Best Public Schools in Cheney, WA

Cheney, Washington, has nine schools serving about 3,855 students from elementary through high school, including traditional, alternative, and specialized programs within the Cheney School District. The district ranks 145th of 238 Washington districts and offers three elementary schools, one middle school, four high schools, and one alternative school. For most families, the strongest overall options are Betz Elementary, Phil Snowdon Elementary, and Cheney High School.

Betz Elementary stands out for science, with 71.05% proficiency in 2025–2026, the highest result among all schools listed, while Phil Snowdon Elementary had the strongest elementary ELA performance at 51.00%. Both schools posted math results near 43%. Salnave Elementary was weaker overall, with 36.97% ELA, 35.54% math, and 37.10% science proficiency, and it experienced notable declines from the prior year. Math is the most consistent challenge across the district, especially at Cheney Middle School, where 28.41% of students were proficient.

Cheney High School is the district’s strongest traditional secondary school, with a 94.4% graduation rate, a 3.2% dropout rate, strong ELA performance, and improving rankings. Its main concerns are math and science, which remain below state comparisons. The smaller programs—Three Springs High School, WIN Academy, Cheney Open Doors, and HomeWorks—serve different student populations and often have suppressed or missing results, so they should not be ranked directly against traditional schools. Parents comparing options should focus on program fit, math support, school size, and the distinct missions of these alternative programs.