The top reported proficiency rate is 26% in English language arts. The lowest is 15% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on George L. Dilworth S.t.e.m Academy
George L. Dilworth S.T.E.M Academy sits on Prater Way in Sparks, Nevada, serving grades six through eight as part of the Washoe County School District. It is a regular public school with an enrollment that is moderate for a middle school in this grade band. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a smaller White population and smaller still representation from Black, multiracial, Asian, Pacific Islander, and American Indian students. Every student at Dilworth qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, which places the school firmly among those serving a high-poverty community.
State assessment results from the most recent testing cycle show proficiency rates that are low across all three tested subjects. In mathematics, a small fraction of students reached proficiency. English language arts results were somewhat higher but still reflected limited proficiency overall. Science proficiency sat in a similar range. Participation rates were strong, with nearly all eligible students tested. No multi-year trend data was available, so it is possible to say from the provided data whether these results represent a recent change or a longer-standing pattern. Average scale scores were also missing. A parent considering this school may want to look into what academic supports and interventions are in place, and how the school's STEM designation translates into classroom practice, given where proficiency currently stands.
The school sits within Washoe County School District, a regional district spanning both Reno and Sparks. The district brief for parent-relevant changes was not available in the data provided, so we cannot speak to recent curriculum shifts or strategic initiatives from the district level.
Data on special populations, including students with individualized education programs and English learners, was not reported. Without these figures, it is difficult to assess how the school serves students with distinct needs. Civil-rights data, including discipline and course-access information, was also absent from the payload. No staffing, attendance, or locale classification data was provided for the school itself. As a middle school, Dilworth has no graduation rate, and that metric does not apply to this grade band.
Sparks, where the school is located, carries a dual identity. It began as a Southern Pacific Railroad switching yard and repair center and grew into a residential suburb of Reno after a postwar housing boom. The area south of the railroad filled with warehouses and light industry during the 1970s, and Sparks remains a distribution and manufacturing hub within the Reno-Sparks metro. The Tesla and Panasonic Gigafactory anchors the eastern edge of the city and is publicly reported as the largest single employer in the area. Victorian Square, a redeveloped downtown district near the Nugget Casino Resort, provides a pedestrian-friendly commercial and entertainment core with open-air events and an outdoor amphitheater. Outside that core, Sparks is largely car-dependent and suburban, organized around major arterials like Interstate 80, Pyramid Way, and McCarran Boulevard.
The city has grown rapidly over decades, pushing northward into Spanish Springs, a major population center in the valley. Publicly reported infrastructure investments include the Southeast Connector, an expressway linking Sparks Boulevard to south Reno, and a planned arterial road project to convert Pyramid Highway through Spanish Springs into a controlled-access roadway. Schools are administered by the Washoe County School District, and campuses are distributed across the city rather than clustered downtown.
Housing in the school's zip code sits below the state benchmark for typical home values but above the national benchmark, with a slight recent decline in values year over year. Rental costs have risen notably in the past year. The price-to-income ratio is elevated, meaning homeownership here is expensive relative to typical incomes, though renting remains comparatively more affordable than carrying a mortgage. This is a market where a family would feel the cost of housing, and where rising rents may factor into decisions for families renting near the school.
No program offerings, course-access details, or extracurricular information was available in the data. The school's STEM designation in its name suggests a focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, but without curriculum or program data, we cannot confirm what that means in daily practice at Dilworth.
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