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University Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5
616th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 1,138 Washington Elementary Schools
Better than 46% of Washington elementary schools
Summary

University Elementary School in Spokane Valley serves 291 students in prekindergarten through grade 5 and is part of the Central Valley School District, a strong district ranked in the 81st statewide percentile. The school is in a highly competitive area, with several nearby elementary schools showing stronger recent academic results. University ranks in the 46th statewide percentile and has a 2-star rating, down from the 63rd percentile and 3 stars the previous year. Its student-teacher ratio is a favorable 13.2:1, and 63.92% of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, a higher share than at nearby schools such as Sunrise Elementary, Chester Elementary School, and Ponderosa Elementary.

Academic performance is currently the school’s main concern, especially in mathematics. In 2025–2026, University students were proficient at rates of 48.15% in English language arts, 39.71% in math, and 56.52% in science. Math was nearly flat across grades 3–5, ranging from 39.13% to 40%, and trailed the district by 11.49 percentage points. University also lagged most nearby Central Valley School District schools, including Sunrise Elementary, which posted 70.08% math proficiency, and Summit School, which ranked in the 83rd statewide percentile. ELA was weakest in grades 3 and 4, both at 42.22%, while grade 5 ELA reached 60% and exceeded the state rate. Science is a relative bright spot: University’s 56.52% proficiency exceeded the state rate, though it remained below results at Sunrise Elementary, Chester Elementary School, and several other nearby schools.

There are also meaningful strengths for families to consider. University’s special education subgroup ranked in the 85th statewide percentile in 2025–2026, following a 97th-percentile result the prior year. Spending was relatively high at $20,061 per student, second-highest among nearby schools with comparable data, although the strong resources have not yet translated into top local achievement results. The school’s small enrollment may contribute to year-to-year variation, but the latest math gaps are substantial. Compared with nearby Opportunity Elementary, University performed notably better in ELA and science; compared with Sunrise Elementary, it trailed considerably in every subject. The clearest priorities are improving math across grades 3–5, strengthening grades 3 and 4 ELA, and maintaining the school’s relative strengths in grade 5 ELA, science, and special education services.

291
Students ?
13.2
Student/teacher ratio ?
$20,061
Per pupil spending ?
63.9%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 1613 S University Rd
       Spokane Valley, WA  99206-5699

(509) 558-4650

District: Central Valley School District


Students who attend University Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Bowdish Middle School
High:    University High School
Racial breakdown:

White:
71.5%
Hispanic:
12.0%
Two or more races:
7.6%
more
 See top rated Washington elementary schools

 Compare University Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 39th percentile in 2016 → 46th in 2026
Strengths
✓Ranking is trending up — up 7 percentile points since 2016
Worth a look
!Near the bottom of Central Valley School District's ranking
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school46%
District avg56%
Washington avg48%
616th of 1,138
Washington public elementary schools ?
Bottom 46%▲ up 7 pts since 2016
From bottom 39% (2016) to bottom 46% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of Washington Elementary Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
12th of 14Elementary Schools in the Central Valley School District
46th of 238Central Valley School District among Washington districts
Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWashington percentileRating
202644.6616 of 113845.9%★★☆☆☆
202560.2428 of 116063.1%★★★☆☆
202444.1634 of 116845.7%★★☆☆☆
202344.3623 of 116946.7%★★☆☆☆
202225.5892 of 116923.7%★☆☆☆☆
202139.9629 of 110743.2%★★☆☆☆
201940.8684 of 113039.5%★★☆☆☆
201866.9349 of 105466.9%★★★☆☆
201756.2469 of 105655.6%★★★☆☆
201641.8639 of 105339.3%★★☆☆☆
201557.5437 of 106759.0%★★★☆☆
201350.0601 of 110645.7%★★☆☆☆
201248.9595 of 109745.8%★★☆☆☆
201143.4642 of 109241.2%★★☆☆☆
201052.2522 of 108852.0%★★★☆☆
200945.3621 of 107242.1%★★☆☆☆
200848.0591 of 106744.6%★★☆☆☆
200760.2421 of 106960.6%★★★☆☆
200650.4541 of 105148.5%★★☆☆☆
200538.2689 of 103133.2%★★☆☆☆
200439.3647 of 102636.9%★★☆☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWashington percentileRating
202639.6639 of 102037.4%★★☆☆☆
202565.2340 of 109268.9%★★★☆☆
202454.8466 of 109357.4%★★★☆☆
202354.5469 of 109457.1%★★★☆☆
202245.7568 of 110048.4%★★☆☆☆
202155.7410 of 100859.3%★★★☆☆
201929.5808 of 106824.3%★☆☆☆☆
201848.7535 of 100446.7%★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWashington percentileRating
202648.6520 of 100848.4%★★☆☆☆
202575.9164 of 101383.8%★★★★☆
202454.1449 of 102456.2%★★★☆☆
202351.6477 of 101352.9%★★★☆☆
202231.3754 of 101926.0%★☆☆☆☆
201964.4290 of 97970.4%★★★★☆
201867.5204 of 83575.6%★★★★☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWashington percentileRating
202653.8489 of 105953.8%★★★☆☆
202562.1387 of 109864.8%★★★☆☆
202438.3673 of 109938.8%★★☆☆☆
202334.8708 of 109935.6%★★☆☆☆
202216.1979 of 111312.0%★☆☆☆☆
202125.5769 of 102525.0%★☆☆☆☆
201956.0469 of 107556.4%★★★☆☆
201881.9162 of 99983.8%★★★★☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWashington percentileRating
202673.365 of 43285.0%★★★★☆
202593.411 of 36397.0%★★★★★
202448.4169 of 33950.1%★★★☆☆
201918.2528 of 5666.7%☆☆☆☆☆
201872.6112 of 63782.4%★★★★☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWashington percentileRating
202647.2494 of 90145.2%★★☆☆☆
202559.8393 of 100761.0%★★★☆☆
202443.4586 of 100941.9%★★☆☆☆
202338.3640 of 101136.7%★★☆☆☆
202221.7874 of 103115.2%★☆☆☆☆
202129.0691 of 94326.7%★☆☆☆☆
201924.9840 of 102718.2%★☆☆☆☆
201848.4442 of 83346.9%★★☆☆☆
How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)
Special Education (2026)85th percentile+39 vs school
Male (2026)54th percentile+8 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2026)48th percentile+3 vs school
White (2026)45th percentile~ school
Female (2026)37th percentile-9 vs school
By subject vs Washington (2025-2026) ?
Science57%+6 vs state
English Language Arts48%-5 vs state
Math40%-3 vs state

★
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Frequently Asked Questions about University Elementary School

University Elementary School ranks 616th of 1138 Washington elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

In the 2024-25 school year, 291 students attended University Elementary School.

Students who attend University Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Bowdish Middle School
High : University High School

Students at University Elementary School are 71% White, 12% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 4% Pacific Islander, 2% African American, 1% Asian, 1% American Indian.

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Latest Washington data All new data »
2025–26 SBAC & WCAS test scoresSep 10, 2026
2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJan 8, 2026
2022–23 through 2023–24 school spending dataJan 6, 2026
2024–25 SBAC & WCAS test scoresSep 10, 2025


SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Washington State Department of Health and the Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.

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