JWood Raw Elementary: A New Chapter in Education Begins

Reno, Nevada – The Washoe County School District (WCSD) marked a significant milestone on Thursday morning as families and students were welcomed to JWood Raw Elementary through a heartwarming ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Named in honor of a native Reno resident who devoted 37 years to WCSD, including an impressive 23-year tenure as the principal of Dilworth Middle School, JWood Raw’s legacy is rooted in a remarkable journey. Mr. Raw’s life encompassed diverse experiences, from serving as a Navy pilot during World War II to contributing his time and energy to the Reno Junior Ski Program at Sky Tavern. His family expressed excitement in witnessing the students of the school carry forward Raw’s passion for learning.

With an investment of just under $47 million, the new school is poised to address the burgeoning growth of south Reno’s K-5 classrooms, which have experienced rapid expansion in recent years.

The opening of JWood Raw Elementary is made possible by the 2016 permanent sales tax increase, which has enabled the district to proactively plan for future educational needs. WCSD’s Chief Operating Officer, Adam Searcy, expressed, “Now with this opening, we’ll be able to balance the enrollment across all of our elementary schools and really resolve that overcrowding issue for decades to come.”

The cutting-edge two-story establishment boasts a total of 28 classrooms, a dedicated STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) lab, three collaborative learning hubs, an energy-efficient design, native landscaping, and a single point of entry for enhanced security.

Credits: Fox Reno