Advice on Reno schools/areas please (Winnemucca, Cold Springs: houses, neighborhoods, school rankings)

[mikki]

Hello!

We will be moving to the Reno area in 2007 with our 6 yr old son. Elementary Schools that feed into North Valleys High School such as Silver Lake and Gomes seem OK, but what are those areas like (Cold Springs, etc.)? How does the North Valley area compare with western areas with Westergard and Winnemucca Elementary Schools that feed into McQueen HS? Test scores on Great Schools show Reno HS and McQueen HS as higher than North Valleys, but is that a good indicator of the schools themselves?

Also, does anyone know about the Catholic or Lutheran schools in the area (quality of education, etc.)? Thank you in advance for any information!

[greatbasinguide]

Very broad,, North Valleys is a new school, with a mix of people, I would live in Cold Springs or Redrock before I lived near McQueen or Reno. Remember, it is not the school, school rankings are meaningless, it is the teacher that counts, if you have a good teacher, and most are, and a class full of boneheads, they are not going to score well, your kid may do just fine. Remember to check which schools are multi Track and which are traditional,, that may affect your decision, all the middle and high schools are traditional, if you have an elementary child and a middle or high you have a big problem.

[renoguy]

Ultimately, I do believe that if you want a good education you can get it no matter where you go to school. As long as the parents are involved and guiding students have opportunities to take honors classes in all high schools.

With that said, depending on what’s important to you the North Valleys may or may not be for you just as the west side of town may not be for you. The North Valleys is more rural than most of Reno. Lately however developments have been springing up and it’s starting to look more like suburbia all the time. The northwest part of town (McQueen) could be anywhere California with its strip malls and tract houses.

Reno High School is Southwest Reno and some of old Northwest Reno. Most of these neighborhoods date from the 60’s and older. A lot of the homes are on large lots yet are located in town. This area tends to be more expensive than most.

I’ve got a lot of experience with the schools as my children have attended both public and private schools.