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Jerry Whitehead Elementary

Q: Is Jerry Whitehead Elementary a good school?

Jerry Whitehead Elementary ranks 217 th of 379 Nevada elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

217^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 379 Nevada Elementary Schools

Better than 43% of Nevada elementary schools

Summary

Jerry Whitehead Elementary is a public elementary school in Sparks, Nevada, serving 230 students in grades K-5. It is part of the Washoe County School District, which is ranked 4 out of 12 in the state and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While the school has seen increased per-student spending in recent years, from $7,587 in 2018-2019 to $11,912 in 2021-2022, its academic performance has consistently lagged behind the district and state averages. In the 2024-2025 school year, Jerry Whitehead Elementary's math proficiency rate was 27.2%, compared to 36.4% for Washoe County and 35.4% for Nevada. Its reading proficiency rate was 41.3%, compared to 44.5% for Washoe County and 45.6% for Nevada. The school's performance in science proficiency is also below the district and state averages, with a 5th-grade science proficiency rate of 20.7% in 2022-2023, compared to 23% for Washoe County and 19.1% for Nevada. Additionally, Jerry Whitehead Elementary has struggled with high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 22% to 28.1% over the past few years.

Compared to nearby schools in the Washoe County district, Jerry Whitehead Elementary generally underperforms in both academic achievement and student demographics. For example, Florence Drake Elementary and Bud Beasley Elementary have significantly higher math and reading proficiency rates, as well as lower chronic absenteeism and free/reduced lunch rates. However, some nearby schools, such as Lincoln Park Elementary and Greenbrae Elementary, also struggle with low academic performance and high poverty levels, similar to Jerry Whitehead Elementary.

234

Students ?

13.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,912

Per pupil spending ?

30%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3570 Waterfall Dr
Sparks, NV 89434

(775) 626-5200

District: Washoe County

Students who attend Jerry Whitehead Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Lou Mendive Middle School
High:	Edward C. Reed High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

44.9%

Hispanic:

38.0%

Two or more races:

8.5%

See top rated Nevada elementary schools

Compare Jerry Whitehead Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 80th percentile in 2014 → 43rd in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Nevada average (34% vs 41% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 37 percentile points since 2014

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school34%

District avg40%

Nevada avg41%

217^th of 379

Nevada public elementary schools ?

Bottom 43%▼ down 37 pts since 2016

From top 21% (2016) to bottom 43% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Nevada Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

39^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
2025	37.3	217 of 379	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.8	169 of 377	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	33.8	224 of 384	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.8	196 of 380	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	52.3	121 of 324	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	70.1	97 of 388	75.0%	★★★★☆
2018	70.3	93 of 341	72.7%	★★★★☆
2017	77.2	71 of 351	79.8%	★★★★☆
2016	78.8	72 of 347	79.3%	★★★★☆
2014	78.4	65 of 332	80.4%	★★★★☆
2013	80.9	54 of 330	83.6%	★★★★☆
2012	82.8	35 of 328	89.3%	★★★★☆
2011	91.2	17 of 318	94.7%	★★★★★
2010	84.8	26 of 300	91.3%	★★★★★
2009	89.8	18 of 292	93.8%	★★★★★
2008	90.0	12 of 294	95.9%	★★★★★
2006	82.2	33 of 246	86.6%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nevada percentile	Rating
2018	77.4	63 of 330	80.9%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nevada percentile	Rating
2018	42.0	174 of 308	43.5%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nevada percentile	Rating
2018	52.3	141 of 321	56.1%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nevada percentile	Rating
2018	58.9	123 of 332	63.0%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nevada percentile	Rating
2018	65.2	53 of 227	76.7%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nevada percentile	Rating
2018	61.6	93 of 247	62.3%	★★★☆☆

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)

Female (2018)81st percentile+8 vs school

Special Education (2018)77th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2018)63rd percentile-10 vs school

White (2018)62nd percentile-10 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2018)56th percentile-17 vs school

Hispanic (2018)44th percentile-29 vs school

By subject vs Nevada (2024-2025) ?

Reading41%-4 vs state

Mathematics27%-8 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, June 5, 2017

Great Location Excellent Teachers Great neighborhood and Outstanding communication with parents students and teachers and school staff! Close Quote

Schools Near Jerry Whitehead Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				SBAC Mathematics (2025)				SBAC Reading (2025)				SBAC Science (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
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	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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
Jerry Whitehead Elementary	Public	K-5	3570 Waterfall Dr	Sparks	89434	Washoe County	Washoe County	No	No	No	No	(775) 626-5200	234	17	13.9		105 (44.9%)	6 (2.6%)	89 (38.0%)	8 (3.4%)	2 (0.9%)	4 (1.7%)	20 (8.5%)	37.3	217^th of 379 public elementary schools	42.7%		45.8	169^th of 377 public elementary schools	55.2%	48		38.0		27.2	36.8	42.8	43.9	41.3			$11,912	$921	$10,991
Lloyd Diedrichsen Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1735 Del Rosa Way	Sparks	89434	Washoe County	Washoe County	No	No	No	No	(775) 353-5730	312	20	15.7		142 (45.5%)	8 (2.6%)	119 (38.1%)	16 (5.1%)	1 (0.3%)	6 (1.9%)	20 (6.4%)	69.5	102^nd of 379 public elementary schools	73.1%		50.6	153^rd of 377 public elementary schools	59.4%	51	57.1	60.0	40.3	52.2	53.5	61.6	51.6	55.6			$10,759	$750	$10,009
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	31.2%	321 (56.2%)	9 (1.6%)	167 (29.2%)	23 (4.0%)	3 (0.5%)	3 (0.5%)	45 (7.9%)	75.1	82^nd of 379 public elementary schools	78.4%		76.5	70^th of 377 public elementary schools	81.4%	12	60.5	54.9	48.3	54.8	57.6	67.6	53.1	59.6	34.0	34.0	$10,515	$678	$9,837
Marvin Moss Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2200 Primio Way	Sparks	89434	Washoe County	Washoe County	No	No	No	No	(775) 353-5507	308	21	14.4	34.7%	139 (45.1%)	10 (3.2%)	103 (33.4%)	11 (3.6%)	1 (0.3%)	18 (5.8%)	26 (8.4%)	67.4	105^th of 379 public elementary schools	72.3%		75.2	76^th of 377 public elementary schools	79.8%	29	46.1	64.5	45.2	51.6	50.0	68.7	60.3	59.4	24.5	24.5	$11,948	$922	$11,027
Katherine Dunn Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1135 O Callaghan Dr	Sparks	89434	Washoe County	Washoe County	No	No	No	No	(775) 353-5520	462	26	17.7	99.8%	141 (30.5%)	5 (1.1%)	257 (55.6%)	15 (3.2%)	3 (0.6%)	16 (3.5%)	25 (5.4%)	35.1	227^th of 379 public elementary schools	40.1%		45.5	170^th of 377 public elementary schools	54.9%	57	30.0	37.6	27.5	31.5	30.0	55.0	38.7	41.0	26.2	26.2	$10,089	$604	$9,485
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		216 (40.6%)	23 (4.3%)	202 (38.0%)	23 (4.3%)	5 (0.9%)	14 (2.6%)	49 (9.2%)	49.7	170^th of 379 public elementary schools	55.1%		45.3	172^nd of 377 public elementary schools	54.4%	2	50.6	45.0	37.8	43.9	50.6	40.0	52.4	48.1	20.3	20.3	$10,200	$503	$9,697
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	100.0%	140 (37.6%)	6 (1.6%)	185 (49.7%)	4 (1.1%)	2 (0.5%)	6 (1.6%)	29 (7.8%)	48.3	173^rd of 379 public elementary schools	54.4%		44.4	180^th of 377 public elementary schools	52.3%	7	54.7	40.4	28.5	41.5	46.5	53.1	41.4	46.3			$10,550	$949	$9,602
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	100.0%	83 (32.7%)	2 (0.8%)	131 (51.6%)	15 (5.9%)	2 (0.8%)	6 (2.4%)	15 (5.9%)	87.4	39^th of 379 public elementary schools	89.7%		89.5	29^th of 377 public elementary schools	92.3%	10	74.0	67.3	57.7	66.8	64.8	65.2	64.4	64.8	37.7	37.7	$14,601	$1,412	$13,189
Greenbrae Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1840 4th Street	Sparks	89431	Washoe County	Washoe County	No	No	No	Yes	(775) 353-5530	323	20	16.3	100.0%	42 (13.0%)	7 (2.2%)	236 (73.1%)	10 (3.1%)	6 (1.9%)	2 (0.6%)	20 (6.2%)	15.7	325^th of 379 public elementary schools	14.2%		19.5	304^th of 377 public elementary schools	19.4%	21	20.6	28.1	22.9	24.1	27.5	25.0	37.5	29.4			$12,586	$1,477	$11,109
Lincoln Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	201 Lincoln Way	Sparks	89431	Washoe County	Washoe County	No	No	No	Yes	(775) 353-5570	438	26	16.8	100.0%	74 (16.9%)	31 (7.1%)	273 (62.3%)	8 (1.8%)	2 (0.5%)	24 (5.5%)	26 (5.9%)								(n/a)	22.4			15.2			21.6	17.2			$10,524	$878	$9,646

Frequently Asked Questions about Jerry Whitehead Elementary

Is Jerry Whitehead Elementary a good school?

Jerry Whitehead Elementary ranks 217^th of 379 Nevada elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Jerry Whitehead Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 234 students attended Jerry Whitehead Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Jerry Whitehead Elementary attend?

Students who attend Jerry Whitehead Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Lou Mendive Middle School
High : Edward C. Reed High School

What is the racial makeup of Jerry Whitehead Elementary?

Students at Jerry Whitehead Elementary are 45% White, 38% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 3% African American, 2% Pacific Islander.

What district is Jerry Whitehead Elementary in?

Washoe County

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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.