Education in Spokane, Washington

The Spokane Public Library and Spokane County Library District system provide the Spokane area with access to information and study space. Secondary education is provided by Spokane Public Schools with its six high schools, six middle schools, and thirty-four elementary schools. Public charter, private, and parochial schools offer more choices of study. Higher education in Spokane is served by the Community Colleges of Spokane system (Spokane Community College and Spokane Falls Community College) and two private universities, Gonzaga University and Whitworth University as well as various trade and technical schools. The University District in Downtown Spokane is also host to branch locations of regional universities such as Washington State University Spokane and its medical school, the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine.

Main article: Spokane, Washington

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the total school enrollment in Spokane was 54,830 in 2011. Nursery school and kindergarten enrollment was 5,484 and elementary or high school enrollment was 30,548 children. College or graduate school enrollment was 18,798. As of 2011, 91.6 percent of people 25 years and over had at least graduated from high school and 29.2 percent had a bachelor's degree or higher.[1]

Libraries
Spokane Public Library - Central branch

Serving the general educational needs of the local population are two public library districts, the Spokane Public Library (within city limits) and the Spokane County Library District. Founded in 1904 with funding from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, the Spokane Public Library system comprises a downtown library overlooking the Spokane Falls and five branch libraries.[2] Special collections focus on Inland Pacific Northwest history and include reference books, periodicals, maps, photographs, and other archival materials and government documents.[3] The downtown Spokane Public Library branch located at 906 West Main has a collection size of 435,902 volumes and an annual circulation of 2,060,220 items per year.[4] The first downtown library building, The Carnegie Building, still stands 5 blocks from the current Downtown library.

The libraries for the colleges and universities in Spokane include the Spokane Community College Library, Spokane Falls Community College Library, Gonzaga's Foley Center Library which has a collection size of 427,262 volumes and annual circulation of 48,889 items per year as well as their School of Law's Chastek Library and Whitworth's Harriet Cheney Cowles Memorial Library which has a collection size of 220,568 and an annual circulation of 19,672.[5][6][7][8]

Elementary and secondary education

Public school system
Lewis and Clark High School

Spokane Public Schools (District No. 81) was organized in 1889, and is the largest public school system in Spokane, and the second-largest in the state, as of 2014, serving roughly 30,000 students in six high schools, six middle schools, and thirty-four elementary schools.[9][10] Within Spokane Public Schools, there are two Washington State Charter School commission approved independent charter schools to provide alternative choices to traditional high schools, these are Innovation High School in the independent PRIDE Schools district and the Spokane International Academy.

In north Spokane, there is the Mead School District No. 354 which has two traditional high schools, Mead High School and Mt. Spokane High School. Other major public school districts in the Spokane area include the Central Valley School District (which contains Central Valley High School, University High School, and Ridgeline High School), West Valley School District (West Valley High School), and East Valley School District (East Valley High School) in Spokane Valley. Smaller districts in the surrounding area include the Cheney School District (Cheney High School), Deer Park School District (Deer Park High School), Freeman School District (Freeman High School), Liberty School District (Liberty High School), Medical Lake School District (Medical Lake High School), Nine Mile Falls School District (Lakeside High School), Orchard Prairie School District, and Riverside School District (Riverside High School).

Spokane area public high schools
School nameDistrictEstablishedEnrollmentNotes
Lewis and Clark High SchoolSpokane Public Schools18831,863[11]
North Central High SchoolSpokane Public Schools19081,521Houses the Institute of Science and Technology program for STEM[12]
John R. Rogers High SchoolSpokane Public Schools19321,514[13]
Shadle Park High SchoolSpokane Public Schools19571,218[14]
Joel E. Ferris High SchoolSpokane Public Schools19631,746[15]
Mead High SchoolMead School District18901,637[16]
Mt. Spokane High SchoolMead School District19971,596[17]
The Community SchoolSpokane Public Schools2012165New Technology High School[18]
Innovation High School- (PRIDE Schools)2015498Public nonprofit Charter school, IB World School, Grades 6-12[19]
Spokane International Academy-2015501Public nonprofit charter school, Grades K-12[20][21]
West Valley High SchoolWest Valley School District1924932[22]
Central Valley High SchoolCentral Valley School District19272,250[23]
University High SchoolCentral Valley School District19601,747[24]
East Valley High SchoolEast Valley School District19601,133[25]
Ridgeline High SchoolCentral Valley School District20211,600[26]

Note:

  • This is not an exhaustive list. This is a selective list that is intended to focus on public high schools in school districts that have a presence in the city of Spokane and may include other major districts or high schools in the Spokane metropolitan area (Spokane County).
  • Enrollment figures as of April 2021.

Private education
Upper Columbia Academy in Spangle

A variety of private and parochial elementary and secondary schools augment the public school system. Among the parochial schools, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane manages ten such schools in and around the area, among them being Gonzaga Preparatory School.[27] Other parochial schools in the Spokane metro area include Upper Columbia Academy, a boarding high school offering a Seventh-day Adventist education, located to the south in Spangle, and the Northwest Christian School, a non-denominational Kindergarten-12th grade school, to the north in Colbert.[28][29] The Saint George's School in north Spokane is one of the only K-12 independent secular private preparatory schools in Spokane and offers an International Baccalaureate program of study.[30]

There are schools that exist to meet special needs and those that offer specialist education, such as Montessori schools, or an emphasis on a particular part of the curriculum. Private schools are subject to a state approval process. Examples include the Lilac Blind Foundation, Spokane Guild's School and Neuromuscular Center, and the Spokane Art School.

The Salish School of Spokane is a language preservation school that serves the Native American community of various tribal backgrounds and ancestry with language and cultural immersion experiences to increase intergenerational transmission of the endangered Salish language family in addition to traditional mentoring and academic support. The school offers a K-6 grade curriculum and plans to offer a secondary education.[31][32]

Spokane area private secondary schools
School nameTypeEstablishedEnrollmentNotes
Gonzaga Preparatory SchoolRoman Catholic1887860Grades 9-12, NCEA[33]
Palisades Christian AcademySeventh-day Adventist1934215Grades PK-10[34]
Upper Columbia AcademySeventh-day Adventist1945272Grades 9-12,[28] Boarding school
Northwest Christian SchoolChristian, Non-denominational1949642Grades PK-12[29]
Saint George's SchoolSecular1955371Grades K-12, IB World School, Cognia accreditation, NAIS[35]
Saint Michael's AcademyTraditionalist Catholic1968131Grades PK-12,[36] Day school, Boarding school
Valley Christian SchoolChristian, Non-denominational1974297Grades PK-12, ASCI[37]
Faith Baptist AcademyBaptist1985128Grades K-12[38]
The Oaks AcademyChristian, Non-denominational1996309Grades K-12, ACCS[39]
Summit Christian AcademyBaptist2006130Grades K-12, offers Seal of Biliteracy certificate for Russian language proficiency, Cognia accreditation, ASCI[40]

Note:

  • This is not an exhaustive list. This is a selective list that intends to include private schools that provide instruction in part or fully for the high school grade levels 9-12 that are in the Spokane metropolitan area (Spokane County).
  • Enrollment figures as of April 2021.

Colleges and universities
St. Aloysius Church at Gonzaga University

Higher education institutions in Spokane include the private universities Gonzaga and Whitworth, and the public Community Colleges of Spokane system (Spokane Community College and Spokane Falls Community College) as well as a variety of local branch campuses and technical institutes.

The Community Colleges of Spokane operate Spokane Community College (SCC), Spokane Falls Community College (SFCC), and the Institute for Extended Learning, which coordinates rural outreach, business and community training, adult literacy services, and Spokane County Head Start/ECEAP/Early Head Start. Spokane Community College began operations on September 16, 1963, on the site of the Spokane Technical and Vocational School (established in 1953) at Mission and Greene.[41] During a period of growth, Spokane Community College built a second campus on Fort George Wright Drive (now Spokane Falls Community College), which the board of trustees decided to separate in 1970, creating two distinct entities. Both SCC and SFCC offer four-year bachelor of applied science degrees, SFCC in applied management and cybersecurity and SCC in respiratory therapy.[42] As of 2020, the Community Colleges of Spokane serves approximately 20,000 students a year and offers over 120 degree programs.[41]

Gonzaga University and Law School were founded by the Italian-born priest Joseph Cataldo and the Jesuits in 1887.[43] Gonzaga offers 43 undergraduate degree programs, 26 master's degree programs, a doctoral program in educational leadership, and a Juris Doctor (law degree).[44] Gonzaga is one of three schools that offer a law degree in the state of Washington. The school has a total enrollment of about 7,700.[45]

Harriet Cheney Cowles Memorial Library at Whitworth University

Whitworth was founded in Tacoma, Washington in 1890 and moved to its present location in 1914 following a generous land donation by railroad magnate Jay P. Graves and $100,000 in support from the community.[46] The move alleviated persistent financial difficulties owing to competition with the College of Puget Sound and Pacific Lutheran Academy which were also located in Tacoma. It is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church and had 2,500 students studying in 53 different undergraduate and degree programs as of 2011.[47]

A variety of regional universities located elsewhere in the Inland Northwest have operations in Spokane's University District. The University District is the site of Washington State University Spokane (formerly the Riverpoint Campus); WSU Spokane is WSU's health sciences campus and houses the school's College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy, and Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine.[48][49] Washington State University is Washington's land grant university with its flagship campus located 65 miles (105 km) south in Pullman. WSU Spokane shares the University District on the east end of downtown Spokane with some programs of Eastern Washington University (EWU), a regional comprehensive university with its main campus located 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Spokane in nearby Cheney.

The WSU Health Sciences Spokane campus, located in the University District

The University District serves as WSU Spokane's center for advanced graduate and professional studies and research in the health sciences and health professions. WSU Spokane programs focus on the health sciences, educational administration, and criminal justice. Among its research centers is the WSU Sleep and Performance Research Center, that does controlled laboratory studies of sleep, wake, and work and the consequences of fatigue. A consortium of organizations and WSU operate the Spokane Teaching Health Center, a clinic where the medical residents and WSU students work in collaborative teams to serve low-income community members in need. The campus also has a Veterinary Specialty Teaching Clinic.

The University of Washington's Schools of Medicine and Dentistry had first-year and second-year medical students and first-year dental students at the Riverpoint Campus in partnership with both WSU and EWU as part of their WWAMI (medical) and RIDE (dental) programs,[50] however the WWAMI relationship with WSU ended after WSU College of Medicine was created following the repeal of a law that disallowed a second public medical school in the state. The University of Washington has continued its medical education in Spokane by developing a relationship with Gonzaga.[51] The University District is also home to Innovate Washington (formerly Sirti), a Washington state economic development agency that accelerates the development and growth of innovative technology companies.

Other schools in Spokane include the Inland Northwest Culinary Academy, Spokane Art School, and Great Northern University. The Inland Northwest Culinary Academy at Spokane Community College is an American Culinary Federation accredited program for training professional chefs.[52] Great Northern University is a Christian school established in 2018 on the site of a vacated Moody Bible Institute branch campus which offers seven bachelor's degree programs which include: biblical and theological studies, communication, leadership studies, youth and family ministry, intercultural studies, linguistics and TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages).[53][54]

Spokane area colleges and universities
InstitutionTypeEstablishedEnrollmentNotes
Eastern Washington UniversityPublic188212,633[55]
Gonzaga UniversityPrivate, Catholic18877,563Law School[56][57]
Whitworth UniversityPrivate, Presbyterian18902,776[58]
Community Colleges of SpokanePublic196326,402SCC[59] and SFCC[60][61]
University of WashingtonPublic197160WWAMI program in partnership with Gonzaga University
Washington State University SpokanePublic19891,685Health sciences branch campus: Nursing school,[62] Medical school,[63] College of Pharmacy[64]

Note: Enrollment figures include full-time and part-time undergraduate students and graduate students; the Niche website shows undergraduate and graduate enrollment numbers on different tabs on the institution's profile. Enrollment figures as of April 2021.

Defunct institutions

Defunct institutions that were located in or near Spokane include Spokane University, Spokane College, Spokane Junior College, and a campus of the University of Phoenix and ITT Tech, the People to People Student Ambassador Program, and MEAD Alternative High School.[65]

See also

icon Schools portal

References
  1. "City of Spokane, WA, 2007–2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 12 February 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
  2. "Branch Locations and Hours". Spokane Public Library. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  3. "Ned M. Barnes Northwest Room Resources". Spokane Public Library. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  4. "Spokane Public Library". Libraries.org. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  5. "Spokane Community College Library". Libraries.org. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  6. "Spokane Falls Community College Library". Libraries.org. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  7. "Foley Center Library". Libraries.org. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  8. "Harriet Cheney Cowles Memorial Library". Libraries.org. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  9. Emerson, Stephen B. (August 8, 2008). "Spokane: Early Education". Essay 8723. HistoryLink. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
  10. "District Profile". Spokane Public Schools. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  11. "Lewis & Clark High School". Niche. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  12. "North Central High School". Niche. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  13. "Rogers High School". Niche. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
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  15. "Ferris High School". Niche. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  16. "Mead Senior High School". Niche. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  17. "Mt. Spokane High School". Niche. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  18. "The Community School". Niche. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  19. "Pride Prep School Technology & Science". Niche. Retrieved April 3, 2021. Note: Grade levels offered and enrollment includes the district's middle school, PRIDE Prep Middle School in addition to Innovation High School
  20. "Spokane International Academy". Niche. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  21. Nadvornick, Doug (February 28, 2021). "Spokane Charter School Renewed For Another Five Years Of Instruction". Spokane Public Radio. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  22. "West Valley High School". Niche. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  23. "Central Valley High School". Niche. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  24. "University High School". Niche. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  25. "East Valley High School & Extension". Niche. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  26. "Ridgeline High School Construction". Central Valley School District. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  27. "Catholic Schools, Diocese of Spokane". Catholic Diocese of Spokane. Archived from the original on December 10, 2014. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  28. "Upper Columbia Academy". Niche. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  29. "Northwest Christian School". Niche. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  30. "Upper School". Saint George's School. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
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  32. "Salish School Of Spokane". Private School Review. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  33. "Gonzaga Preparatory School". Niche. Retrieved April 3, 2021. Note: The Catholic Diocese of Spokane and Gonzaga-affiliated St. Aloysius Catholic School offers grades K-8
  34. "Palisades Christian Academy". Niche. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  35. "St. George's School". Niche. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  36. "St. Michael's Academy". Niche. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  37. "Valley Christian School". Niche. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  38. "Faith Baptist Academy". Niche. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  39. "The Oaks Academy". Niche. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  40. "Summit Christian Academy". Niche. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  41. "History". Community Colleges of Spokane. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  42. Criscione, Wilson (September 20, 2018). "A Higher Degree". Inlander. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  43. Kershner, Jim (February 21, 2007). "Gonzaga University". Essay 8097. HistoryLink. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  44. "Academics". Gonzaga University. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  45. "At a Glance". Gonzaga University. Retrieved 2013-09-29.
  46. Arksey, Laura (April 21, 2007). "Whitworth College". Essay 8125. HistoryLink. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  47. 2011 College Access and Opportunity Guide. Bethesda, Maryland: Center for Student Opportunity. July 1, 2010. pp. 458–478. ISBN 978-1-4022-4405-6.
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  49. "Academic Programs". Washington State University. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  50. "Regional Initiatives in Dental Education (RIDE)". University of Washington School of Dentistry. Retrieved 2013-01-19.
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  52. Thimsen, Blythe (July 14, 2016). "Culinary academy feeds strong student demand". Spokane Journal of Business. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  53. "Spokane Art School: Teaching Spokane to make and enjoy art". Spokane Art School. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  54. Sokol, Chad (August 22, 2018). "New Christian school, Great Northern University, accepting applications after closure of Moody Bible Institute in Spokane". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  55. "Eastern Washington University". Niche. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  56. "School of Law - Gonzaga University". Niche. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
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  64. "College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences - Washington State University". Niche. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  65. Riordan, Kaitlin (August 31, 2020). "Former student wants M.E.A.D Alternative reopened after learning of new stadium". KREM-TV. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
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