The top reported proficiency rate is 24% in English language arts. The lowest is 19% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Goins Elementary
Goins Elementary sits on the south side of Cheyenne, serving pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in Laramie County School District #1. It is a neighborhood elementary of moderate size for its grade band, with classes spread fairly evenly across the early and upper elementary years. The student body is nearly evenly split between Hispanic and white students, with small representation from other groups. Nearly half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which gives the school a mixed-income character rather than a uniformly affluent one. Data on English learners and students with individualized education programs was not reported, so those populations cannot be described here.
State testing results from the most recent year tell a difficult story. On Wyoming's WY-TOPP assessment, math proficiency was low across every tested grade. Third grade performed best among the elementary grades, with just under a third of students reaching proficiency. Fourth grade dropped sharply, and fifth grade was essentially at zero, before rising modestly in sixth grade. English language arts followed a similar pattern, with third grade showing roughly a quarter of students proficient, a dip in the middle grades, and a partial recovery by sixth grade. Science was tested only in fourth grade and landed near the same low level. Participation was strong across nearly all grades, so these results reflect the actual student body rather than a testing gap.
Against the comparison set of districts in Laramie County, Goins lands in the bottom quartile for overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. The cohort range is wide, and the school sits well below the county median. A parent weighing this school may want to look into what instructional supports and interventions the school is using to address these proficiency levels, and how leadership is responding to the pattern across the middle elementary grades where scores are weakest.
No graduation rate applies here, since the school does not serve high school grades. Chronic absenteeism data and civil-rights reporting were not available, and program offerings, staffing details, course access, and discipline data were not provided. These gaps leave a parent without a full picture of the school day beyond test results. The school's Title I status and specific school type were also not reported.
Cheyenne provides the broader setting. As Wyoming's capital and most populous city, it functions as a government center, military hub, and transportation crossroads. Francis E. Warren Air Force Base sits on the west side and is one of the oldest continuously active military installations in the country. State government and the county seat anchor employment downtown, with emerging growth in data centers and renewable energy adding newer sectors. The city grew from a Union Pacific Railroad junction and retains a grid-platted downtown with historic buildings like the Cheyenne Depot Museum and the Wyoming State Capitol. Outside that core, development is largely automobile-oriented and suburban in feel, typical of Western cities with low population density. The annual Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo is a major civic event, and the Wyoming State Museum and Frontier Days Old West Museum serve as cultural anchors.
Housing in the school's zip code runs below both state and national benchmarks for typical home values, which may make ownership relatively accessible compared with much of the country. Rents are also moderate. The estimated monthly mortgage cost sits below typical rent, so buying may compare favorably to leasing for families in a position to purchase. Home values have been rising year over year at a pace above the state trend, pointing to a modestly appreciating market. The broader economic context includes a national unemployment rate holding steady and mortgage rates that have fluctuated within a narrow band recently.
The district brief for Laramie County School District #1 did not surface any parent-relevant changes, so nothing on recent policy shifts, budget moves, or program additions can be reported. A family considering Goins would be looking at a school with a diverse, mixed-income enrollment in an affordable part of Cheyenne, but one where current academic outcomes are a concern and where publicly available information about programs, staffing, and student support is thin enough that direct contact with the school would be the next step.
See more original research from School Decision →