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High Desert Montessori

Q: Is High Desert Montessori a good school?

High Desert Montessori ranks 266 th of 376 Nevada elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades PK, KG-8

266^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 376 Nevada Elementary Schools

Better than 29% of Nevada elementary schools

Summary

High Desert Montessori is a PK–8 school in Reno, Nevada, serving 529 students in the Washoe County district, making it larger than most nearby elementary schools. Its 2025–26 rank is 266th of 376 — 29th percentile, 1 star — well below the district's 4/12 rating, 4 stars, and 67th percentile. In 2025–26, All Grades proficiency was 20.0% in math, 38.4% in reading, and 20.8% in science, all below district and state. Chronic absenteeism was 22.5%, better than the district's 27.5% and the state's 25.5%, and improved from 29.3% in 2024–25. Free/reduced lunch was 25.52% in 2024–25 and spending was $7,981 per student in 2023–24 — far lower than most nearby traditional district schools, which report 100% free/reduced lunch and roughly $14,009 to $19,338 in per-student spending.

Reading is the relative bright spot: 38.4% was below district and state but higher than every nearby traditional Washoe County elementary in this set, including Alice Maxwell Elementary (37.2%), Robert Mitchell Elementary (34.0%), and Agnes Risley Elementary (31.5%). Math is the clearest weakness at 20.0%, below most nearby traditional schools. Coral Academy Elementary and Mater Academy of Northern Nevada post far higher results — Coral at 60.0% math and 82nd percentile; Mater at 41.2% math and 58th percentile — even though Coral has a similar free/reduced lunch rate (26.56%) and spending ($8,285). Coral is K–5, so the comparison isn't exact.

The school's PK–8 span matters: its All Grades scores include middle school grades that mostly fell below district and state, while most nearby schools are PK–5 or K–5. Math has been consistently below district and state across four reported years (14.2%, 14.9%, 17.1%, and 20.0%), with a gap of roughly 17–19 points each year. Rank history improved from 12th percentile in 2018–19 to 48th in 2020–21 before falling to 29th in 2025–26. Some data is suppressed (5th, 7th, and 8th grade math; 5th and 8th grade science), student-teacher ratio is unavailable, and subgroup ranks date to 2017–18 — treat unknowns as unknown, not as weaknesses.

529

Students ?

31.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$7,981

Per pupil spending ?

25.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

101 Fantastic Dr
Reno, NV 89512

(775) 624-2800

District: Washoe County

Racial breakdown:

White:

54.8%

Hispanic:

31.0%

Two or more races:

6.0%

See top rated Nevada elementary schools

Compare High Desert Montessori to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 48th percentile in 2021 → 29th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Nevada average (28% vs 39% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped from its 48th-percentile peak (2021) to 29th (2026)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school28%

District avg39%

Nevada avg39%

Elementary school

266^th of 376

Nevada public elementary schools ?

Bottom 29%▲ up 14 pts since 2016

From bottom 16% (2016) to bottom 29% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Nevada Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

94^th of 148

Nevada public middle schools ?

Bottom 36%▼ down 20 pts since 2016

From top 43% (2016) to bottom 36% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Nevada Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

44^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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nevada percentile	Rating
2026	25.8	266 of 376	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	40.1	205 of 379	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.7	243 of 377	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	28.0	253 of 384	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.4	239 of 380	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	39.1	170 of 324	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	17.2	343 of 388	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	28.7	244 of 341	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	20.2	289 of 351	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	18.9	293 of 347	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	34.9	232 of 332	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	31.2	245 of 330	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	22.6	244 of 318	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nevada percentile	Rating
2018	33.1	222 of 330	32.7%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nevada percentile	Rating
2018	33.9	214 of 332	35.5%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nevada percentile	Rating
2018	24.2	203 of 247	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nevada percentile	Rating
2026	29.8	94 of 148	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	43.9	81 of 151	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.2	80 of 153	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	55.9	65 of 152	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	43.2	81 of 151	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	36.4	99 of 159	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.3	67 of 114	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2017	41.0	70 of 126	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2016	50.4	53 of 122	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2014	55.9	51 of 117	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2013	40.4	76 of 121	37.2%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nevada percentile	Rating
2018	42.3	60 of 106	43.4%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nevada percentile	Rating
2018	13.2	92 of 95	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nevada percentile	Rating
2018	38.7	62 of 108	42.6%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nevada percentile	Rating
2018	48.6	51 of 105	51.4%	★★★☆☆

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)

Elementary school

Male (2018)36th percentile+7 vs school

Female (2018)33rd percentile+4 vs school

White (2018)18th percentile-11 vs school

Middle school

White (2018)51st percentile+10 vs school

Female (2018)43rd percentile~ school

Male (2018)43rd percentile~ school

Hispanic (2018)3rd percentile-38 vs school

By subject vs Nevada (2025-2026) ?

Reading38%-7 vs state

Science21%-5 vs state

Mathematics20%-16 vs state

3.9

12 ratings · 11 written reviews

5★8

4★1

3★0

2★0

1★3

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What people are saying

by a citizen
Thursday, June 5, 2025

I went to High Desert Montessori for 9 years, during wich I gained knowledge, abilities, and friendships that will last throughout my life. I was given opportunities to explore in my learning and find my interests. I was glad to call it my home for many years and now I am thriving and prepared in highschool. I am grateful for the impact HDMS made on my life. Close Quote

by a student
Thursday, May 29, 2025

I attended High Desert Montessori School for 7 years and it was one of the best experiences of my life. Before attending HDMS, I attended a public school for 2 years and it was never the right fit for me. I felt trapped and like I wasn't free to learn or do what I wanted to. HDMS completely changed that for me. I felt free and like I was learning things that were important. The openness of the classroom allows for students to develop a sense of independence. This is because they are not being told what to do every minute of every day, they are allowed to work on topics that interest them while getting a full education at the same time. High Desert Montessori School was not just a school to me, the school and everybody inside became my second home and my second family. Being in the same classroom for 3 years at a time allowed the students the chance to make deeper connections and relationships with each other. Since the school is small, you end up knowing all of the people in your grade which, in my case, made us all feel like a unit. The staff at HDMS are amazing, they are always around to help you and there is never an unfamiliar face. All of the teachers and admin are always willing to help. I loved going to HDMS, it was an experience that I wouldn't trade for the world! Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, May 28, 2025

HDMS is a great community and school. We have truly enjoyed our experience at this school. They go out of the way to meet the needs of our children! Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, May 28, 2025

HDMS was the answer we were looking for when we discovered traditional public school was not the right fit for our family. Our children were bored in school and frustrated with hours of homework after school. There had to be a better way!

Many years later- we have three thriving teenagers who happily attended HDMS from Lower Elementary all the way up through HDMS Middle School. They're now at a local charter High School, where they continue to be independent, self-motivated children who love learning, and who are getting straight A's.

We are forever grateful to have found a Montessori Charter school that serves ALL families, as we could not have afforded a Private School. Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, April 14, 2016

My oldest son graduated and went through the IB program successfully. My youngest is about to graduate from 8th grade, ready to go to high school. They both got great educations and even more importantly, learned study habits, and respect for others. Never had to do any "drone" worksheets either Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, October 24, 2014

My daughter has been attending for 4 years now. They teach independance and education. They have core studies but each child chooses what order the will do there studies and with what materials. they learn math starting with counting beads. They incorperate learning in everything if they are celebrating a birthday the have to walk around the "sun" for each year alive. Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, October 8, 2012

Both our daughters attended HDMS for six years and received individual attention from their teachers. They gained so much more than just academics. Now that they've moved into high school, we're proud at how well-balanced they are and able to stand against peer pressure.
The school has grown a great deal and certainly had growing pains but the staff is dedicated to improvement and "following the child." It's important to look at your child's needs and your family's commitment to trying a different philosophy of education before judging success or failure. Close Quote

by a teacher
Monday, October 8, 2012

High Desert Montessori is a hidden gem in the Reno area! The teachers are highly trained and knowledgeable in the field of Montessori instruction. The Staff has terrific customer service and is helpful in finding out information. The students are happy and productive in their learning. Parents are involved and supportive. A Montessori education leads to choice, independence and a joy of learning. This school is AMAZING and promotes a sense of community ! Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, April 18, 2012

I will not be bringing my children back in Fall 2012 due to the lack of opportunities - no science lab, computer lab and a very weak math program. Science and computers are actually frowned upon in this school, as they are not "Montesorri material friendly". Also, there are no sports teams to entertain children after school. The focus of the school is in the huge on-site child care center for six year olds and under; little time and energy is spent on elementary and middle school students. Close Quote

by a parent
Sunday, March 25, 2012

I had heard this school was great, but after two years, we moved our child back to public school. The school is in huge administration-against-staff turmoil and every 1st-3rd grade teacher quit at the end of last year. Not one of the new hires is Montesorri certified. The school expanded to a second campus this year and is now in huge financial turmoil which means programs are being cut and classrooms were closed this year, laying off staff. Even the principal left last year. Go to http://www.washoe.k12.nv.us/ to see the year to year decline in CRT Math scores. Only 55% of students meet Math CRT standards and even less meet English CRT standards. I know my child's non-Montesorri trained teacher was awful and taught my child little to nothing during our last year there. Lots of parents have left this year and I doubt this school will be open much longer. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, April 27, 2011

In a word; unorganized. There is no administrative control, no process, no policy and teachers literally make up the rules as they go. The disorganization leads to a high turn in staff and there's nothing but young, uneducated and overwhelmed "teachers" left at this school. My child is constantly bullied and last week at after school pick-up, I arrived to see one of my child's classmates was dragging my child around by the feet while my child screamed "Stop!". My childs educational skills have seriously deteriorated and my child is now an entire grade behind (check out the lame school testing scores for yourself). I tried to get involved in the beginning of the school year and joined a committee, but the inclusive parents running the school didn't want anyone reasonable in their mean girls gossip club. If I had to hear, "I'm one of the oldest family's in this school" one more time, I think I might have thrown up. Summary: Mean girls parent 'club' runs the school, absolutely no administrative leadership, and lacking teacher skills will drive this school into the ground. I was so excited at the beginning of the year, but I'm more excited for the school year to end and enroll my child elsewhere! Close Quote

Schools Near High Desert Montessori

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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	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	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 6th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 7th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 8th Grade	SBAC Mathematics All Grades	SBAC Reading 3rd Grade	SBAC Reading 4th Grade	SBAC Reading 5th Grade	SBAC Reading 6th Grade	SBAC Reading 7th Grade	SBAC Reading 8th Grade	SBAC Reading All Grades	SBAC Science 5th Grade	SBAC Science 8th Grade	SBAC Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
High Desert Montessori	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	101 Fantastic Dr	Reno	89512	Washoe County	Washoe County	Yes	No	No	No	(775) 624-2800	529	0		25.5%	290 (54.8%)	14 (2.6%)	164 (31.0%)	21 (4.0%)	4 (0.8%)	4 (0.8%)	32 (6.0%)	25.8	266^th of 376 public elementary schools	29.3%		40.1	205^th of 379 public elementary schools	45.9%	61	19.6	28.5		23.2			20.0	28.5	52.3	44.1	30.2	38.0	41.3	38.4			20.8	$7,981	$1,167	$6,814
Rita Cannan Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2450 Cannan Street	Reno	89512	Washoe County	Washoe County	No	No	No	Yes	(775) 353-5750	405	22	18.5	100.0%	51 (12.6%)	33 (8.1%)	283 (69.9%)	9 (2.2%)	3 (0.7%)	11 (2.7%)	15 (3.7%)	16.8	318^th of 376 public elementary schools	15.4%		19.1	302^nd of 379 public elementary schools	20.3%	16	20.0	24.2	30.1				24.3	25.7	16.6	47.1				28.5				$14,347	$1,734	$12,612
Bernice Mathews Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2750 Elementary Dr	Reno	89512	Washoe County	Washoe County	No	No	No	Yes	(775) 353-5950	398	27	14.7	100.0%	33 (8.3%)	24 (6.0%)	268 (67.3%)	22 (5.5%)	5 (1.3%)	27 (6.8%)	19 (4.8%)	8.2	368^th of 376 public elementary schools	2.1%		13.8	339^th of 379 public elementary schools	10.6%	29	20.3	17.9	14.2				17.2	20.0	16.4	34.2				23.9				$15,750	$2,219	$13,532
Mater Academy of Northern Nevada	Public, Charter	K-8	2680 E. Ninth Street	Reno	89512	Washoe County	State Sponsored Charter Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(775) 470-8950	501	26	19.2	100.0%	42 (8.4%)	19 (3.8%)	395 (78.8%)	11 (2.2%)	13 (2.6%)	3 (0.6%)	18 (3.6%)	53.5	158^th of 376 public elementary schools	58.0%		57.7	135^th of 379 public elementary schools	64.4%	23	34.5	66.6	55.3	31.7	28.1	34.4	41.2	34.5	49.1	62.5	31.7	43.7	44.2	44.1			16.2	$11,315	$2,711	$8,605
Agnes Risley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1900 Sullivan Lane	Sparks	89431	Washoe County	Washoe County	No	No	No	Yes	(775) 353-5760	363	23	15.9	100.0%	20 (5.5%)	4 (1.1%)	313 (86.2%)	12 (3.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	11 (3.0%)	17.3	312^th of 376 public elementary schools	17.0%		18.7	305^th of 379 public elementary schools	19.5%	7	27.6	28.8	21.4				25.9	29.7	30.6	33.9				31.5				$14,009	$1,753	$12,256
Glenn Duncan S.T.E.M. Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	1200 Montello St	Reno	89512	Washoe County	Washoe County	No	No	No	Yes	(775) 333-5190	348	21	16.7	100.0%	24 (6.9%)	28 (8.0%)	250 (71.8%)	6 (1.7%)	2 (0.6%)	20 (5.7%)	18 (5.2%)	17.3	316^th of 376 public elementary schools	16.0%		19.4	300^th of 379 public elementary schools	20.8%	16	33.9						27.2	28.5	29.5	31.4				29.8				$16,225	$2,312	$13,913
Kate Smith Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1925 F Street	Sparks	89431	Washoe County	Washoe County	No	No	No	Yes	(775) 353-5720	186	12	15.0	100.0%	26 (14.0%)	4 (2.2%)	133 (71.5%)	2 (1.1%)	2 (1.1%)	8 (4.3%)	11 (5.9%)								(n/a)			28.9				19.5			39.4				20.6				$18,219	$2,406	$15,813
Alice Maxwell Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2300 North Rock Blvd	Sparks	89431	Washoe County	Washoe County	No	No	No	Yes	(775) 353-5580	368	25	14.7	100.0%	62 (16.8%)	7 (1.9%)	281 (76.4%)	7 (1.9%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	8 (2.2%)	30.9	241^st of 376 public elementary schools	35.9%		42.4	196^th of 379 public elementary schools	48.3%	45	22.5	50.0	29.8				33.1	27.4	38.0	47.3				37.2				$14,258	$1,701	$12,557
Coral Academy Elementary	Public, Charter	K-5	1701 Valley Road	Reno	89512	Washoe County	Washoe County	Yes	No	No	No	(775) 322-0274	433	20	21.6	26.6%	171 (39.5%)	20 (4.6%)	155 (35.8%)	52 (12.0%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (7.4%)	78.8	66^th of 376 public elementary schools	82.4%		67.6	104^th of 379 public elementary schools	72.6%	38	62.9	59.2	58.1				60.0	50.6	48.1	66.2				55.2	47.6		47.6	$8,285	$526	$7,760
Dorothy Lemelson S.T.E.M. Academy Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2001 Soaring Eagle Dr	Reno	89512	Washoe County	Washoe County	No	No	No	No	(775) 333-5080	253	19	13.6	100.0%	38 (15.0%)	25 (9.9%)	160 (63.2%)	5 (2.0%)	2 (0.8%)	11 (4.3%)	11 (4.3%)								(n/a)		28.2					25.5			36.8				30.0				$19,338	$2,550	$16,788

Frequently Asked Questions about High Desert Montessori

Is High Desert Montessori a good school?

High Desert Montessori ranks 266^th of 376 Nevada elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of High Desert Montessori?

Students at High Desert Montessori are 55% White, 31% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 4% Asian, 3% African American.

What district is High Desert Montessori in?

Washoe County

How many students attend High Desert Montessori?

In the 2024-25 school year, 529 students attended High Desert Montessori.

Rate High Desert Montessori!

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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.