The top reported proficiency rate is 34% in Math. The lowest is 19% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Earlsboro
Earlsboro Public Schools is a single-district system serving a small town in Pottawatomie County, roughly east of Shawnee. The district is compact: one elementary school and one high school that together cover pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. The student body is small, weighing in at about a quarter of the size of some neighboring districts, and its demographic makeup is notably diverse. White students form the largest share, followed by a substantial American Indian or Alaska Native population, a smaller but still sizable group of students who identify as two or more races, and a Hispanic cohort. Asian and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students are not represented in the reported counts still, Black students make up a very small share. The racial mix looks different from many Oklahoma districts, and a family moving into the area will find a peer environment that is not heavily dominated by any single group. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals was not available, so it is not possible to say how economic need runs through the student population.
On state testing, the picture is mixed, with reading and math proficiency rates that are low in most grade levels where results were not suppressed. In third grade, slightly more than a quarter of students scored proficient in English language arts, and just under two-fifths did so in math. Sixth graders posted similar math proficiency, with a quarter proficient in reading. Seventh-grade reading was a particular soft spot, with only a small fraction of students meeting the bar. Eighth-grade science proficiency was also low. Several grade-level results were suppressed by the state due to small testing group sizes, which is common in a district of this size. When the district is placed among Pottawatomie County’s districts, its overall proficiency index sits above the midpoint, meaning that while the raw percentages are low, other local districts often test even lower. A parent would want to look into this further with the school to understand what academic supports are available and how the district approaches instruction, especially in the middle grades where the numbers soften.
The graduation rate was not reported, so there is no way to assess how well the high school carries students to completion. That absence is a gap worth noting; families with older children may want to ask the district directly about postsecondary outcomes and diploma-track completion.
A chronic absenteeism rate falls above the midpoint among county districts, which is a neutral positioning given that the county span is wide. The rate is not exceptionally high, but it is not among the lowest either, suggesting that a meaningful portion of students miss enough school to register on the state dashboard. Per-pupil current spending sits in the upper half of the county range, indicating that the district invests at a level comparable to or above several of its peers, a relevant detail for a taxpayer or parent considering resource allocation.
Housing in the Earlsboro area is moderately priced relative to state and national benchmarks. The combined ZIP codes that feed the district show home values that are somewhat below the Oklahoma average and well below the national figure. Rents, where available, are reported only in the Shawnee portion of the district’s catchment, and those are modest. The weighted housing value across the district’s ZIPs is gentle enough that a family could find a more affordable entry point than in many parts of the state. The affordability ratio, comparing typical home price to median income, is favorable nationally. A short commute to Shawnee is a reasonable expectation, but the district’s boundaries are small enough that most students live within or very near Earlsboro itself.
The district’s brief produced no recent parent-relevant changes or major initiatives to report. That does not mean nothing is happening, only that no sustained public narrative about a bond, a curriculum overhaul, a leadership shift, or a building project surfaced in the research. A family should expect a stable, quiet operation rather than a district in the middle of a visible transformation.
Earlsboro is a small, rural-adjacent district where testing outcomes are low in raw terms but hold a middle position within a county where many districts face similar challenges. The student population is racially varied, housing is affordable, and the district invests per pupil above the county midpoint. A parent whose priority is strong academic scores on state tests may find the results concerning. A parent looking for a tight-knit, small-school setting in a low-cost area with a diverse student body may find this fits.
See more original research from School Decision →