Central Valley High School (Spokane Valley, Washington)

Central Valley High School
Central Valley High School at sunset
Location
Spokane Valley, Washington United States
Information
Type	Secondary
Established	January, 1927
Principal	Mike Hittle
Grades	9–12
Enrollment	2,200
Color(s)	Columbia Blue & White
Mascot	Bears
Yearbook	Voyager
Website	[1]

Central Valley High School, often referred to as "CV", is a high school located in Spokane Valley, Washington. Central Valley is one of the three high schools in Central Valley School District #356.

Central Valley High School opened in January 1927, and was popular because it offered free transportation to and from the school. It grew fast with the support of the surrounding community, and hosted its first track meet the following spring. Over the next years, the school had gained a gymnasium, art rooms, a furnace, and a library. The school experienced several remodelings over the years. In 2002, the school was rebuilt after passing a bond issue, including a larger gymnasium for 2,200 seats, a state-of-the-art performing arts center, an advanced technological media center, a new commons area, and an overall expansion of the school.

The school is located at 821 S. Sullivan Rd. in Spokane Valley, WA. The building is built in a rectangular design (ostensibly for fire safety reasons), with equal length hallways on both sides of the central commons, and two smaller hallways in the back of the school for the technology and music wings. The track and football field are located north of the building, and the gyms are on the northeastern side of the school. A wide campus with two soccer fields and two baseball fields are located east and behind the school, and three parking lots and one soccer field are located west and in front of the building.

Central Valley has numerous extracurricular activities and club available to the student body.

Central Valley's debate team is directed under Brad Thew. The team regularly attends regional tournaments.

Central Valley's band program comprises three in class bands: Symphonic Winds, Concert Winds, and the premier Wind Ensemble. Concert Winds and Wind Ensemble are audition-only groups, and Wind Ensemble is only open to students grades 10-12. CV also boasts 2 jazz bands, I and II, a marching band/colorguard, and basketball "pep band". The marching band is one of the most visible student groups on campus, and practices, much like other fall school-sponsored sports, from August to late October. Most recently, they won the first place in the NWAPA marching circuit with a score of a 93.9 for their show "Machine." The bands are directed by Eric Parker, a CVHS graduate (class of 1996) who received his B.A. in Arts from Eastern Washington University in 2002. Parker received his Masters in Conducting from Sam Houston State University in 2010. He assumed full responsibilities as director of bands in 2006. Since, he was selected by School Band and Orchestra Magazine as one of the "50 Teachers Who Make a Difference" for Washington state.

The Central Valley choir program, under director Mike Elliott, consists of an A Cappella Choir, a Symphonic Choir, and a jazz choir known as Rhythm N'Blues. These groups regularly compete in choir competitions in the Pacific Northwest region.