It has a reputation as having strong academic, athletic and music programs, but it is not immune to the problem of bullying.
"I was afraid that they were going to beat me up or something, or do something to me, for something I didn't do to him."
A 14 year old whose identity News 4 is concealing says her freshman year at McQueen High School got off to a great start. She was in the marching band, a member of the JROTC and enjoying school.
But a breakup with a boyfriend began a barrage of nasty text messages and snide remarks in the halls and in class from his friends, who were all upperclassmen. Her mother says she began to dread going to school.
"She would feel bad, have an upset stomach. It was very traumatic for her. She was missing school because she was afraid," she said.
In January the student says she was so overwhelmed and frightened that she took a bottle of aspirin hoping not to wake up.
"It was just so much, and hard to deal with, I just wanted to take the easy way out," the student said.
After some time spent at West Hills Hospital and a prescription for antidepressant medication, she returned to the northwest Reno school.
Her mother talked to a school counselor about the bullying, but says she didn't get much of a response. The counselor seemed more about the student missing classes and did not focus on the bullying.
After the suicide attempt this freshman bravely came back to school: She loved playing in the band, and missed her friends. But she says the bullying continued. The upperclassmen even taunted her about trying to kill herself in January.
"They found out about the first time [I] tried to commit suicide, then kept talking to me about it," she said. "I tried to ignore them but they were persistent."
At the beginning of March she tried once again to commit suicide by taking prescription painkillers.
The mother says: "She told me I don't want to wake up anymore."
The thought of returning to school is terrifying for her.
The student will likely not return to McQueen, but she does want her life to return to normal with school, friends and her music. She says telling her story is part of her healing process.
"I don't want any other kids to go through what I've been through cause it's really hard, they hurt your self esteem and make your grades go down."
After her daughter's second suicide attempt the mother said that she met with the McQueen vice principal about the bullying. She says he asked that they write down the names of the students who were targeting her daughter, and he would interview them, but she says she hasn't heard anything about it since that meeting in March.
She pulled her daughter out of school and is trying to figure out where she will go in the fall.
News 4 contacted McQueen High School to ask its personnel about their anti-bullying strategies, and what happened with this particular case, but have not heard back yet.
News 4 has also talked to the Washoe County School District. They cannot talk about a specific situation with a student because of privacy laws, district officials said.
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Tonight, News 4 began its series on "bullying." Over the last several weeks we've received dozens of emails and phone calls from students and parents about the problem.
It is shocking and heartbreaking to hear what goes on in most schools. And in some cases, at home too. And you might find it surprising to learn who is doing the bulling. It's not just other kids.
I hope that sharing these stories, will get people thinking and talking more about this problem.
Bullying is nothing new, but it seems to be getting worse.
The story above was just one student's story, and News 4's Shelby Sheehan will be looking into the school district's policies and plans on preventing bullying. Shelby will let News 4 viewers know what she finds out.
If you are, or have been a victim of bullying, please send Shelby Sheehan your story:
anchormom@mynews4.com. Again, News 4 is taking up this issue in hopes of raising awareness, and stimulating a dialogue.
