The top reported proficiency rate is 50% in English language arts. The lowest is 35% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Sunrise Elementary
Sunrise Elementary sits on Cheyenne's east side, serving kindergarten through sixth grade as part of Laramie County School District #1. It is a traditional public school, not a charter or magnet, and its enrollment is moderate for an elementary building in this district. The student body is mostly white, with a substantial Hispanic minority and small representation from other racial groups. Roughly two-fifths of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, which is a moderate level for the area. Data on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not reported, so those populations cannot be characterized here.
Cheyenne is Wyoming's capital and largest city, a place shaped by government work, military operations at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, and its origins as a Union Pacific railroad junction. The city has a compact historic downtown with the State Capitol and the old depot museum, but outside that core it spreads out in a low-density, automobile-oriented pattern typical of Western cities. Frontier Mall anchors commercial retail, and the annual Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo brings a major cultural event each summer. Emerging sectors like data centers and renewable energy point to some economic diversification. For a family considering Sunrise, this means a city with a steady government-backed employment base and a relatively affordable housing market compared to state and national benchmarks, though one that leans heavily on driving.
The most recent state assessment results, from the WY-TOPP test, show a mixed but improving picture as students move through the grades. Third and fourth grade math proficiency sits below what many would hope for, with fourth grade being the weakest point. Things pick up in fifth grade and strengthen further by sixth grade, where math proficiency reaches a solid level. English language arts follows a similar arc: third and fourth grade results are modest, fifth grade improves, and sixth grade stands out as genuinely strong, with a large majority of tested students reaching proficiency. Science was tested only in fourth grade, where results were on the lower end. Participation rates were high across the board. When the school's overall proficiency is compared to districts in Laramie County, it lands in the bottom quartile. A parent may want to look into this further with the school, particularly what supports are in place for the early and middle elementary grades where results are softest, and whether the upward trajectory in the upper grades reflects something the school is doing well that could be extended downward.
No graduation rate applies here, since the school does not serve high school grades. Chronic absenteeism data was not available, and civil-rights reporting on discipline, course access, and staffing was not provided. Title I status was also not reported. These gaps mean a parent would need to ask the school directly for information on attendance patterns, disciplinary practices, and any targeted federal funding.
The housing market around Sunrise is more affordable than both the Wyoming state benchmark and the national one. Home values in the school's zip code sit below the state median, and rents are moderate. For families weighing buying versus renting, the monthly cost of owning exceeds renting by a meaningful margin at current mortgage rates, so renting near the school is the more economical path in the near term. Home values have been appreciating, which suggests some upward pressure but nothing dramatic.
We looked for recent parent-relevant changes in Laramie County School District #1 and found little that has been publicly reported as a lasting shift, so there is nothing concrete to flag on that front. The district did not surface strategic priorities or recent program changes in the available material.
What a parent gets at Sunrise is a conventional elementary pathway in a stable capital-city setting, with assessment results that start modestly and build toward genuine strength by sixth grade, particularly in reading. The early-grade proficiency numbers and the school's position relative to its county peers are the main points worth pressing on in a conversation with the principal. The community context is steady employment, affordable housing, and a Western city that grew from the railroad and still carries that character.
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