Laramie High School Ranked #1 in Wyoming

Laramie High School has been ranked as the top secondary school in Wyoming by U.S. News and World Report. LHS also received a national silver medal for being ranked in the top 1,000 schools in the nation.

"It's Teacher Appreciation Week and we get this news," said LHS Principal Kim Sorenson. "It's fantastic. Our teachers are incredibly proud, but I'm very proud of them too. They're working with these kids and they're doing good things and we're starting to get that recognition for the kids and the staff and it's cool. They feel really good about it, too."

The magazine noted a healthy student to teacher ratio of 11 to 1 and the opportunity students have at LHS to take Advanced Placement courses. Participation in AP Classes is at 43 percent at LHS and Sorenson said that this spring 190 students are taking 300 AP tests. PAWS test scores also showed the number of students proficient in reading and math is above the state average. On top of that, LHS boasts a graduation rate of 89 percent, which is well above the state and national average.

"We do a very good job at a lot of things," Sorenson said. "Our teachers are kind, they're compassionate, they are always looking for ways to improve. Our kids benefited from their families, the educational setting and the work that the elementary and junior highs have done. We have lots of choices for kids. I don't think we'll ever be able to emphasize enough that our community emphasizes education. A cottage industry of this community is education or professional type of work, so they see every day that it has benefits. We're incredibly fortunate in that regard here."

Powell High School was the only other school in Wyoming to receive a national silver medal. There were 17 schools in Wyoming that made the national rankings.

Sorenson was able to make the announcement to the student body about the top ranking during a pep assembly on Wednesday.