲ 4 pts above district

even with state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 744%

School 44% · District 65% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 847%

School 47% · District 50% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 842%

School 42% · District 41%

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

This schoolSpokane 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 6Lower-income39%Higher-income62%23 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income35%Higher-income58%23 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income37%Higher-income61%24 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income38%Higher-income53%15 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income26%Higher-income49%23 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income21%Higher-income42%21 pp gap