The top reported proficiency rate is 21% in English language arts. The lowest is 20% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Tushka
Tushka is a small, rural public school district in Atoka County, Oklahoma, serving roughly 500 students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. It operates two schools: Tushka Elementary School and Tushka High School. The district’s small size and single-building-per-level setup mean students move through a relatively contained community from early childhood through graduation, a structure that often appeals to families seeking a close-knit, familiar environment where teachers and administrators know students across years.
The student body is predominantly white, with a substantial American Indian or Alaska Native population; together these two groups account for the vast majority of enrollment. This dual composition is a defining characteristic of the district, and a parent considering Tushka will find a peer environment shaped by these two large demographic groups.
State testing data from the 2024-25 school year presents a mixed and incomplete picture. Oklahoma changed its cut scores for this testing cycle, which makes direct comparisons with prior years unreliable. In mathematics, results were reported for two grade levels: sixth grade and seventh grade. In seventh grade math, roughly one in five students scored at the proficient level or above; in sixth grade math, the rate was about the same. In English language arts, reported results from third grade, seventh grade, and eighth grade show similar patterns, with rates in the range of roughly one in six to roughly one in four students meeting the proficiency bar. For several grades in both subjects, results were suppressed, which typically happens when the number of students tested is very small — a common scenario in a district this size. Science results for fifth and eighth grades were also suppressed. Across all tested subjects and grades, the district’s overall proficiency index places it below the midpoint among Atoka County’s districts. A parent trying to get a clear read on year-over-year trends cannot, because the assessment changes prevent comparability with prior results.
The district’s chronic absenteeism rate stands above the midpoint in the county, meaning a larger share of students are missing significant amounts of school compared to several neighboring districts. This is an area a parent may want to explore further with the school to understand underlying causes and supports.
Compared to other districts in Atoka County, per-pupil current spending sits in the lower range. This is a financial baseline worth noting, though without a breakdown of how those dollars are allocated — for instance, teacher salaries, class size, or program offerings — it is hard to draw direct conclusions about the classroom experience. Course access and program data were not available for this district, so it is unclear what advanced coursework, career-technical pathways, or extracurriculars are offered to students.
Housing in the area is well below the national typical home value, and also below the Oklahoma state benchmark, reflecting the rural character and lower cost of living in Atoka County. For a family moving into the area, home affordability relative to income is favorable compared to national averages.
The district brief turned up no recent major changes — no bond referendums, leadership turnover, or program launches that met the bar for lasting public impact. A parent evaluating Tushka will be looking at a stable district that has not undergone visible recent transformation, for better or worse. The central question for a family is whether the small, rural setting and familiar student community align with what they want, and whether the academic outcomes, as far as they can be seen amid suppressed data and a single-year snapshot, meet their expectations.
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