Senator Barrasso Visits Laramie School Honored as National Blue Ribbon Winner

Of roughly 500 public elementary schools in Wyoming, only three earned a 2025 National Blue Ribbon designation from the U.S. Department of Education. Velma Linford Elementary in Laramie is one of them, and on March 31, Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso made the trip to say so in person.

Barrasso, the second-ranking Republican in the U.S. Senate and Wyoming's senior senator since 2007, spent time with about 30 to 35 fourth- and fifth-grade students, fielding questions that ranged from how laws are made to what they would do if they were president. One student suggested banning school. The room laughed. Barrasso used the moment to steer toward civics, explaining how elections work and what it takes to run for office.

He opened by invoking Theodore Roosevelt, who delivered a commencement address at the University of Wyoming and told the crowd: "People of Wyoming, I believe in you and in your future." Barrasso extended that sentiment directly to the students: "When you get into a school like this, a Blue Ribbon school, you can do anything you want for the rest of your life."

Before leaving, Barrasso presented Principal Karsten Hiser with a U.S. flag flown over the Capitol Building through the Capitol Flag Program, accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. "In recognition of your ongoing excellence in education, may this flag proudly fly as you pursue your mission of teaching and enriching the lives of our future leaders," Barrasso said. The program, which dates to 1937, now fulfills more than 100,000 flag requests from members of Congress each year.

The visit came roughly six weeks after Velma Linford held a formal Blue Ribbon celebration assembly on February 20, attended by Wyoming First Lady Jennie Gordon and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder, who called the moment "historic." Degenfelder praised the school's focus on literacy, parent partnerships, and staff commitment to excellence. Velma Linford is also part of Wyoming's inaugural class of state-level Blue Ribbon honorees, a distinction that runs parallel to the national recognition.

Velma Linford serves approximately 259 students in grades Pre-K through 5 within Albany County School District #1, with an 11-to-1 student-teacher ratio. The school ranks in the top 30% of Wyoming public elementary schools and climbed as high as 40th out of 147 in the 2023-2024 school year. The other two Wyoming schools named 2025 National Blue Ribbon Schools were Ralph Witters Elementary in Hot Springs County and Wagonwheel Elementary in Campbell County, both recognized as Exemplary High-Performing Schools based on state reading and math assessments.

Barrasso, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon in Casper from 1983 to 2007 before his election to the Senate, told students that career path matters less than the breadth of experience behind it. "For students and young adults who are looking to get into politics, the best advice I could possibly give is to learn about more than just politics," he said. "I started in orthopedic surgery and it gave me experience with real people." He described a senator's day as beginning around 5 a.m., anchored by legislation review, constituent meetings, and committee work. Barrasso spends Monday through Thursday in Washington and returns to Wyoming every weekend, visiting schools when his schedule allows.