The top reported proficiency rate is 20% in Math. The lowest is 11% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Fremont County School District #21
Fremont County School District #21 is a small, single-community district on the eastern slope of the Wind River Range in Wyoming, serving the Fort Washakie area. It operates three schools: Fort Washakie Elementary, Fort Washakie Middle School, and Fort Washakie High School, covering pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade in one continuous pipeline. The student body is overwhelmingly Native American, reflecting the district's location on the Wind River Indian Reservation. A very small number of students identify as Hispanic, white, multiracial, Black, or Pacific Islander. The total enrollment is modest, with each grade cohort quite small, which shapes both the classroom environment and the range of what the district can offer.
State testing results from the most recent WY-TOPP administration show a district working from a difficult baseline. In English language arts, proficiency rates across grades three through eight sit in a narrow band near the low end, with the strongest grade reaching roughly a quarter of students proficient and the weakest falling below that. Math results are more concerning: the early grades show roughly a fifth of students proficient, but from fifth grade onward, proficiency drops to near zero, with the reported range indicating essentially no students meeting the proficiency bar in several grades. Science results follow a similar pattern, with a low single-digit proficiency rate in fourth grade and near-zero results by eighth grade. Across all tested subjects and grades, the district's overall proficiency index places it below the midpoint among Fremont County's districts, which total seven in the comparison set. These are sobering results. A parent considering this district may want to look into this further with the school, asking what intervention strategies are in place and how the district plans to address the steep drop in math performance in the upper elementary and middle grades.
Chronic absenteeism is also a serious challenge. The district's rate sits below the midpoint among Fremont County districts but is still very high, suggesting that a substantial portion of students miss enough school to affect their learning. This is the kind of figure that connects directly to the proficiency results and deserves a conversation with district leadership.
On the resource side, per-pupil current spending is in the upper range among the county's districts, well above the county median. This is a district that is investing heavily per student, which raises a fair question about how effectively those resources are translating into academic outcomes.
The district is in the middle of a major capital project. A grant funded a new high school building, and construction was still ongoing as the 2024-25 school year began. Publicly reported sources indicate the district had been working to close a funding gap on the project. For families with students in or approaching high school, this new facility could reshape the learning environment in the years ahead, though it also means the high school has been operating alongside active construction.
Housing in the area centers on the communities reflected in the district's zip code footprint, including Dubois, Kinnear, and Lander. Home values in the district are close to both the Wyoming state benchmark and the national benchmark, with a weighted typical home value near those marks. Dubois stands out as the most expensive of the contributing markets, while Kinnear is the most affordable. The price-to-income ratio suggests housing is somewhat stretched relative to typical earnings, and mortgage costs at current rates would require a meaningful share of household income. Renter data was not available.
Several data points that parents often rely on were not available. Free or reduced-price lunch counts were not reported, though given the community context, economic need is likely a factor. Individualized education program rates and English learner rates were also missing. No graduation rate was reported for this district in the comparison data, which may reflect the small cohort size or reporting limitations. The district did not provide data on course access, staffing, discipline, attendance beyond chronic absenteeism, or specific program offerings such as AP, career pathways, or dual credit. The absence of program information means a parent would need to contact the district directly to understand what academic and extracurricular options exist beyond the core curriculum.
This is a district with a clear cultural identity, a small and close-knit student population, and a substantial investment per child. It is also a district facing deep academic challenges, with proficiency levels well below county norms and chronic absenteeism at a level that compounds those difficulties. The new high school building signals commitment to the community's future. Families considering this district should approach it with eyes open to the academic data and should ask pointed questions about how the district plans to move proficiency upward and what supports exist for students who are struggling.
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