The top reported proficiency rate is 40% in English language arts. The lowest is 9% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Numa Elementary School
Numa Elementary School sits on Discovery Way in Fallon, a small city that serves as the county seat of Churchill County, roughly an hour east of Reno in the Lahontan Valley. The school serves only two grade levels, fourth and fifth, which makes it a transitional building rather than a full elementary. It is a regular public school, part of the Churchill County School District, and it draws from a community where nearly every student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is majority white with a substantial Hispanic population, along with smaller groups identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, Black, and two or more races. Data on English learners and students with individualized education programs was not available, so those populations could not be characterized here.
Academically, the most recent state assessment results, from the SBAC in math and English language arts and the state science test, paint a mixed picture. English language arts is the relative bright spot, with a moderate share of students reaching proficiency. Math proficiency is lower, with about a quarter of tested students meeting the bar. Science, which in Nevada is assessed in fifth grade, is the clearest soft spot, with only a small fraction of students demonstrating proficiency. Participation was strong across all three subjects. A parent weighing these results may want to look into how the school supports science instruction in particular, and what interventions are in place for math. Because the school spans only two grades, a child's entire experience here lasts two years, which means the academic culture is concentrated and the transition years are compressed.
No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible to say whether proficiency is rising or falling over time. No comparison data placing Numa against neighboring schools or districts was provided, so this account cannot say how it stacks up locally. The average scale score for each subject was also missing from the source data. These gaps mean the picture is limited to a single year of proficiency results.
Fallon itself is a farming and military town. Naval Air Station Fallon, home of the Navy's TOPGUN program, is the dominant employer and sits southeast of the city center. Agriculture anchors the local identity, with the area known for its cantaloupes and a calendar of events like the Hearts of Gold Cantaloupe Festival and Tractors & Truffles. The walkable core is the historic Maine Street district, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with early-twentieth-century buildings and a still-operating theater. Beyond that core, the city spreads into residential neighborhoods surrounded by farmland and high desert. There is no public transit system described in available sources, so getting around means driving. Western Nevada College has a campus in town, and there is a charter option, Oasis Academy, for families seeking alternatives within the public framework.
The housing market in Numa's zip code is modest by Nevada standards. Typical home values sit below the state benchmark, and rents are affordable relative to income, with the estimated monthly rent absorbing a reasonable share of typical household earnings. Mortgage costs, given current rates, run higher than rent, which makes renting the cheaper path for a family not yet ready to buy. Home values have risen slightly year over year, while the state as a whole has seen a modest decline, suggesting Fallon's market is moving on its own local logic rather than tracking Reno or the broader state.
The district brief for Churchill County turned up little of lasting impact regarding recent parent-relevant changes, so there is nothing concrete to report on shifts in leadership, programs, or policy. Title I status for the school was not specified in the data, though the near-universal free or reduced-price lunch rate suggests the school likely operates under that federal framework. Discipline, course access, staffing, and attendance data were not provided, so those dimensions of school life could not be assessed.
What this adds up to is a two-grade public school in a small agricultural and military town, serving an economically disadvantaged student body, with moderate reading results, weaker math, and a science outcome that warrants direct questions. Families considering Numa should ask the school how it structures fifth-grade science, what math supports exist for students below grade level, and how it eases children in from third grade and moves them on to sixth.
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