The top reported proficiency rate is 45% in Math. The lowest is 19% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Stuart
Stuart Public Schools serves a small, rural student population from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade in southeastern Oklahoma. The district operates two schools, an elementary and a high school, within a community where housing costs sit below state and national averages. A parent considering this district will find a place where class sizes are small and the academic picture is mixed, with notable strengths in the early grades and significant challenges in the middle school years.
The student body is roughly evenly split between white students and American Indian or Alaska Native students, with small numbers of students who identify as two or more races, Hispanic, Asian, or Black. The district has around two hundred students in total, spread across all grades in single-digit or low-double-digit cohorts, meaning most classes are very small. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the district's chronic absenteeism rate sits above the midpoint when compared with other districts in Hughes County.
State testing data from the most recent year shows a notable contrast between the early elementary and the middle school grades. In third-grade math, the share of students scoring proficient or above was markedly high, a standout result within a small cohort. By eighth grade, however, the share meeting that bar was much lower. Reading results followed a similar arc. A strong showing in seventh-grade reading proficiency gave way to a low share in eighth grade. Science results were available for eighth grade only and fell in a middle range. A parent considering the district would want to look closely at the middle school years, where the drop-off in tested performance is sharp and the reasons are not explained by the data alone. Oklahoma changed its cut scores for math and reading in this testing year, which makes direct comparisons to prior years difficult.
The district's overall proficiency across all tested subjects and grades places it in the top quartile among Hughes County's districts, a position that is partly driven by the strong third-grade math result. The four-year graduation rate was not available in the data, so it is not possible to assess how the district performs in seeing students through to a diploma.
Per-pupil current spending is in the upper range when compared with other districts in the county, and per-student spending and revenue have grown over recent years to exceed the state median. This level of investment is notable for a district of this size and suggests that resources per student are relatively generous, a factor that may matter to families weighing the value of small classes against other considerations.
Housing in the area is more affordable than in much of the state. The typical home value is well below the Oklahoma median, and homes have been appreciating at a pace that exceeds the statewide average. Monthly mortgage costs on a median-priced home with a typical down payment are moderate relative to national incomes. The broader economic context shows a national unemployment rate around typical levels and mortgage rates that have been fluctuating in a modest range.
The district brief found no record of a recent referendum, a bond issue, or a curriculum overhaul. The parent-relevant changes that emerged from publicly reported sources are the multi-year increases in per-pupil spending and revenue, which represent a lasting strengthening of the district's financial position relative to peer districts.
This is a small, rural district where a family will know the teachers and the other families by name. The elementary experience, particularly in the earliest tested grades, appears to be a genuine strength. The middle school years warrant a closer look, as the testing data shows a clear drop that parents would want to understand from the school directly. The district is spending well above the county median per student, which may translate into opportunities or supports that are not fully captured by testing results alone. For a family that values a tight-knit, low-cost community and is willing to engage closely with the school around the middle school transition, Stuart Public Schools offers a distinctive option.
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