Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Virginia Palmer Elementary

Q: Is Virginia Palmer Elementary a good school?

Virginia Palmer Elementary ranks 279 th of 376 Nevada elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

279^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 376 Nevada Elementary Schools

Better than 26% of Nevada elementary schools

Summary

Virginia Palmer Elementary is a PK–5 school in Sparks, Nevada, serving 419 students in the Washoe County School District, where 100% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Statewide, it ranked 279th of 376 Nevada elementary schools in 2025-26 — the 26th percentile, or 1 star — placing it in the bottom third of the state even though its own district ranks above average (4 stars, 67th percentile).

The school's standout strength is attendance: chronic absenteeism was 17.2% in 2025-26, well below the district's 27.5% and the state's 25.5%, and down sharply from 26.9% two years earlier. Test scores tell a different story. Math proficiency (28.9%) and reading proficiency (35.1%) both trail district (37% and 44.4%) and state (36.2% and 45.2%) averages, and those gaps have widened over the past two years after a near-best showing in 2023-24. Fourth grade is the weakest cohort in both subjects (24.5% math, 27.8% reading), while 5th grade reading (46.6%) is the school's brightest result. Science results are suppressed by the state, so no comparison is possible there.

Among its closest neighbors, Virginia Palmer leads Esther Bennett Elementary and Sun Valley Elementary in both subjects and in attendance, but trails most other nearby schools, including Alice Maxwell Elementary, Bud Beasley Elementary, Lena Juniper Elementary, and John Bohach Elementary School. The most instructive comparison is Florence Drake Elementary, which serves an identical 100% low-income population 3.6 miles away yet ranks in the 79th percentile with 62.5% proficiency in both subjects — evidence that student demographics alone do not determine results. Palmer spends $16,205 per student, more than Bohach ($10,464) or Beasley ($13,374), while posting roughly half their proficiency; per-student spending rose about 43% from 2020-21 to 2023-24 without a matching gain in outcomes.

419

Students ?

15.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,205

Per pupil spending ?

48.7%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

All students receive free meals (Community Eligibility, 2024-25)

5890 Klondike
Sparks, NV 89433

(775) 674-4400

District: Washoe County

Students who attend Virginia Palmer Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Sparks Middle School
High:	Spanish Springs High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

72.3%

White:

20.5%

Two or more races:

2.4%

See top rated Nevada elementary schools

Compare Virginia Palmer Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 39th percentile in 2016 → 26th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Nevada average (32% vs 39% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 13 percentile points since 2016

!Reading scores 10 pts below the Nevada average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school32%

District avg39%

Nevada avg39%

279^th of 376

Nevada public elementary schools ?

Bottom 26%▼ down 13 pts since 2016

From bottom 39% (2016) to bottom 26% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Nevada Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

48^th of 62Elementary Schools in the Washoe County

4^th of 12Washoe County among Nevada districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nevada percentile	Rating
2026	23.4	279 of 376	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	29.3	251 of 379	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.3	210 of 377	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	26.7	266 of 384	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	25.3	267 of 380	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	18.2	273 of 324	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	35.5	243 of 388	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	26.9	252 of 341	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	23.1	273 of 351	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	34.9	211 of 347	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2014	55.7	146 of 332	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2013	59.6	135 of 330	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2012	36.0	207 of 328	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2011	34.5	205 of 318	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2010	35.9	186 of 300	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2009	22.5	225 of 292	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	26.4	209 of 294	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	17.8	201 of 246	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nevada percentile	Rating
2018	44.3	112 of 213	47.4%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nevada percentile	Rating
2018	24.6	263 of 330	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nevada percentile	Rating
2018	33.1	218 of 308	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nevada percentile	Rating
2018	23.2	273 of 321	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nevada percentile	Rating
2018	30.1	239 of 332	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nevada percentile	Rating
2018	27.2	199 of 247	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

English Language Learner (2018)47th percentile+21 vs school

Hispanic (2018)29th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2018)28th percentile~ school

Female (2018)20th percentile-6 vs school

White (2018)19th percentile-7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2018)15th percentile-11 vs school

By subject vs Nevada (2025-2026) ?

Reading35%-10 vs state

Mathematics29%-7 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Virginia Palmer Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate Virginia Palmer Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Virginia Palmer Elementary

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				SBAC Mathematics (2026)				SBAC Reading (2026)				SBAC Science (2026)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Directly certified (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SBAC Mathematics 3rd Grade	SBAC Mathematics 4th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 5th Grade	SBAC Mathematics All Grades	SBAC Reading 3rd Grade	SBAC Reading 4th Grade	SBAC Reading 5th Grade	SBAC Reading All Grades	SBAC Science 5th Grade	SBAC Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Virginia Palmer Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5890 Klondike	Sparks	89433	Washoe County	Washoe County	No	No	No	Yes	(775) 674-4400	419	28	15.2	48.7%	86 (20.5%)	6 (1.4%)	303 (72.3%)	5 (1.2%)	4 (1.0%)	5 (1.2%)	10 (2.4%)	23.4	279^th of 376 public elementary schools	25.8%		29.3	251^st of 379 public elementary schools	33.8%	28	39.6	24.5	22.0	28.9	31.2	27.8	46.6	35.1			$16,205	$2,131	$14,074
Esther Bennett Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5900 Sidehill Drive	Sparks	89433	Washoe County	Washoe County	No	No	No	Yes	(775) 674-4444	529	34	15.4	60.5%	106 (20.0%)	3 (0.6%)	386 (73.0%)	6 (1.1%)	5 (0.9%)	8 (1.5%)	15 (2.8%)	17.3	315^th of 376 public elementary schools	16.2%		20.5	296^th of 379 public elementary schools	21.9%	19	31.3	29.8	23.1	28.2	20.4	31.9	32.9	28.6			$15,257	$2,237	$13,019
Sun Valley Elementary	Public	K-5	5490 Leon Drive	Sparks	89433	Washoe County	Washoe County	No	No	No	Yes	(775) 674-4420	520	30	17.3	59.2%	63 (12.1%)	2 (0.4%)	415 (79.8%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	19 (3.7%)	17 (3.3%)	15.7	326^th of 376 public elementary schools	13.3%		17.2	319^th of 379 public elementary schools	15.8%	7	32.1	31.5	12.0	25.5	29.7	22.1	34.9	28.6			$13,747	$2,233	$11,514
John Bohach Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1100 Windmill Farms Pkwy	Sparks	89436	Washoe County	Washoe County	No	No	No	No	(775) 626-0062	686	32	21.1	22.6%	295 (43.0%)	23 (3.4%)	225 (32.8%)	65 (9.5%)	4 (0.6%)	9 (1.3%)	65 (9.5%)	57.4	137^th of 376 public elementary schools	63.6%		78	70^th of 379 public elementary schools	81.5%	67	53.5	56.2	44.1	50.6	49.1	52.6	53.7	52.0	16.4	16.4	$10,464	$606	$9,858
Miguel Sepulveda Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5075 Ion Drive	Sparks	89436	Washoe County	Washoe County	No	No	No	No	(775) 626-5257	532	29	18.3	30.3%	216 (40.6%)	23 (4.3%)	202 (38.0%)	23 (4.3%)	5 (0.9%)	14 (2.6%)	49 (9.2%)	35.7	219^th of 376 public elementary schools	41.8%		49.7	170^th of 379 public elementary schools	55.1%	49	37.3	51.8	28.9	39.3	42.1	44.5	34.1	40.3	12.0	12.0	$12,988	$1,402	$11,585
Lois Allen Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5155 McGuffey Road	Sparks	89433	Washoe County	Washoe County	No	No	No	Yes	(775) 674-4430	478	27	17.7	61.3%	79 (16.5%)	20 (4.2%)	346 (72.4%)	5 (1.0%)	3 (0.6%)	12 (2.5%)	13 (2.7%)	7	372^nd of 376 public elementary schools	1.1%		6.8	373^rd of 379 public elementary schools	1.6%	1		22.7		19.0	21.4	18.1	20.0	19.8			$36,371	$2,708	$33,663
Jesse Hall Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	185 Shelby Drive	Sparks	89436	Washoe County	Washoe County	No	No	No	No	(775) 425-7755	480	23	20.8	31.3%	283 (59.0%)	4 (0.8%)	113 (23.5%)	4 (0.8%)	46 (9.6%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (6.0%)	51	169^th of 376 public elementary schools	55.1%		56.8	140^th of 379 public elementary schools	63.1%	29	62.9	46.8	38.6	48.5	48.1	46.8	48.5	47.8	14.8	14.8	$13,688	$1,497	$12,191
Lena Juniper Elementary	Public	K-5	225 Queen Way	Sparks	89431	Washoe County	Washoe County	No	No	No	No	(775) 353-5540	372	25	14.8	36.8%	140 (37.6%)	6 (1.6%)	185 (49.7%)	4 (1.1%)	2 (0.5%)	6 (1.6%)	29 (7.8%)	62.3	118^th of 376 public elementary schools	68.6%		48.3	173^rd of 379 public elementary schools	54.4%	55	55.8	52.5	26.6	47.6	50.0	52.5	57.7	52.8			$14,674	$1,887	$12,787
Bud Beasley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2100 Canyon Parkway	Sparks	89436	Washoe County	Washoe County	No	No	No	No	(775) 626-5250	571	31	18.3	25.2%	321 (56.2%)	9 (1.6%)	167 (29.2%)	23 (4.0%)	3 (0.5%)	3 (0.5%)	45 (7.9%)	70.4	90^th of 376 public elementary schools	76.1%		75.1	82^nd of 379 public elementary schools	78.4%	8	51.9	41.3	51.0	47.6	57.1	50.0	72.4	59.8	37.7	37.7	$13,374	$1,542	$11,832
Florence Drake Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2755 Fourth Street	Sparks	89431	Washoe County	Washoe County	No	No	No	Yes	(775) 353-5510	254	14	18.0	44.9%	83 (32.7%)	2 (0.8%)	131 (51.6%)	15 (5.9%)	2 (0.8%)	6 (2.4%)	15 (5.9%)	73.5	79^th of 376 public elementary schools	79.0%		87.4	39^th of 379 public elementary schools	89.7%	40	86.6	53.2	52.0	62.5	82.2	46.7	64.5	62.5	25.0	25.0	$17,219	$1,914	$15,305

Frequently Asked Questions about Virginia Palmer Elementary

How many students attend Virginia Palmer Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 419 students attended Virginia Palmer Elementary.

Is Virginia Palmer Elementary a good school?

Virginia Palmer Elementary ranks 279^th of 376 Nevada elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Virginia Palmer Elementary attend?

Students who attend Virginia Palmer Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Sparks Middle School
High : Spanish Springs High School

What district is Virginia Palmer Elementary in?

Washoe County

What is the racial makeup of Virginia Palmer Elementary?

Students at Virginia Palmer Elementary are 72% Hispanic, 21% White, 2% Two or more races, 1% African American, 1% Asian, 1% Pacific Islander.

Rate Virginia Palmer Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

NVNevada Elementary School Rankings

NVNevada District Rankings

Schools in Sparks, NV

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Virginia Palmer Elementary!

Latest Nevada data All new data »

2022–23 through 2023–24 school spending dataSep 14, 2026

2024–25 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 14, 2026

2025–26 ACT, EOC Science Exam & SBAC scoresSep 14, 2026

2024–25 ACT, EOC Science Exam & SBAC scoresOct 1, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Nevada Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.