Rita Cannan Elementary is a public elementary school in Reno, Nevada, serving 381 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Washoe County School District, which is ranked 5th out of 13 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.
While Rita Cannan Elementary has a significantly higher percentage of Hispanic students (58.27%) compared to nearby schools, the school consistently underperforms on state assessments in both mathematics and reading proficiency across all grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the school's overall mathematics proficiency was 22.9%, compared to 33.9% for Washoe County and 32.6% for the state. Additionally, Rita Cannan Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom quarter of Nevada elementary schools, with a ranking as low as 385 out of 388 in the 2018-2019 school year. The school also struggles to support the academic achievement of various student subgroups, such as Hispanic students, English Language Learners, and students with special needs.
Interestingly, some nearby schools, such as Alice Maxwell Elementary and Coral Academy Elementary, perform significantly better on state assessments and have higher school rankings, despite serving similar student populations. Additionally, Rita Cannan Elementary has a relatively high per-student spending of around $11,000-$12,000 in recent years, which is comparable to or higher than the spending at nearby schools, raising questions about the effective use of resources and the factors contributing to the school's underperformance.
In the 2022-23 school year, 381 students attended Rita Cannan Elementary.
Washoe County
Rita Cannan Elementary ranks in the bottom 21.8% of Nevada elementary schools.
Students at Rita Cannan Elementary are 58% Hispanic, 16% White, 10% African American, 7% Pacific Islander, 4% Two or more races, 2% Asian, 2% American Indian.
Students who attend Rita Cannan Elementary usually go on to attend:Middle : Fred W. Traner Middle SchoolHigh : Procter R. Hug High School