The top reported proficiency rate is 69% in English language arts. The lowest is 52% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Mccormick Junior High School
McCormick Junior High School sits on the northwest edge of Cheyenne, serving seventh and eighth graders in Laramie County School District #1. It is a traditional public junior high, not a charter or magnet, and its enrollment is evenly split between the two grades it serves. The student body is largely white, with a Hispanic population that makes up the next largest group, and small numbers of students from other racial and ethnic backgrounds. A modest share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, low enough to suggest this is one of the less economically disadvantaged junior highs in the district. Data on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not reported, so those populations cannot be characterized here.
Academically, McCormick stands out on the state's WY-TOPP assessment, particularly in English language arts. Both grade levels showed strong proficiency in ELA, with eighth graders reaching a higher level than seventh graders, and participation was near-universal across every subject tested. Math results were more mixed: seventh graders landed above the halfway mark for proficiency, while eighth graders dipped just below it. Science, tested only in eighth grade, landed in the middle range. When measured against other districts in Laramie County, McCormick's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades placed it in the top quartile, meaning its students outperformed peers in most of the county's district-level comparisons. No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible to say whether these results reflect growth, decline, or stability over time.
Cheyenne itself is Wyoming's capital and largest city, a government and military town shaped by its origins as a Union Pacific Railroad junction. The economy runs on state government, F.E. Warren Air Force Base on the west side, and transportation, with newer activity in data centers and renewable energy. The city has a historic downtown core with the Wyoming State Capitol, the Cheyenne Depot Museum, and landmarks like the Tivoli Building, but outside that core it is largely automobile-oriented suburban development. The annual Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo brings a major cultural moment each summer. Laramie County Community College is a recognized local institution. McCormick's location on Education Drive places it away from the downtown grid, in a newer corridor of the city where housing tends to be more expensive than in older central neighborhoods.
The housing market around the school reflects that. Typical home values in the school's zip code sit well above both the state and national benchmarks, and rents have been rising faster than home prices year over year. For a family weighing buying versus renting, the estimated monthly mortgage on a typical home here costs considerably more than renting a typical unit, which may shape decisions for families relocating into the attendance area. The broader economic context includes a moderate national unemployment rate and a mortgage rate environment that makes purchasing relatively costly compared with recent years.
Because McCormick serves only two grades, certain data points do not apply. There is no graduation rate, no high school course or career-pathway data, and no elementary-grade assessment record. The school's profile is fundamentally a two-year academic bridge between elementary and high school. No information was available on staffing ratios, discipline, chronic absenteeism, course access, or specialized programs, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those areas. The district-level brief turned up little of lasting impact about recent changes in Laramie County School District #1, so there is nothing to report on strategic shifts or restructuring.
What the data does show is a junior high with solid academic results, a particular strength in reading and writing, a peer environment that skews toward middle-class and white families, and a setting in a growing capital city where housing costs run above the state norm. For a family moving into northwest Cheyenne, McCormick appears to be a school where most students are meeting state standards, especially in language arts, and where the two years before high school are likely to be academically demanding in a stable, traditional setting.
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