Hot Springs County School District #1

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Thermopolis, Wyoming - 3 schools

An equity score of 59/100 ranks Hot Springs County School District #1 #16 of 44 districts in Wyoming (state average 51). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $21,418 per pupil, Hot Springs County School District #1 ranks #15 of 48 Wyoming districts by per-pupil spending (Wyoming districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

642
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$21,418
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Elementary
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Hot Springs County School District #1 operates 3 public schools serving 642 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Wyoming. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 combined, 1 elementary, 1 high schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Hot Springs County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $21,418 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 48 Wyoming districts by per-pupil spending. See how Wyoming compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 30.8% local, 54.4% state, and 14.8% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 59/100, ranked #16 of 44 in Wyoming against a state average of 51, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

a 239.1:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 30.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 83.3% White, 7.0% Hispanic or Latino, 1.6% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Hot Springs County High School, with a diversity index of 33.2/100.

Its largest campus is Ralph Witters Elementary, enrolling 214 students (37% of the district's total enrollment).

Ralph Witters Elementary accounts for 33.3% of all Hot Springs County School District #1 student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Hot Springs County School District #1-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Hot Springs County School District #1 student-counselor ratio is 239:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Hot Springs County School District #1 chronic absenteeism rate is 30.1% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

14.8%
Federal
54.4%
State
30.8%
Local

Funding Equity

59
Equity Score
16 / 44
State Rank
51
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 3 schools in Hot Springs County School District #1.

White 83.3%
Hispanic or Latino 7.0%
African American 1.6%
Multiracial 6.9%
Other 0.8%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 29.5/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Hot Springs County School District #1's schools, below the Wyoming average of 33.2.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Hot Springs County High School 33.2
  2. 2 Thermopolis Middle School 27.8
  3. 3 Ralph Witters Elementary 27.5

Programs & Resources

239.1:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
30.1%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Hot Springs County School District #1

School Enrollment
Ralph Witters Elementary
214
Thermopolis Middle School
186
Hot Springs County High School
184

How Hot Springs County School District #1 Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Wyoming districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Carbon County School District #2 Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Converse County School District #2 Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Lincoln County School District #1 Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Fremont County School District #14 Similar size Higher spending Less locally funded
Uinta County School District #6 Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Hot Springs County School District #1's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Wyoming

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Compare Hot Springs County School District #1

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Laramie County School District #1 →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Hot Springs County School District #1?

Hot Springs County School District #1 has 3 schools, including 1 combined, 1 elementary, 1 high. Total enrollment is 642 students.

How much does Hot Springs County School District #1 spend per student?

Hot Springs County School District #1 spends $21,418 per student. The district has an equity score of 59/100, ranking #16 in Wyoming.

What is the demographic composition of Hot Springs County School District #1?

Hot Springs County School District #1 students are 83.3% White, 7.0% Hispanic or Latino, 1.6% African American, 0.3% Asian, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Hot Springs County School District #1?

Hot Springs County School District #1 has an equity score of 59/100, ranking #16 out of 44 districts in Wyoming.