Blue Lake is one of many natural wonders found in the Methow Valley.
Methow Valley School District is located in Okanogan County in beautiful North Central Washington. The district consists of four schools and a home-school program serving about 550 students. We serve families in Mazama, Winthrop, Twisp, and Carlton.
Our Schools and Programs
Methow Valley Elementary offers services to children in kindergarten through sixth grade. Liberty Bell Jr./Sr. High School serves students in grades 7-12. The high school won recognition in 2008, 2009 and 2010 as a state “School of Distinction.” The Independent Learning Center serves junior high and high school students seeking an alternative path to secondary education. Finally, the REACH program connects homeschool families to learning opportunities at school.
Quality Teaching
Methow Valley School District offers high-quality instruction from 40 classroom teachers, two-thirds of whom have earned a master’s degree. An focused staff development program provides teachers with time and resources to engage in small learning communities where they discuss research, review effective instructional teaching practices, and examine student work. As a school district, MVSD is committed to continuous improvement. We believe that by getting better a little bit each day, we can get a lot better over time.
Community Support
Strong community support leads to strong schools. Methow Valley School District enjoys great support from local residents. Parents and other community members volunteer in classrooms, help lead field trips, and serve as tutors. In May 2009, local voters supported a school construction bond to replace the high school roof with an astounding 74 percent “yes” vote, one of the highest tallies in the state.
The community also supports schools with the regular passage of maintenance and operations and technology/capital projects levies to support athletics, music, nursing services, all-day kindergarten, small class sizes, building repairs and high-quality classroom technology.
District Leadership
In August 2008, Dr. Mark Wenzel joined the district as school superintendent. Dr. Wenzel came to Methow Valley from Tacoma, WA, where he served as a district administrator for six years. He previously taught English and Japanese in junior high, high school and college, both in the U.S. and Asia. Superintendent Wenzel earned his doctorate in education leadership from the University of Washington. In 2011-2012, he will also coach the Liberty Bell Speech & Debate team.
Critical Thinking, Lifelong Learning, Character Development
The mission statement of the district focuses on three big ideas: critical thinking, lifelong learning and character development. It is the goal of everyone in the district to provide the best learning opportunities for every student who walks through our doors. We believe there is greatness within each child, and our commitment is to do everything possible to help children identify and develop their gifts.
