The top reported proficiency rate is 47% in English language arts. The lowest is 36% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on The Wright Place
The Wright Place is a very small middle school serving grades six through eight in Sheridan, Wyoming, part of Sheridan County School District #2. Located on Lewis Street in the heart of Sheridan, it sits within a community that functions as the economic center for a three-county region spanning north-central Wyoming and southern Montana. Sheridan's economy is more diversified than many Wyoming towns, with government, healthcare, education, real estate, mining, and financial services all playing a role, alongside a growing manufacturing sector. The historic downtown district along Main Street, with its shops, restaurants, and arts venues, is a short distance away, and the town sits in Goose Creek Valley at the base of the Bighorn Mountains.
The school's enrollment is tiny, with just a handful of students per grade. This size points toward an alternative or specialized program rather than a conventional middle school, and the locale brief notes that the district supports alternative education options. The student body is predominantly white, with a small number of Hispanic students and students of two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Data on individualized education programs and English learner status was not available, so those snapshots are missing from the picture.
State testing results from the most recent year are available but should be read with care, because the number of students tested in each grade was extremely small. Among sixth graders, roughly a quarter reached proficiency in math and just under half in English language arts. Seventh grade results were somewhat stronger, with about half of tested students reaching proficiency in both subjects. Eighth grade results are not reportable because only a single student was tested, and the state suppresses proficiency rates in that situation. Science results for eighth grade are missing for the same reason. These small counts mean that a single student's performance shifts the rate considerably, so the numbers give a rough sense rather than a stable trend. Average scale scores were not available for any grade or subject.
Placed relative to districts in Sheridan County, the school's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades falls in the bottom quartile. This comparison should be understood in light of the school's apparent role as a small, possibly alternative program serving a population with high economic need, rather than as a straightforward measure against typical comprehensive middle schools. No graduation rate applies here, and chronic absenteeism data was not available.
The housing market around the school carries a typical home value above both the Wyoming and national benchmarks, with a price-to-income ratio that suggests moderate stretch for local earners. Rent data was not available. The broader economic context includes a national unemployment rate that has held steady, and median household income that has risen modestly in recent years.
Publicly reported information about recent parent-relevant changes in the district was not available, so there is nothing to relay on that front. Similarly, no data on discipline, course access, staffing, or attendance was provided, leaving those aspects of the school environment undescribed.
What the available evidence paints is a very small, specialized middle school embedded in a vibrant small-city setting, serving a student population with considerable economic need. The proficiency figures, while low in the county comparison, come from such small tested groups that they are better treated as a general indicator than a definitive judgment. A parent considering this school would want to look further into what kind of program it is, how it serves its students, and what supports are in place, since the data here raises more questions about the school's design and purpose than it answers.
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