The top reported proficiency rate is 79% in English language arts. The lowest is 46% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Burlington Middle School
Burlington Middle School sits in a very small, primarily residential town in Wyoming's Big Horn Basin, serving grades six through eight as part of Big Horn County School District #1. The school is small, with an enrollment that fits a single building alongside the town's elementary and high schools. Burlington itself has no evident commercial center. Its housing and civic functions, including town hall and the schools, are woven into a compact residential fabric. The town has grown steadily over recent census cycles, and publicly reported sources note that the Husky subdivision, developed after an earlier master plan, has sold its last lots. Burlington has since secured a Business Ready Community planning grant from the Wyoming Business Council to shape a new economic development plan covering housing, roads, water, sewer, and sidewalks. The planning process is expected to take about a year and will include community open-house events.
The student body is predominantly white, with a small number of American Indian or Alaska Native students and a few Hispanic students. Just over half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data for English learners and students with individualized education programs was not reported, so those populations cannot be characterized here. This is a middle school, so there is no graduation rate to report.
On state assessments through Wyoming's WY-TOPP, Burlington Middle shows a clear pattern. English language arts results are strong across all three grades, with the large majority of students reaching proficiency in sixth and seventh grades and eighth-grade ELA proficiency reported in the highest band the state provides. Mathematics proficiency sits near the midpoint, with roughly half of students proficient in each grade. Science, tested only in eighth grade, showed a lower result, with fewer than half of students reaching proficiency. Participation was full across every tested group.
Measured against other districts in Big Horn County, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile of the county's four districts, standing above the county median and near the top of that group. This is a meaningful indicator given the school's size and rural setting.
The housing market in Burlington's zip code carries a typical home value above both the Wyoming state benchmark and the national benchmark, with year-over-year appreciation outpacing both. The price-to-income ratio sits a bit above four, suggesting that while homes are not inexpensive relative to local earnings, the market remains within reach for many working families compared to more pressured metro areas. Rental data was not available.
A few gaps are worth naming. The school's IEP and English learner data was not reported, so families whose children receive special education or language support services will want to ask the school directly about what is available. Chronic absenteeism figures were also not available in the data provided. The district brief turned up no recently reported parent-relevant changes of lasting impact, so families looking for information on program shifts, staffing changes, or new initiatives should contact the district office.
What the available picture shows is a small rural middle school where English language arts is a clear strength, mathematics is steady at the middle, and science results were lower. The setting is quiet and residential, the community is actively planning for its next phase of growth, and the school's academic standing relative to its county neighbors is toward the top. For families who value a small-school environment where their child will be known and where the town is investing in its future, Burlington Middle offers a grounded starting point.
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