The top reported proficiency rate is 70% in Math. The lowest is 41% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Rollan Melton Elementary
Rollan Melton Elementary sits in the fast-growing tech corridor of Reno, serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as part of the Washoe County School District. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and it draws from a zip code where home values run well above both the Nevada and national benchmarks. For a family weighing this school, the combination of strong tested outcomes in core subjects, a relatively affluent student body, and a city in the middle of a tech-driven transformation shapes the picture.
On the most recent state assessments, Rollan Melton posts results that stand out in a positive direction. Math proficiency across grades three through eight sits at a high level, and English language arts is close behind. Both reflect a school where the majority of tested students are meeting or exceeding state standards. Participation is strong across the board. Science tells a different story: proficiency there lands well below math and reading, at a level where fewer than half of tested students clear the bar. A parent may want to look into how the school approaches science instruction and whether additional support or enrichment is available, since the gap between science and the other two subjects is wide.
The student body is moderate in size for an elementary school, with enrollment spread fairly evenly across the early grades and a larger fifth-grade cohort. A very small share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, which places this school among the more economically advantaged publics in the district. The racial and ethnic composition is predominantly white, with a Hispanic presence, a smaller group of students identifying as two or more races, and a modest Asian enrollment. Other racial groups are represented in very small numbers. Data on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not available, so families whose children fall into either of those categories will want to ask the school directly about services and staffing.
Reno itself has shifted considerably over the past decade. What was once known for casino tourism and divorce has diversified into logistics, manufacturing, and technology, with companies like Tesla, Amazon, Panasonic, Microsoft, Apple, and Google making major investments in the metro area. The University of Nevada, Reno adds an academic and cultural anchor. The downtown core along Virginia Street remains walkable, with casino resorts, the Reno Arch, and the Truckee River corridor, but the broader city is sprawling and largely car-dependent. Rollan Melton's location on Archimedes Lane places it in a residential stretch of Reno where the housing market reflects the city's tech-driven desirability. Home values in the school's zip code sit well above the state benchmark and even further above the national one. Rents are also elevated, though renting remains meaningfully cheaper than carrying a mortgage at current interest rates. The price-to-income ratio is high, which means a family buying into this attendance zone likely needs a strong income to manage the cost.
Several pieces of information that would help round out a family's understanding were not available in the data we reviewed. The school's Title I status, discipline data, staffing figures, attendance rates, and any specialized program offerings were all absent. We also looked for curriculum or strategic changes in the Washoe County School District that might affect this school and found nothing specific to report, so we left that out rather than guess. A neighbor comparison positioning Rollan Melton against other schools in the area was not provided.
What the available evidence does say is clear. This is a school where most students are performing at or above state proficiency in math and reading, in a community where housing costs are high and the local economy is growing. The science results are the one academic soft spot worth probing. For families drawn to Reno's outdoor recreation, its tech-sector energy, and a school with strong core academics in an advantaged peer environment, Rollan Melton is a solid fit worth a closer look.
See more original research from School Decision →