The top reported proficiency rate is 29% in English language arts. The lowest is 15% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Rossman Elementary
Rossman Elementary sits on Cheyenne's west side, serving pre-kindergarten through sixth grade as part of Laramie County School District #1. It is a conventional public school, not a charter or magnet, and its enrollment is moderate for an elementary in this district. The school draws from a community where roughly two-fifths of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, and its student body is majority white with a substantial Hispanic share and smaller groups of multiracial, Black, Asian, and Native American students. The mix of backgrounds is fairly typical of Cheyenne, a city whose character is shaped by its role as Wyoming's state capital and county seat, its long military presence at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, and its railroad-town origins along the Union Pacific corridor.
On state assessments through the WY-TOPP system, Rossman's results tell a mixed story. In third grade, students performed at a middling level, with approaching half demonstrating proficiency in both math and English language arts. As students move up through the grades, proficiency rates decline. By sixth grade, math proficiency falls to a low level, with fewer than one in five students reaching proficiency. English language arts shows a similar but somewhat steadier pattern, with fourth grade dipping notably and some recovery by fifth and sixth. Science, tested only in fourth grade, shows the weakest results, with a small share of students reaching proficiency. Participation rates are consistently high across grades and subjects. When the school's overall proficiency is compared against districts in Laramie County, Rossman lands in the bottom quartile. A parent looking at these numbers may want to ask the school what instructional supports are in place for the upper elementary grades, particularly in math and science, where the slide is most visible.
The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report, and that absence simply reflects the grade band rather than anything about the school's performance. Similarly, pre-kindergarten and kindergarten fall outside state testing, which is why assessment data begins in third grade.
Cheyenne itself offers the backdrop families should understand. The city has a compact historic downtown with civic anchors like the Wyoming State Capitol and the Cheyenne Depot Museum, plus cultural institutions such as the Wyoming State Museum and the Frontier Days Old West Museum. Outside that core, the city is largely automobile-oriented with suburban-style development, which is typical of Western capital cities. The local economy leans on government employment, military operations at F.E. Warren, and transportation, with publicly reported growth in data centers and renewable energy adding newer sectors. Housing in the school's zip code is moderately priced relative to state and national benchmarks, and recent year-over-year increases in both home values and rents have been modest. The gap between a typical monthly mortgage and typical rent favors renting by a fair margin, which may be relevant for families deciding between buying and leasing in the area.
Several pieces of information that would round out the picture are missing. The school's Title I status was not reported, so it is unclear whether Rossman receives federal supplemental funding tied to its share of students from lower-income households. Data on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not available, so the composition of the school's special populations cannot be described here. Information on chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing ratios, and specific program offerings was also absent. Laramie County School District #1's recent parent-relevant changes were searched but little was found, so nothing specific can be said about district-level initiatives that might affect Rossman families.
What the available evidence does show is a school serving a working-community population in a capital-city setting, with assessment results that start reasonably in the early grades and weaken as students advance. For a family weighing Rossman, the most productive step would be to talk with school staff about how instruction is structured in the upper elementary years and what interventions are available for students who fall behind. The school's community context, housing affordability, and access to the amenities of a state-capital city are genuine assets. The academic trajectory across grades is the area that most warrants a closer look.
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