Enrollment
299
Wyoming · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Cheyenne, WY
Prairie Wind Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Prairie Wind Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 560198000563
👥 S:T ratio 56
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 17
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Prairie Wind Elementary earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wyoming median.
- #8 of 17
- elementary schools in Cheyenne · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.1:1
- students per teacher
- 8.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Prairie Wind Elementary has class sizes near the Wyoming median. Computed live against every Wyoming school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Prairie Wind Elementary ranks #8 of 17 elementary schools in Cheyenne, WY.
School address
District: Laramie County School District #1 · Wyoming
NCES ID 560198000563 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.1:1
vs 11.4:1 Wyoming avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
8.5%
vs 27.4% Wyoming avg
-69% 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 lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Cheyenne, Wyoming, enrolling 299 students.
At 11.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Wyoming median, within a few percentage points of the 11.4:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 8.5% free-meal eligibility runs 69% below the Wyoming average.
Enrollment of 299 puts it in the larger third of Wyoming schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 347 scored Wyoming schools.
Among 72 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Wyoming schools statewide, it ranks #62, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 30/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Laramie County School District #1 spends $17,457 per pupil, 22% below the Wyoming average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Cheyenne's elementary schools, it stands alongside Meadowlark Elementary (453 students): Prairie Wind Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.1:1 vs 16.2:1).
Laramie County School District #1 also operates East High School (1,566 students) and Central High School (1,270 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 | 11.1:1 | ▼ 3% | 11.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 8.5% | ▼ 69% | 27.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 299 | top 30% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.1:1
Leaner classes than 82% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
299
Bigger than 32% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
8.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 69% below the Wyoming average of 27.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
11.1:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 48% in Wyoming - lower ratio than 52% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
33.4%
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
$17,457
per pupil, district-wide
- below Wyoming avg of $22,313
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 82.9%
Hispanic or Latino 11.7%
Two or More 4.0%
African American 0.7%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 82.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 29.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 29.7, Prairie Wind Elementary is less mixed than the Wyoming school average of 33.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Laramie County School District #1, which includes Prairie Wind Elementary.
$17,457
Per student
-22%
vs Wyoming
Avg $22,313
+5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.1%
State 59.3%
Federal 14.6%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| East High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Central High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Carey Junior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mccormick Junior High School | 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
- 1,566
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,270
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,112
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 800
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 622
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar elementary schools in Cheyenne
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Meadowlark Elementary
Standard public school
453 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Saddle Ridge Elementary
Standard public school
333 students 12.8:1 students per teacher
Freedom Elementary
Standard public school
323 students 12.9:1 students per teacher
Sunrise Elementary
Standard public school
315 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
Dildine Elementary
Standard public school
298 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
Henderson Elementary
Standard public school
244 students 12.2:1 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 (~299 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Prairie Wind Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Prairie Wind Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Laramie 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 299 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Cheyenne, WY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Prairie Wind Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Prairie Wind Elementary is 11.1:1, which is 3% lower than the Wyoming average of 11.4:1 and 29% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Prairie Wind Elementary?
8.5% 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 82.9% of enrollment, in Cheyenne, WY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Prairie Wind Elementary?
Prairie Wind Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, 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 Cheyenne?
By Resource Investment Index, Prairie Wind Elementary ranks #8 of 17 elementary schools in Cheyenne, 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 Cheyenne on the city page.
Is Prairie Wind Elementary a good school?
Prairie Wind Elementary earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wyoming median. 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 Laramie County School District #1?
Besides Prairie Wind Elementary, Laramie County School District #1 also operates East High School (1,566 students), Central High School (1,270 students), and South High School (1,112 students). See the Laramie 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.