The top reported proficiency rate is 38% in English language arts. The lowest is 13% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Carlin Jr High School
Carlin Jr High School sits in a small mining and railroad town along Interstate 80 in northeast Nevada, about twenty-three miles west of Elko. The town's identity is tied to the Carlin Trend, one of the most productive gold mining districts in the world, with Newmont Corporation as the dominant employer. Railroad jobs shaped Carlin through the mid-twentieth century, but those operations are largely gone today. The developed part of town covers roughly half a square mile on a traditional grid centered on the old rail corridor, and residents depend on personal vehicles for nearly everything, with most shopping, dining, and services located in Elko. The Humboldt River runs through town, and civic life centers on a small museum housed in an old schoolhouse, a branch library, and city government. Population has been flat to slightly declining, and no major housing developments or growth projects are evident. For a family considering this school, the context is a stable, compact community with a single-industry economic base and a short drive to a larger town for amenities.
The school serves only seventh and eighth grades, with a very small enrollment. Its student body is predominantly white, with small representation of Hispanic, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, and multiracial students. Just under half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not available, so those population sizes remain unknown. Because the school does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report; that metric simply does not apply here. No program offerings, course access details, staffing figures, discipline data, or attendance information were provided, which leaves a real gap for parents trying to understand day-to-day school culture and what happens beyond tested subjects.
On state assessments, Carlin Jr High's results paint a mixed picture. English language arts is the relative bright spot, with a proficiency rate that suggests a meaningful portion of students are meeting grade-level expectations in reading and writing. Science results land lower, and math proficiency is quite low, with only a small fraction of tested students reaching proficiency. Participation rates were strong across all three subjects, so the results reflect nearly the full student body rather than a skewed subset. No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible to say whether these proficiency levels are improving, declining, or holding steady. Average scale scores were also missing from the data set. A parent weighing these numbers may want to ask the school what supports are in place for math instruction and how the district is responding to the gap between ELA and math performance.
Housing in Carlin is inexpensive compared with both Nevada and national benchmarks. Home values sit well below the state median and below the national median, and recent appreciation has been modest. The price-to-income ratio suggests buying a home here is more attainable than in much of the state, though current mortgage rates affect monthly costs. No rental data was available for the immediate area, so renters should look to Elko or surrounding communities for a fuller picture of the rental market.
What this school offers is a very small junior high experience in a tight-knit, single-industry town where housing is relatively affordable and the commute to regional amenities is short. The academic data shows genuine strength in ELA and a clear weakness in math that warrants follow-up. Without information on programs, staffing, or school climate, a family would need to visit and ask questions to fill in the picture the data does not provide.
See more original research from School Decision →