The top reported proficiency rate is 8% in Math. The lowest is 6% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Watts
Watts Public Schools is a small, rural district in Adair County, Oklahoma, serving students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. The district operates two schools, Watts Elementary and Watts High School, and enrolls a student body that is predominantly white, with a substantial share of students who identify as American Indian or Alaska Native and a smaller share who identify as Hispanic. The district is small enough that many grade-level cohorts number in the low teens or twenties, which shapes the classroom experience and the range of course offerings available.
State testing data from the most recent school year shows that the district's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it in the bottom quartile among Adair County's districts. The available results are sparse, with many grade-level scores suppressed due to small cohort sizes, a common pattern in very small districts. Where results are reported, the share of students scoring proficient or above is low. In sixth-grade math, roughly one in twelve students met the bar. In fifth-grade English language arts, about one in eight did. In seventh-grade ELA, no student tested reached the proficient level. Science results in fifth and eighth grades were similarly low. A parent should be aware that the district's small enrollment means that a single student's performance can shift a grade-level rate noticeably, and that the state suppressed many results to protect student privacy. The district's overall proficiency index, which averages the reported rates across tested subjects and grades, places it in the bottom quartile among Adair County's districts.
The district's chronic absenteeism rate sits below the midpoint of the county's districts, meaning a moderate share of students are missing enough school to be flagged. Per-pupil current spending falls in the lower range compared to other districts in the county. A parent may want to ask the district directly about how it allocates its budget and what supports are in place for attendance.
Housing in the area the district serves is modestly priced relative to national benchmarks. The weighted home value estimate for the district's coverage area is below the national median, and home values have seen a modest year-over-year increase. The district's coverage area includes the town of Watts and parts of the surrounding area, with the largest share of housing value concentrated in the Watts zip code.
The district's enrollment is small, with just over two hundred students across all grades. The student body is diverse in terms of race and ethnicity, with white students making up the largest share, followed by students who identify as two or more races and American Indian or Alaska Native students. Hispanic students and Asian students make up smaller shares. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, as well as the share of students with disabilities or English learner status, was not available. A parent may want to ask the district about these figures to get a fuller picture of the student population and the supports in place.
The district's per-pupil current spending falls in the lower range among Adair County's districts. Chronic absenteeism, at a rate that places the district below the midpoint of the county, is an area a parent may want to discuss with the school to understand what attendance supports are available.
The district's two schools, Watts Elementary and Watts High School, together cover the full PK-12 span. No information was available about the district's strategic priorities or recent changes, as a search for parent-relevant developments over the past four years turned up only basic enrollment and fiscal data. A parent looking for a clear sense of the district's direction may need to contact the district office directly.
Housing in the area is affordable relative to national norms. The weighted home value for the district's coverage area is below the national median, and home values have seen a modest year-over-year increase. The largest share of housing value is concentrated in the Watts zip code, with smaller contributions from surrounding areas. The national unemployment rate and mortgage rate context suggest a typical economic environment for a rural district.
For a family considering Watts, the picture is one of a very small, rural district with low academic performance on state assessments and a student body that is racially and ethnically diverse. The district's size means that individual students and small cohorts can have an outsized impact on reported results. A parent looking for a wide array of advanced coursework or extracurricular breadth may find the offerings limited, though the data on programs was not available to confirm. The district's chronic absenteeism rate is a point worth discussing with school leadership. Housing in the area is affordable, and the district serves a community that is predominantly rural.
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