The top reported proficiency rate is 54% in Math. The lowest is 52% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Meadowlark Elementary
Meadowlark Elementary sits in the northern part of Cheyenne, serving fifth and sixth grades only. That narrow grade band makes it an intermediate school, a bridge between elementary and middle school rather than a traditional K-5 or K-6 building. For families, this means two years of focused instruction during a developmental transition, with both grades tested on the state's WY-TOPP assessment.
On the most recent state tests, proficiency runs mixed but tilts positive, especially in sixth grade. Fifth-grade math and English language arts results both land near the midpoint, with roughly half of tested students reaching proficiency. By sixth grade, both subjects climb noticeably, with a clear majority proficient in math and a similar though slightly lower share in ELA. Participation is near universal across all tested grades. Placed against other districts in Laramie County, Meadowlark's overall proficiency index sits above the midpoint, closer to the top of the small county cohort than to the bottom. That is a solid standing, though the fifth-grade results suggest some students arrive at the school already behind, and the school's job is partly catch-up work before middle school.
The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. That gap reflects grade band, not performance. Data on chronic absenteeism, disciplinary incidents, course access, staffing ratios, and special-population counts for students with individualized education programs or English-learner status was not available, so those dimensions cannot be characterized here. Title I status was also not reported. A parent may want to ask the school directly about special education services and English-learner support, since those numbers are missing from the public data.
Enrollment sits in the mid-400s, split fairly evenly between the two grades. The student body is predominantly white, with a Hispanic and Latino population making up the next largest group, and small numbers of students from other racial and ethnic backgrounds. The share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals is modest, well below what many urban schools see, which tracks with the surrounding neighborhood's economics.
Meadowlark is part of Laramie County School District #1, the largest district in the county. The district brief turned up little in the way of recent, parent-relevant changes, so there is nothing to report on shifts in programming, boundaries, or leadership.
The surrounding area tells a practical story about housing. The zip code's typical home value sits well above both the Wyoming state benchmark and the national median, reflecting Cheyenne's growth as a capital city with government, military, and transportation anchors. Rents are more moderate relative to local incomes than purchase prices are. A family renting would find the monthly cost takes up roughly a quarter of typical household income, which is at the edge of what budgeting guidance considers affordable. Buying is tougher. The estimated monthly mortgage on a typical home runs well above the typical rent, and current mortgage rates near six and a half percent widen that gap. For families considering a move to the Meadowlark attendance zone, renting may be the more flexible entry point while purchase prices remain elevated.
Cheyenne itself is a spread-out Western city, automobile-oriented outside its compact downtown core. The downtown holds the state capitol, the historic depot museum, and a grid of older commercial buildings rooted in the city's Union Pacific Railroad origins. F.E. Warren Air Force Base on the west side is a major employer, and state and county government jobs anchor much of the local economy. Frontier Days, the city's well-known summer rodeo, brings a brief surge of visitors and activity each July. For day-to-day family life, the city's low density means most errands and activities require driving, and neighborhoods like the one around Meadowlark are suburban in character.
Meadowlark fits families looking for a focused two-year intermediate experience in a stable, moderately affluent Cheyenne neighborhood, with test results that trend upward from fifth to sixth grade and a peer group that is relatively homogeneous. The missing data on special populations, discipline, and staffing is where a parent should dig further before deciding whether the school's supports match a particular child's needs.
See more original research from School Decision →