Original Research by School Decision on Aline-cleo Hs
Aline-Cleo High School sits in a very small, rural town in northwestern Oklahoma. The community of Aline has an agricultural economic base, centered on farming and livestock raising, and has seen a population decline over the long term. The high school is part of the Aline-Cleo Independent School District, and it is the only public high school in the town. With no evidence of new housing or commercial development, the area presents a stable, low-growth context that has been in contraction.
The school itself is a small high school, serving grades nine through twelve. The student body is predominantly white, with a small number of American Indian or Alaska Native students and a very small Hispanic population. The enrollment is small enough that a visitor would notice the intimate scale. The grade-by-grade enrollment shows a smaller senior class relative to the junior class, which is typical in a small rural school where class sizes can vary considerably from year to year.
Academic performance data, including state assessment results and a graduation rate, were not available in the source materials used for this profile. The comparison with other districts in Alfalfa County was not possible because the key metrics—overall proficiency, four-year graduation rate, and chronic absenteeism rate—were missing. For a high school, the absence of a graduation rate is an important gap. A parent or resident seeking to understand the academic outcomes at this school would want to ask the school or district directly for this information. The school may not be subject to all the same reporting requirements, or the data may not have been captured, but the reason for the gap is not stated in the available records. The lack of testing data also applies across the board; none of the subjects have reported results.
The community and housing context suggests that this is a very low-cost area relative to both state and national benchmarks. A typical home in the ZIP code has a value below the Oklahoma statewide typical level, and the area is more affordable than much of the country. The national unemployment rate was modest at the time of the data, and median household income nationally was near a typical level, but no local income figure was provided for Aline itself.
Aline has a few civic anchors worth noting. The Sod House Museum is located southeast of town, preserving a piece of local pioneer history. The Aline IOOF Lodge building is on the National Register of Historic Places. There is no evidence of a public library, a public park, or any public transit system. The railroad lines that once served the town have been abandoned. The downtown area, if it can be called that, likely has little commercial street life.
The district brief turned up no parent-relevant changes of lasting impact in recent years, such as a bond measure, a boundary change, a program launch, or a leadership turnover. That is not unusual for a small, stable rural district.
For a family considering Aline-Cleo High School, the primary takeaway is the scale. This is a very small school where a student would be known, where class sizes are tiny, and where the social environment is shaped by that intimacy. The community is rural, agricultural, and quiet, with a long-term trend of population loss. The lack of academic performance data is the largest open question. Without state assessment results or a publicly reported graduation rate, it is not possible to place this school on a spectrum of academic outcomes. A family should expect to gather that information directly from the school or the district office before forming a judgment about the academic pathway the school provides.
See more original research from School Decision →