The top reported proficiency rate is 43% in Math. The lowest is 17% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Santa Fe South Hills Es
Santa Fe South Hills Elementary is a public charter school in Oklahoma City serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. It is part of the Santa Fe South Charter Schools network, a group of schools operating independently within the state’s charter school system. Families considering this school should know that it serves a student population that is overwhelmingly Hispanic, reflecting the surrounding neighborhood. The school’s enrollment is moderate for an elementary school, and it draws from a largely car-dependent part of a city that is famous for its geographic sprawl and auto-oriented layout.
On state assessments, the picture is mixed. In mathematics, proficiency rates across grades three, four, and five fell in a range where roughly two-fifths to just under half of students met the state’s standard. In English language arts, the share was markedly lower: around one in six students in third and fourth grade scored proficient; the fifth-grade result was suppressed, so it is not possible to say how that grade performed in reading and writing. Science results for fifth grade were also suppressed. The state changed its performance standards in math and English language arts for the school year these results come from, which makes year-to-year comparisons unreliable. That said, when the school’s combined proficiency rate across all tested subjects is compared with the average of every school district in Oklahoma County, Santa Fe South Hills Elementary lands in the top quarter. That relative position may be of interest to a parent evaluating academic strength within the local landscape.
The data set available for this school does not include several pieces of information that many families want. There is no record of how many students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, no count of students with Individualized Education Programs or English learner designations, no discipline data, no staffing ratios, and no chronic absenteeism rate. These are important gaps. A parent should ask the school directly about the level of special education and English language support available, as well as about school climate and teacher turnover. The school’s location in a charter network may mean it offers a different set of wraparound services than a traditional district school, but the data do not confirm any specifics.
Housing in the zip code that serves the school is modestly priced relative to state and national benchmarks. Home values and rents here run below the Oklahoma median, and well below national figures. The local economy is anchored by a mix of federal employment at Tinker Air Force Base, energy-sector firms, and the state government, and the city has grown steadily for years, supported by voter-approved development projects in the downtown core. Families who live near the school will find a typical suburban stretch of roads and strip-commercial development, with walkability very limited outside a few downtown districts miles away.
Santa Fe South Hills Elementary offers a straightforward academic program for the elementary years with no high school extension, so graduation rates and advanced coursework are not relevant here. For a parent looking for a small-to-midsize charter elementary in a heavily Hispanic, modest-income part of Oklahoma City, the school’s relative standing among county districts may be reassuring. But the low absolute literacy rates and missing support-program data are worth investigating further before enrolling.
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