West Valley City School, Spokane WA

Original Research by School Decision on West Valley City School

West Valley City School serves grades five through eight in Spokane and is classified as an alternative school, a designation that generally indicates a program designed for students who benefit from a learning environment different from the traditional middle school setting. The school is part of the West Valley School District (Spokane). Its enrollment is small, and the student body is predominantly white, with smaller shares of Hispanic and multiracial students. About half the students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, a common measure of economic need. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the profile.

On state assessments, the school's results across the tested grades and subjects show a mixed picture. In English language arts, most grade levels performed at a level that a parent may find encouraging, with a substantial majority of students meeting the state proficiency benchmark in three of the four tested grades. In math, the share of proficient students was lower overall, with a clear dip in one grade and a stronger showing in another. Science results, available for two grades, were solid. When combined into an overall proficiency index across all tested subjects and grades, the school ranked in the top quartile relative to districts in Spokane County. That comparison places it above the midpoint among the county’s districts, a noteworthy result for a small alternative school. However, because this is a single year of data and the school serves a specialized population, families may want to ask the school directly how its results compare to those of its students before they enrolled.

The school does not offer high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. Information about course access, staffing, and discipline was not present in the available data. Because the school is an alternative setting, some of the usual metrics for middle schools may be less directly applicable, and a parent considering this school would benefit from a conversation with the school about its specific mission, curriculum, and how it supports students who may have struggled in a conventional classroom.

The surrounding community is Spokane, the economic and cultural hub of the Inland Northwest. Spokane is a mid-sized city with a historic downtown along the Spokane River, two universities, and a diversified economy anchored by healthcare, government, education, and logistics. Median home values and rents in the area are relatively moderate compared to the rest of western Washington, and the city’s population has grown modestly in recent years. The school is located within the city and draws from the surrounding neighborhood.

The district brief for West Valley School District was sought but contained little publicly reported material that could be confirmed, so this narrative does not include information about district-level changes, bond measures, or strategic priorities. For a fuller picture, a resident may want to consult the district’s own communications or attend a school board meeting.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 548%

School 48% · District 47% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Grade 634%

School 34% · District 28% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 756%

School 56% · District 36% · ▲ 20 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

Grade 839%

School 39% · District 23% · ▲ 16 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 576%

School 76% · District 54% · ▲ 22 pts above district

▲ 23 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

Grade 644%

School 44% · District 35% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 770%

School 70% · District 50% · ▲ 19 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Grade 876%

School 76% · District 45% · ▲ 31 pts above district

▲ 27 pts above state median · ▲ 26 pts above county median

Science

Grade 571%

School 71% · District 54% · ▲ 18 pts above district

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

Grade 862%

School 62% · District 35% · ▲ 27 pts above district

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

This schoolWest Valley School District (Spokane), 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-income42%Higher-income46%4 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income54%Higher-income84%30 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income68%Higher-income82%13 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income30%Higher-income39%8 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income39%Higher-income71%32 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income32%Higher-income44%13 pp gap