The top reported proficiency rate is 48% in Math. The lowest is 35% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Meadowlark Elementary
Meadowlark Elementary sits on the east side of Gillette, a Wyoming city that long defined itself by the coal, oil, and coalbed methane beneath the surrounding Powder River Basin. The city bills itself the Energy Capital of the Nation, and its growth over recent decades tracked the fossil fuel boom closely. That boom has cooled as coal use has declined nationally, and local officials have been working to attract new industries. For a family considering Meadowlark, the setting is a car-oriented Western town where civic life centers on downtown institutions like the Campbell County Courthouse and large event facilities just outside city limits, with residential neighborhoods spread across a wide footprint. The school itself is a neighborhood elementary serving kindergarten through sixth grade within Campbell County School District #1, the district that operates two high schools and a network of elementaries across Gillette.
The student body is modest in size for its grade band, with enrollment fairly evenly distributed across the seven grades it serves. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school is predominantly white, with a meaningful Hispanic population and small representations from American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, and multiracial backgrounds. Data on individualized education plans and English learner status was not available, so families whose children need those services may want to ask the school directly about what is in place.
State assessment results from the most recent year tell a mixed story. Third graders performed well in both math and English language arts, with a clear majority reaching proficiency. Sixth graders also showed strong results in both subjects. The middle grades are where the pattern becomes uneven. Fourth grade proficiency dropped sharply in math and even more so in English language arts. Fifth grade math was particularly low, with only a small fraction of tested students reaching proficiency, though English language arts in fifth grade was somewhat stronger than fourth. Science, tested only in fourth grade at this school, showed a modest share of students proficient. Participation was full across every tested grade and subject, which means these results reflect the whole tested population rather than a skewed subset. With small grade-level cohorts, a few students moving in or out can shift percentages meaningfully, and a parent may want to look into what is driving the fourth and fifth grade dip with the school rather than treating a single year as definitive.
Multi-year trend data was not available, so there is no way to tell from the provided data whether these results are improving, declining, or holding steady over time. The comparison set placing Meadowlark against other districts in Campbell County could not produce a proficiency index or other comparative metrics because the county-level cohort was too small to support meaningful comparisons. A graduation rate does not apply here because Meadowlark is an elementary school. Chronic absenteeism data was also not available.
Housing in the school's zip code is relatively affordable compared with state and national benchmarks. Home values sit well below the Wyoming median and the national median, and rents are moderate. The area has seen a recent year-over-year decline in home values, which tracks with the broader economic uncertainty tied to the energy sector's transition. For families buying, the price-to-income ratio is below the national level, and rents compare favorably to ownership costs at current mortgage rates. The housing stock reflects Gillette's dispersed, low-density development pattern, and getting around town or to the school is primarily a matter of driving.
The district brief turned up no specific recent changes with lasting impact for families. Campbell County School District #1 operates a distributed campus model across Gillette rather than concentrating schools in a single downtown core, and Meadowlark fits that pattern as a neighborhood elementary. The city's major employers include the energy industry, the regional health system, the school district itself, Gillette College, and city government, so many Meadowlark families likely have connections to one of these sectors.
What the picture adds up to is a small, community elementary school in an energy-transition town, with some genuinely strong grade-level outcomes bookending a visible slump in the middle grades. The affordability of housing and the school's neighborhood character are real assets. The fourth and fifth grade results are the place a parent would want to ask questions.
See more original research from School Decision →