Sixteen of the 20 schools in the Lyon County School District (LCSD) maintained or improved their standing in Nevada’s latest school star ratings, with several campuses posting double-digit growth and one school exiting federal improvement status.
The Nevada Department of Education (NDE) released its 2024–25 Nevada School Performance Framework (NSPF) results on Sept. 15. The system rates schools on a one- to five-star scale, based on academic achievement, student growth, attendance, and graduation rates.
In Fernley, Fernley Elementary School improved from one star to two stars, while Fernley Intermediate dropped from two stars to one. Silverland Middle School held at one star, and Fernley High School dropped from three stars to two.
Elsewhere in Lyon County, Riverview Elementary, Cottonwood Elementary, Silver Stage Elementary, and Yerington Elementary all made gains, each climbing a star level compared to last year. Dayton Intermediate School marked a milestone by exiting Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (ATSI) status after three years of focused work.
LCSD consists of 18 schools, but although Smith Valley is a K-12 school, it is graded separately for elementary, middle and high school.
“We are proud of the progress we’ve made, but even more excited about where we are going,” said LCSD Superintendent Tim Logan. “These results reflect the hard work and resilience of our students and staff, and we are committed to providing every child with the tools and opportunities they need to thrive.”
According to the district, the improvements come after concentrated efforts in professional learning communities, literacy training, and data-driven curriculum planning across K-8 schools. At the high school level, the district is focusing on boosting performance on MAP and ACT assessments, increasing graduation rates, and expanding career readiness through programs such as WorkKeys.
Under the NSPF, schools earn points across multiple categories: proficiency and growth on English Language Arts and math assessments, science scores, graduation rates, chronic absenteeism, and school climate measures. Those points are combined into an index score of 1–100, which translates into a star rating. Schools with insufficient data or fewer than 10 students in a tested group may be marked “Not Rated.”
The system is designed to provide families, educators, and communities with a clear picture of how schools are performing. Improved ratings reflect gains in classroom learning, especially in statewide assessments.
For the third year in a row, Nevada students at every grade level improved in mathematics proficiency, according to NDE. All grade levels also improved in English Language Arts, with achievement gains across every student subgroup.
“We always have more work to do, but the widespread gains in achievement seen this year are rare and a clear indicator of progress,” said Interim State Superintendent Dr. Steve Canavero.
Statewide, the share of five-star schools jumped to 17 percent, up from 11.2 percent last year. Four-star schools rose to 13.5 percent. At the other end of the spectrum, the number of one-star schools dropped sharply, from 27.1 percent in 2023–24 to 16.3 percent this year.
The Clark County School District gained 20 additional five-star campuses, while Washoe County added seven. The State Public Charter School Authority saw its number of five-star schools increase by 21.
Canavero credited “the hard work and dedication of our educators, administrators, staff, students, and families,” along with historic state investments in education and initiatives such as early literacy programs.
Due to a cybersecurity incident affecting state systems, NDE has not yet released the full set of test score reports on the Nevada Report Card website but expects to publish them later this year.
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