When the pandemic broke out just one month after Amanda Lush became the principal of Quannah McCall Elementary School in North Las Vegas, she took advantage of the moment to “reset” the once-struggling school, which was rated as 1 out of 5 stars on the state’s report card when she arrived. 

Those efforts have slowly paid off. Two years ago, McCall gained a second star, and this year, it picked up two more stars.

“I’ve waited my whole life to tell you what I knew in my heart — Quannah McCall is a four-star school,” Lush announced to her staff on Monday. 

The school is one of hundreds in Nevada to have increased its “star rating,” which measures how well a school is meeting the state’s performance standards. 

Statewide, more than 28 percent of public schools increased their ratings in the most recent academic year, about three times the number of schools that saw their ratings drop, according to a Nevada Independent analysis.

The data, released Monday by the Nevada Department of Education (NDE), indicates that performance is trending in a positive direction as the state’s public school system continues its yearslong recovery from the pandemic. 

The improvement comes after Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo and the Democrat-controlled Legislature approved a $2.6 billion increase in K-12 education funding during the 2023 legislative session — about 26 percent higher than previous levels. That included money for teacher raises and to attract teachers to schools with high vacancy rates. Teacher vacancies have since dropped.

However, there is still work to do. About one-third of Nevada schools have worse star ratings compared with the 2018-2019 academic year, the final year before the pandemic, while a little more than one-fifth of schools have improved their ratings since that year, The Indy found. Underperforming schools are also much more likely to be located in lower-income areas.

“If you have patience, especially in education, and let these policies take root, we will have effective, positive change,” Lombardo said at his 2026 gubernatorial campaign launch on Monday. “And that is the direction we are going in. It takes a long time to turn that big old machine, and that’s what we are doing in education.”

Clark County School District (CCSD) Superintendent Jhone Ebert, who previously served as the state superintendent, said she’s optimistic that by next year, the district’s student achievement will surpass its pre-pandemic level.

“All the educators, not only here in the Clark County School District, but across the entire state of Nevada, have been working very hard,” Ebert said at a Monday press conference at McCall. “They want to prove that that investment has results.” 

What the data shows

A school’s star rating is part of the Nevada School Performance Framework, which measures areas such as English and math proficiency, graduation rates, advanced coursework opportunities, credit attainment and attendance.

The state typically releases all academic data in the middle of September — including school-level proficiency and absenteeism data — but this year, it has only released the star rating data. The cyberattack that took down many state systems has delayed the release of the other data. The education department told The Indy that it expects the full data to be released by the end of the month, but it noted that timeline may change based on the state’s recovery. 

During the 2024-2025 academic year, about half of all public schools in Nevada had a rating of at least three stars, which means that the schools had at least met the state’s minimum performance standards. That represented a roughly 25 percent increase from the previous school year.

In Clark County, home to more than two-thirds of the state’s public school students, the improvement was also on full display.

This year, 136 Clark County schools, or 37 percent, improved their star ratings. Additionally, 48 schools earned five stars this year, an increase from 28 in 2024. Fifty-four schools ranked at four stars, and 73 attained three stars.

The Las Vegas-area schools that saw improvements were located across the valley, including lower-income areas and more prosperous neighborhoods.

However, a significant divide remains in the valley. One-star schools are predominantly located in the lower-income northeastern and central parts of the valley, while higher-performing schools are more likely to be located in more wealthy areas, including the valley’s southeastern neighborhoods.

For this school year, the district is focusing on expanding pre-K, improving early literacy and middle school mathematics, and preparing high school students for the workforce. Ebert credits the districtwide progress to the 2023 K-12 education funding boost by Lombardo and the Legislature.

“At the end of the day, it is the investment that we as a state have made in education of making sure that the students have all the material that they need,” Ebert said. 

In the Washoe County School District (WCSD), the state’s third-largest public school system, more than one-third of schools had a rating of at least four stars, a roughly 60 percent increase from the prior school year. About 37 percent of schools improved their ratings from the year before.

“Behind these data points are success stories of staff members, students, and families working together to improve,” said Washoe schools Superintendent Joe Ernst in a Monday press release. “Our students’ performance in English Language Arts, math, and language growth among our English Learners showed particularly impressive gains and are a great indication that the areas in which we are focusing our professional development, additional staffing, and funding are showing real progress.”

District data released last month showed that English language arts and math has improved districtwide and at the elementary and middle school levels. Elementary students’ math proficiency has slightly surpassed its pre-pandemic level, while their English proficiency is close, but other areas are still below their pre-pandemic levels. 

Washoe schools also saw improvement in science at the district level and among fifth grade students, but a decline among eighth grade students from the 2023-24 school year to the 2024-25 school year. 

In a Monday press release, the district credited the gains in part to the establishment of a network of 18 consistently high-needs schools, the Comprehensive Schools Collaborative. It’s designed to help member schools improve their ratings by equipping them with additional support, such as instructional coaches, dedicated long-term substitute teachers and training for teachers and administrators. 

Nearly all schools in the network saw improvements, and half of participating elementary and middle schools increased by one or more stars. 

In an Aug. 27 interview, Ernst also referenced the district’s work to reengage chronically absent students and strengthen its overall organizational culture and climate. 

“It’s nice to see some of the pieces starting to come together and seeing not just schools that have historically been performing at high levels, but schools that maybe haven’t historically been performing at high levels really elevating their proficiency levels,” Ernst said.

What improvement looks like

There are exceptions to the trends in Clark County, such as McCall Elementary School, which is one of three schools in North Las Vegas with a four- or five-star rating.

Ebert said McCall showed improvement in math, English language arts and student attendance.

“To improve just in one area is a massive lift in itself,” Ebert said.

Lush said raising school expectations and parental and community involvement has made a difference, in addition to providing students with enrichment activities and clubs after school — an effort to address chronic absenteeism. The school also raffles off a bike each month for students who have perfect attendance. 

“We do everything that we can to make sure the kids feel comfortable in our school and they have something that they want to come to school for,” Lush said. 

Moving forward, McCall plans to live up to its theme for the school year — “better your best” — and work to reach five stars. 

“Our kids deserve it and you can do it,” Lush told her staff. “Nothing in this building happens without you.”