▁state , ▁as ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁serving ▁roughly ▁ 3 0 , 0 0 0 ▁students ▁in ▁six ▁high ▁schools , ▁six ▁middle ▁schools , ▁and ▁thirty - four ▁elementary ▁schools . ▁Other ▁public ▁school ▁districts ▁in ▁the ▁Sp ok ane ▁area ▁include ▁the ▁M ead ▁School ▁District ▁in ▁north ▁Sp ok ane ▁County , ▁outside ▁city ▁limits . ▁A ▁variety ▁of ▁state - appro ved , ▁independent ▁char ter ▁schools ▁and ▁private ▁and ▁par och ial ▁elementary ▁and ▁secondary ▁schools ▁augment ▁the ▁public ▁school ▁system . ▁The ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁Dioc ese ▁of ▁Sp ok ane ▁man ages ▁ten ▁such ▁schools ▁in ▁& ▁around ▁the ▁area . ▁St . ▁Matthew ▁Luther an ▁School ▁is ▁a ▁Pre - K - 8 ▁school ▁of ▁the ▁Wisconsin ▁Evangel ical ▁Luther an ▁Syn od ▁school ▁system ▁in ▁the ▁area . ▁ ▁Sp ok ane ▁is ▁home ▁to ▁many ▁higher ▁education ▁institutions . ▁They ▁include ▁the ▁private ▁univers ities ▁Gonz aga ▁and ▁Whit worth , ▁and ▁the ▁public ▁Community ▁Colleg es ▁of ▁Sp ok ane ▁system ▁( Sp ok ane ▁Community ▁College ▁and ▁Sp ok ane ▁F alls ▁Community ▁College ) ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁technical ▁instit utes . ▁Gonz aga ▁University ▁and ▁Law ▁School ▁were ▁founded ▁by ▁the ▁Italian - born ▁priest ▁Joseph ▁Catal do ▁and ▁the ▁Jes uits ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 7 . ▁Whit worth ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁Ta com a , ▁Washington ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 0 ▁and ▁moved ▁to ▁its ▁present ▁location ▁in ▁ 1