Central Valley High Football
Education in east Spokane County began in one- and two-room school houses dotted among the farms and settlements in the Spokane River valley, beginning in the 1880s. The many one-school districts slowly merged and organized into the West Valley, East Valley and Central Valley School Districts.
Section:Then & Now
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Courtesy of Spokane Valley Heritage Museum
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Jesse Tinsley
| The Spokesman-Review
Education in east Spokane County began in one- and two-room school houses dotted among the farms and settlements in the Spokane River valley, beginning in the 1880s. The many one-school districts slowly merged and organized into the West Valley, East Valley and Central Valley School Districts.
1880s- Many small school districts organized in east Spokane County.
1912 - Vera High School was built at the corner of Sprague Ave. and Progress Rd. Thirty students attend in 1915.
1923 - Several small districts - Vera, Greenacres, Quinnamose, Liberty Lake, Saltese and Lone Fir - combine into Central Valley School District. A year earlier, several small schools combine into Otis Orchards School District, changing its name to East Valley School District in 1957.
1924 – West Valley High School opens at the corner of Trent and Argonne.
1927 - Appleway High School opens at the current site of Greenacres Middle School along Sprague Rd. near Flora Rd. The name was unpopular with students. The name “Central Valley” won a contest to find a new name, according to historian Florence Boutwell.
1929-1931 - Central Valley and West Valley High Schools build a rivalry for their annual Armistice Day game, with CV taking three out of four games in those years.
1941 – Lights are installed at Douglas Field at CVHS, the first field in the Spokane County lighted for night games.
1956 - A new Central Valley High School is built at Sullivan Rd. and E. 8th Ave.
1960 - Central Valley School District adds University High School. East Valley High School opens the same year.
1972 - While boys' sports teams sparked rivalries and stoked school spirit, many girls' sports were only intramural competition until the passage of Title IX, a federal law requiring gender equity in education and athletic opportunities.
1976 – Valley schools, along with Mead, join the new Greater Spokane League.
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