Weston County School District, WY
Wyoming District's Journey to Improve Literacy Drive Student Outcomes; Ignites Passion for Staff, Teachers
Newcastle is a small Wyoming coal-mining town where the elevation (4,327 feet) is considerably higher than the population (3,500 people). Understandably, it’s a tight-knit community where all the residents know each other. Traditions run strong and perhaps no tradition is as resolute as the community’s commitment to educate its young people. Newcastle’s Weston County School District 1 (WCSD 1) is home to about 800 students in elementary, middle, and high schools. Of those 800 students, approximately 30% come from low-income households. At Newcastle Elementary School, the mission is to help build confident, lifelong learners. Over the past decade, a particular emphasis has been placed on the importance of teaching all students to proficiently read and keeping them on track as they prepare to enter middle school.