The top reported proficiency rate is 25% in English language arts. The lowest is 4% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Anderson Elementary
Anderson Elementary sits on Berrum Lane in Reno, part of the Washoe County School District. It is a regular public school serving kindergarten through fifth grade, and its enrollment is moderate for an elementary campus in this area. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with smaller groups of Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, white, multiracial, Asian, Black, and American Indian or Alaska Native students. Nearly every student qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which points to a community facing concentrated economic need. Data on English learners and students with individualized education programs was not available in the provided materials, so those population details remain unknown.
On state assessments administered through Nevada's SBAC testing program, Anderson's proficiency rates in math and English language arts fall well below what most schools in the state post. Science results are lower still, though only fifth graders take the science exam, so the tested group is a small slice of the school. Participation was strong across all three subjects. No average scale scores were reported, and the data did not include multi-year trends, so it is difficult to tell whether these results represent a decline, a plateau, or something the school is actively working to improve. A parent considering this school may want to ask the administration directly what instructional priorities and interventions are in place to lift proficiency, and how the school tracks progress beyond the annual state test.
Reno itself is a mid-sized city that has shifted from its older identity as a casino and divorce-tourism destination into something more varied. Publicly reported sources note large-scale investments from Tesla, Amazon, Panasonic, Microsoft, Apple, and Google, which have established the metro as a growing technology and logistics hub. The University of Nevada, Reno adds an academic and institutional presence to the city. Downtown has a walkable core along Virginia Street and the Truckee River, with casino resorts, City Hall, and the Reno Arch, but the broader city sprawls across a large geographic footprint, making most residential areas car-dependent. Annual events like Hot August Nights, the Great Reno Balloon Races, and the Reno Rodeo bring seasonal energy. The nearby Sierra Nevada and Lake Tahoe anchor the region's outdoor recreation identity.
The housing market around Anderson Elementary is expensive relative to both state and national benchmarks. Home values in the school's zip code run well above the Nevada median and considerably above the national median, while rents have been climbing. For families weighing buying versus renting, the monthly cost of a mortgage in this area is substantially higher than renting, even with current interest rates factored in. The price-to-income ratio sits well above the national figure, which means affordability is a real constraint for households looking to purchase a home here. Home values have been roughly flat recently, while rents have moved upward.
The provided data did not include a locale classification, Title I status, discipline information, staffing levels, attendance figures, course or program offerings, or civil-rights reporting. The district brief returned no specific curriculum or strategic-plan findings, so there is little here to characterize recent changes or initiatives at the district level that might affect this campus. These gaps mean the picture is incomplete on several fronts parents often care about, including teacher experience, behavioral climate, and specialized programming.
What the data does say clearly is that Anderson serves a high-poverty community in a growing, diversifying city, and that its academic results on state tests are low across all three tested subjects. Families looking at this school would benefit from a direct conversation with the principal and teachers about what is being done to strengthen instruction, how student growth is monitored during the year, and what support structures exist for children working below grade level.
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