Improving the Lives of Children & Familes

Valley School District is located in rural Stevens County, forty miles north of Spokane, Washington, in a pastoral valley hugged by thick forests. We are an innovative school district with four distinct student programs, including an Early Learning Center and Daycare; K-8 elementary/middle school; small cooperative high school; and Alternative Learning Experience (ALE) online program. Additionally, VSD operates a transportation cooperative located on Highway 395 that serves surrounding school districts.

Valley School District strives to provide educational services that cover the full spectrum of ages, learning needs and circumstances. Below is a brief overview of the district programs.

Valley Early Learning Center

Established in 2010, the Valley Early Learning Center (VELC) offers preschool programming for children 3-5 years old and a year-round, learning-rich childcare program for children aged two and a half to twelve years old. VELC also offers Special Services, an Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP), a food services program and transportation on district buses. As long as there is space available, the VELC can accommodate just about any family schedule and learning needs. The VELC has met all state licensing requirements and has voluntarily undergone a rigorous program audit and review processes, passing with enthusiastic commendations. The curriculum is aligned with the Core Knowledge curriculum at the Valley School and nearly 100% of families choose to have their VELC students attend the Valley School Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten programs.

Valley School

Established in 1884, the K-8 school at Valley takes students on an academically rigorous journey through the Core Knowledge curriculum while emphasizing citizenship and creativity. Time is intentionally built into the daily schedule to provide one-on-one instruction and learning assistance when and where needed. Student progress is gauged by the student’s own work rather than his or her classmates, and intrinsic motivation strategies are incorporated into the curricular model. Engaging in learning opportunities with students from other grades is encouraged and supported through enrichment activities such as sports, pep club, leadership, art, choir and drama. 

Paideia High School

Paideia High School is an innovative, grades 9-12 program based on the Paideia concept developed by Mortimer Adler, which strives for the best education for all. Paideia (pronounced pie-dee-ah) High School is made possible by special legislation which allows two or more non-high school districts to form an inter-district cooperative high school. As the first one of its kind in the state, PHS was established in 2010 in partnership with Loon Lake, Orient, Orondo, and Summit Valley school districts. PHS offers an academically challenging learning environment with small class sizes, team teaching, multi-disciplinary classes, and opportunities for individual growth and achievement. PHS students gain confidence through weekly “seminar” classes where they are challenged to think critically, ask insightful questions and speak eloquently on a wide variety of subjects. Students can earn college credit through the school’s College in High School program.

Columbia Virtual Academy

Columbia Virtual Academy offers families an alternative approach to educating students outside of the traditional brick and mortar classroom. CVA is an accredited online public K-12 program available to any Washington State resident, provided through a partnership between Valley (grades K-8) and Kettle Falls (grades 9-12) school districts. With the guidance and expertise of a state certified teacher, each student’s learning plan is tailored to their unique learning style and needs. CVA offers well-evaluated curriculum options and resources that are customizable and delivered to each enrolled student’s door, as well as a full line-up of quality online courses. CVA’s personalized approach provides flexibility to accommodate diverse family circumstances and support student engagement while meeting state educational standards. Through CVA, families enjoy the benefits of being highly involved in their child’s learning while accessing the resources made available to all public-school students in the state. CVA was established in 2006. 

VL Transport Center

The VL Transport Center, provides transportation services for the Valley and Loon Lake School Districts. In addition, the Center provides fuel to a number of partner districts throughout the region and has a fully equipped maintenance shop, complete with bus lift. Established in 2006, the transportation cooperative saves districts money through bulk purchasing of fuel, lubricants and parts and by keeping buses in top running order. This attention to quality helps to ensure student safety and makes the best use of our fleet by minimizing instances of out-of-service buses. Maintaining and repairing buses locally also saves time and money that would otherwise be expended by sending buses to a regional repair shop. VL Transport Center also has a training facility, equipped with audio/visual equipment and an attached kitchenette and public bathrooms. The training facility is used by the district, regional and state agencies, and community groups.