Enrollment
404
Wyoming · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Gillette, WY
Prairie Wind Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Prairie Wind Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 560147000349
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 19
📋 Attendance 33
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Prairie Wind Elementary earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Wyoming schools.
- #7 of 12
- elementary schools in Gillette · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.5:1
- large classes for Wyoming
- 22.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Prairie Wind Elementary has class sizes larger than 77% of Wyoming schools. Computed live against every Wyoming school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Prairie Wind Elementary ranks #7 of 12 elementary schools in Gillette, WY.
School address
District: Campbell County School District #1 · Wyoming
NCES ID 560147000349 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.5:1
vs 11.4:1 Wyoming avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
22.6%
vs 27.4% Wyoming avg
-18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Prairie Wind Elementary compares with Wyoming and U.S. medians
What stands out at Prairie Wind Elementary
Prairie Wind Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Gillette, Wyoming, enrolling 404 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Wyoming schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 22.6% lands close to the Wyoming typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 404 puts it in the larger third of Wyoming schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 347 scored Wyoming schools.
Against 98 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #40.
Its student body is predominantly White (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 25/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 404 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Campbell County School District #1 spends $17,006 per pupil, 24% below the Wyoming average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Gillette's elementary schools, it stands alongside Stocktrail Elementary (554 students): Prairie Wind Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.5:1 vs 16.3:1).
Campbell County School District #1 also operates Campbell County High School (1,212 students) and Thunder Basin High School (1,206 students) alongside Prairie Wind Elementary.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Prairie Wind Elementary compares
Prairie Wind Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Wyoming and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Wyoming | Wyoming avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.5:1 | ▲ 18% | 11.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 22.6% | ▼ 18% | 27.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 404 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.5:1
Leaner classes than 62% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
404
Bigger than 48% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
22.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% below the Wyoming average of 27.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.5:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 77% in Wyoming - lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
27.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$17,006
per pupil, district-wide
- below Wyoming avg of $22,313
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 404 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 85.9%
Hispanic or Latino 8.7%
Two or More 1.5%
African American 1.2%
Asian 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
Largest group: White at 85.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 25.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 25.4, Prairie Wind Elementary is less mixed than the Wyoming school average of 33.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Campbell County School District #1, which includes Prairie Wind Elementary.
$17,006
Per student
-24%
vs Wyoming
Avg $22,313
+2%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.0%
State 32.6%
Federal 9.4%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Prairie Wind Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campbell County High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Thunder Basin High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Twin Spruce Junior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sage Valley Junior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Stocktrail Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Prairie Wind Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,212
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,206
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 667
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 589
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 554
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar elementary schools in Gillette
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Stocktrail Elementary
Standard public school
554 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Buffalo Ridge Elementary
Standard public school
413 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Lakeview Elementary
Standard public school
378 students 11.1:1 students per teacher
Hillcrest Elementary
Standard public school
370 students 11.6:1 students per teacher
Conestoga Elementary
Standard public school
348 students 10.5:1 students per teacher
Pronghorn Elementary
Standard public school
334 students 11.5:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Wyoming, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~404 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Prairie Wind Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Prairie Wind Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Campbell County School District #1's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Prairie Wind Elementary
How many students attend Prairie Wind Elementary?
Prairie Wind Elementary has 404 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Gillette, WY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Prairie Wind Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Prairie Wind Elementary is 13.5:1, which is 18% higher than the Wyoming average of 11.4:1 and 14% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Prairie Wind Elementary?
22.6% of students at Prairie Wind Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wyoming average of 27.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Prairie Wind Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Prairie Wind Elementary is White at 85.9% of enrollment, in Gillette, WY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Prairie Wind Elementary?
Prairie Wind Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Prairie Wind Elementary rank among elementary schools in Gillette?
By Resource Investment Index, Prairie Wind Elementary ranks #7 of 12 elementary schools in Gillette, WY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Gillette on the city page.
Is Prairie Wind Elementary a good school?
Prairie Wind Elementary earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Wyoming schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Campbell County School District #1?
Besides Prairie Wind Elementary, Campbell County School District #1 also operates Campbell County High School (1,212 students), Thunder Basin High School (1,206 students), and Twin Spruce Junior High School (667 students). See the Campbell County School District #1 district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.