The top reported proficiency rate is 53% in Science. The lowest is 42% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Burns Jr & Sr High School
Burns Jr & Sr High School sits in a town so small that its entire footprint amounts to four blocks, with a single paved road running through the center. Burns began as a Union Pacific Railroad siding and water stop, and it has kept that rural railroad-town character. The community lies roughly twenty-five miles east of Cheyenne, placing it within the Cheyenne metropolitan statistical area despite its tiny size. Publicly reported sources describe a town with limited commercial activity, a branch library, a mayor-and-council government, and no public transit. Growth has been slow and steady over the past two decades, consistent with a place that still consists of just four blocks and a handful of businesses along Main Street.
The school serves grades seven through twelve and is part of Laramie County School District #2. Its enrollment is modest for a combined junior-senior high, and the student body is predominantly white, with a smaller Hispanic presence and very few students from other racial or ethnic backgrounds. A moderate share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on English learners and special education populations was not available, so those figures are left out rather than estimated. The school is not a charter or magnet school.
One of the most distinctive things about attending school here is the district calendar. Laramie County School District #2 operates on a four-day week, Monday through Thursday, with Fridays set aside for students who need additional help or extended learning opportunities. Publicly reported district materials frame this as intentional. For families, this shapes childcare arrangements, weekly routines, and the rhythm of academic life in ways worth understanding before enrolling.
On state assessments, Burns Jr & Sr High tested seventh and eighth graders in math, English language arts, and science during the most recent reported year. Participation was full across every tested grade and subject. In math, somewhat fewer than half of tested students reached proficiency in both seventh and eighth grade. English language arts results were slightly stronger, with roughly half of eighth graders and just under that mark in seventh grade demonstrating proficiency. Science results for eighth grade were the relative bright spot, with a slim majority reaching proficiency. There is no trend data available to show whether these results are improving, holding steady, or declining over time.
When placed against other districts in Laramie County, the school's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades sits in the bottom quartile. This comparison draws on county-level district data and should be read with the understanding that the cohort is small. No graduation rate was available for this school, and no chronic absenteeism data was reported. A parent may want to ask the school directly about high school outcomes, course offerings, and post-secondary pathways, since the state testing data only captures the junior high grades and leaves the senior high picture incomplete.
Housing in the Burns zip code carries a typical home value above both the Wyoming state benchmark and the national benchmark, and values have been appreciating year over year. The estimated monthly mortgage on a typical home sits well above what renting would cost, based on available rent data, though rent figures for this area were not directly reported. The price-to-income ratio suggests that buying a home here is somewhat more attainable than in many national markets, but still requires a solid income. The broader economic picture includes a national unemployment rate that has held steady, and mortgage rates that have fluctuated within a narrow band in recent months.
Burns Jr & Sr High offers a small-school environment in a deeply rural setting, within commuting distance of Cheyenne. The four-day week is a defining feature. State test results for the junior high grades are middling, and the school's standing relative to its county peers is toward the lower end. Families drawn to small classes, a close-knit community, and rural living may find this a good fit, particularly if they value the Friday intervention structure. Those seeking a richer set of academic data, especially for the high school grades, will need to go directly to the district for more detail.
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