Cheyenne: Education and Research

Cheyenne: Education and Research

Elementary and Secondary Schools

Public elementary and secondary schools in Cheyenne are part of Laramie County School District #1 (LCSD1). The district, the largest in the state, is administered by a seven-member Board of Trustees and a superintendent. The Cheyenne Schools Foundation works "to engage community interest and support for enhanced academic, personal, and vocational opportunities for LCSD1 students beyond the capacity of the local school district budget." The Foundation also provides grants to benefit district and school-wide projects as well as teachers for classroom projects that address student needs.

Among the special programs offered by the school district is a magnet school for high-potential elementary students. Eighty percent of elementary and secondary students are involved in one or more extracurricular activities, which include music, sports, clubs, and after-school projects. The Community Based Occupational Education (CBOE) High School is an alternative education program that helps students meet the academic standards for the State of Wyoming and LCSD1 as well as gain employable business skills for the future.

The following is a summary of data regarding Laramie County School District #1 as of the 2003–2004 school year.

Total enrollment: 13,065

Number of facilities

elementary schools: 26

junior high schools: 3

senior high schools: 4

Student/teacher ratio: 15:1

Teacher salaries

minimum: $26,450

average: $40,455

Funding per pupil: $8,179

Four private elementary and middle schools and one private senior high school are located in Cheyenne.

Public Schools Information: Laramie County School District #1, 2810 House Avenue, Cheyenne, WY 82001; telephone (307)771-2100

Colleges and Universities

Laramie County Community College, which provides a two-year curriculum, is based in Cheyenne. Also located in the county are Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Preston University, Kennedy-Western University, and Park College. The University of Wyoming-Laramie, the state's only public university, is less than 45 miles west of Cheyenne. Popular majors there are elementary and secondary education and social work.

Libraries and Research Centers

The Laramie County Library System, established in 1886, is the oldest continually operating county library system in the country. In addition to its main library in Cheyenne, the Laramie County Library System operates two branches and a bookmobile serving the rural eastern portion of the county. Its holdings include about 258,000 volumes as well as periodical titles, microfiche, maps, CDs, videos, DVDs, and music CDs; the library also offers Internet connectivity, books-on-tape, video games, and art reproductions. Special collections are the Carpenter Collection of Western Americana and material on the elk of North America. The library's genealogy collection includes extensive materials from the Wyoming State Library and the Family History Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

The Wyoming State Library is also located in Cheyenne. It contains more than 130,000 volumes and is a federal, state, and regional document depository. The Wyoming Center for the Book, established in 1995, operates as a program within the Wyoming State Library. A state affiliate of the Library of Congress Center for the Book, it "promotes the values of a literate and learned society through a variety of programs including a database of Wyoming writers and literary guide." The Laramie County Community College Instructional Resources Center is also located in Cheyenne. Other specialized libraries in the city are affiliated with hospitals, fraternal organizations, colleges, and government agencies.

The University of Wyoming-Laramie conducts research activities in dozens of disciplines, such as education; biological, physical, and social sciences; business and economics; mathematics; and politics and government in Wyoming. At the university's Archaeological Dig Site in Pine Bluffs, researchers extract relics and prehistoric artifacts dating back 8,000 years.

Public Library Information: Laramie County Library System, 2800 Central Avenue, Cheyenne, WY 82001; telephone (307)634-3561