Enrollment
405
Nevada · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Reno, NV
Rita Cannan Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Rita Cannan Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 320048000240
👥 S:T ratio 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 19
📋 Attendance 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Rita Cannan Elementary earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Nevada schools.
- #34 of 36
- schools in Reno · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 22.5:1
- large classes for Nevada
- 97.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Rita Cannan Elementary has class sizes larger than 74% of Nevada schools. Computed live against every Nevada school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Rita Cannan Elementary ranks #34 of 36 schools in Reno, NV.
School address
District: Washoe County School District · Nevada
NCES ID 320048000240 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.5:1
vs 20.5:1 Nevada avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
97.1%
vs 76.8% Nevada avg
+26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Rita Cannan Elementary compares with Nevada and U.S. medians
What stands out at Rita Cannan Elementary
Rita Cannan Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Reno, Nevada, enrolling 405 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 22.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Nevada schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 97.1% lands close to the Nevada typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 405 students, its enrollment sits close to the Nevada median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 733 scored Nevada schools.
Among 178 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Nevada schools statewide, it ranks #151, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (70%) and White (13%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 405 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Washoe County School District spends $10,957 per pupil, 33% below the Nevada average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Reno's public schools, it stands alongside Davidson Academy (169 students): Rita Cannan Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (22.5:1 vs 15.4:1).
Washoe County School District also operates North Valleys High School (2,307 students) and Spanish Springs High School (2,131 students) alongside Rita Cannan Elementary.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Rita Cannan Elementary compares
Rita Cannan Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Nevada and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Nevada | Nevada avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 22.5:1 | ▲ 10% | 20.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 97.1% | ▲ 26% | 76.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 405 | top 63% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.5:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
405
Bigger than 48% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
97.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% above the Nevada average of 76.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
22.5:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 74% in Nevada - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
28.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$10,957
per pupil, district-wide
- below Nevada avg of $16,454
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 405 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 69.9%
White 12.6%
African American 8.1%
Two or More 3.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 2.7%
Asian 2.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 69.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.6, Rita Cannan Elementary is less mixed than the Nevada school average of 56.4.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Washoe County School District, which includes Rita Cannan Elementary.
$10,957
Per student
-33%
vs Nevada
Avg $16,454
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.8%
State 68.2%
Federal 12.0%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Rita Cannan Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Valleys High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Spanish Springs High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Edward C. Reed High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Procter R. Hug High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Reno High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Rita Cannan Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,307
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 2,131
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 2,092
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 2,008
- Students per teacher
- 22.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,741
- Students per teacher
- 24.2:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar other schools in Reno
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Nevada, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~405 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Rita Cannan Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Rita Cannan Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Washoe County School District's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Rita Cannan Elementary
How many students attend Rita Cannan Elementary?
Rita Cannan Elementary has 405 students enrolled. It is a public school in Reno, NV.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Rita Cannan Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Rita Cannan Elementary is 22.5:1, which is 10% higher than the Nevada average of 20.5:1 and 43% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Rita Cannan Elementary?
97.1% of students at Rita Cannan Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Nevada average of 76.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rita Cannan Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Rita Cannan Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 69.9% of enrollment, in Reno, NV.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Rita Cannan Elementary?
Rita Cannan Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Rita Cannan Elementary rank among schools in Reno?
By Resource Investment Index, Rita Cannan Elementary ranks #34 of 36 schools in Reno, NV. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Reno on the city page.
Is Rita Cannan Elementary a good school?
Rita Cannan Elementary earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Nevada schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Washoe County School District?
Besides Rita Cannan Elementary, Washoe County School District also operates North Valleys High School (2,307 students), Spanish Springs High School (2,131 students), and Edward C. Reed High School (2,092 students). See the Washoe County School District district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.