Enrollment
250
Wyoming · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Laramie, WY
Velma Linford Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Velma Linford Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 560073000014
👥 S:T ratio 63
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 50
📋 Attendance 27
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Velma Linford Elementary earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 73% of Wyoming schools.
- #1 of 3
- schools in Laramie · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 9.3:1
- small classes for Wyoming
- 34.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Velma Linford Elementary has class sizes smaller than 73% of Wyoming schools. Computed live against every Wyoming school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Velma Linford Elementary ranks #1 of 3 schools in Laramie, WY.
School address
District: Albany County School District #1 · Wyoming
NCES ID 560073000014 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.3:1
vs 11.4:1 Wyoming avg
-18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.1%
vs 27.4% Wyoming avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Velma Linford Elementary compares with Wyoming and U.S. medians
What stands out at Velma Linford Elementary
Velma Linford Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Laramie, Wyoming, enrolling 250 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 9.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Wyoming schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 34.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 250 students, its enrollment sits close to the Wyoming median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 347 scored Wyoming schools.
Against 94 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #41.
Its student body is led by White (73%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%) (diversity index 42/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 250 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Laramie's public schools, it stands alongside Slade Elementary (440 students): Velma Linford Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (9.3:1 vs 13.8:1).
Albany County School District #1 also operates Laramie High School (1,070 students) and Laramie Middle School (735 students) alongside Velma Linford 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 Velma Linford Elementary compares
Velma Linford 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 | 9.3:1 | ▼ 18% | 11.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.1% | ▲ 24% | 27.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 250 | top 40% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.3:1
Leaner classes than 92% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
250
Bigger than 25% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% above the Wyoming average of 27.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
9.3:1
students per teacher
- 18% below state mean
Top 27% in Wyoming - lower ratio than 73% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
29.2%
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
$21,312
per pupil, district-wide
- below Wyoming avg of $22,313
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 250 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.4 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 73.2%
Hispanic or Latino 20.4%
Two or More 4.8%
African American 0.8%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 73.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.0, Velma Linford Elementary is more mixed than the Wyoming school average of 33.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Albany County School District #1, which includes Velma Linford Elementary.
$21,312
Per student
-4%
vs Wyoming
Avg $22,313
+28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.9%
State 64.4%
Federal 9.7%
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 Velma Linford Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laramie High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Laramie Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Slade Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Spring Creek Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Indian Paintbrush Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Velma Linford Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,070
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 735
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 440
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 307
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 269
- Students per teacher
- 10.8:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar other schools in Laramie
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other 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 (~250 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~9.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Velma Linford Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Velma Linford Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Albany 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 Velma Linford Elementary
How many students attend Velma Linford Elementary?
Velma Linford Elementary has 250 students enrolled. It is a public school in Laramie, WY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Velma Linford Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Velma Linford Elementary is 9.3:1, which is 18% lower than the Wyoming average of 11.4:1 and 41% 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 Velma Linford Elementary?
34.1% of students at Velma Linford Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wyoming average of 27.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Velma Linford Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Velma Linford Elementary is White at 73.2% of enrollment, in Laramie, WY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Velma Linford Elementary?
Velma Linford 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 Velma Linford Elementary rank among schools in Laramie?
By Resource Investment Index, Velma Linford Elementary ranks #1 of 3 schools in Laramie, WY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Laramie on the city page.
Is Velma Linford Elementary a good school?
Velma Linford Elementary earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 73% 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 Albany County School District #1?
Besides Velma Linford Elementary, Albany County School District #1 also operates Laramie High School (1,070 students), Laramie Middle School (735 students), and Slade Elementary (440 students). See the Albany 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.