Walnut Elementary

Walnut Elementary is one of the middle-of-the-pack elementary campuss in Rock Springs, Wyoming, overseen by Sweetwater County School District #1, with 195 students on its rolls from grades K through 3.

Across the 15 schools in Sweetwater County School District #1 (4,789 students total), Walnut Elementary accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Demographically, Walnut Elementary reports that the largest single group is White, at 69% of enrollment; the rest reads as 24% Hispanic, 6% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 81% White, putting the school's mix visibly less White than the area baseline.

Looking at school resources, Walnut Elementary lists 15 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 12.8:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 10.6:1, putting Walnut Elementary higher than the state norm the norm. About 52% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment.

After controlling for student poverty, Walnut Elementary sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 50.6%; this one delivers 52.0%.

In the surrounding community, the surrounding county (Sweetwater County) shows that median household income runs about $75,034, 21% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 10%. In all, Sweetwater County runs 26 public schools (combined enrollment of about 7,075 students), of which Walnut Elementary is one.

The closest other public school is Eastside Elementary, roughly 1.0 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Walnut Elementary. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Walnut Elementary at 2nd of 7; the average score across the group is 45.2%.

The school occupies a small-town site.

Over the past 7-year window. Over the past 7-year window, the student count decreased 36%: 306 students in 2018 compared to 195 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share contracted from 78% to 69%. Class-load math has narrowed: from 13.9:1 in 2018 to 12.8:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, recent activity here tends to focus on classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.