The top reported proficiency rate is 19% in English language arts. The lowest is 14% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Bennington Es
Bennington ES is a very small public school serving pre-kindergarten through eighth grade in the rural town of Bennington, Oklahoma. The school sits in a community that has seen long-term population decline, with its historic downtown largely faded and the school itself described by the Oklahoma Historical Society as the busiest place in town. The town covers a small area and offers limited commercial activity; most residents likely commute to nearby Durant for work. The median home value in the area is modest relative to national averages, and the cost of living is below the national typical.
The school enrolls around a sizeable-for-its-grade-band but still small student body across grades PK through 8. The student population is predominantly White and American Indian or Alaska Native, with smaller shares of Hispanic, Black, Asian, and multiracial students. No data was reported on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, nor on students with disabilities or English learners, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about these supports.
State testing data presents a limited picture. Because the school's classes are small, results for most tested grades and subjects were suppressed to protect student privacy, meaning no proficiency rates are publicly available for those groups. For the handful of grade-level results that were reported, proficiency rates were low. In eighth-grade math, about a small share of students scored proficient or above; in fifth-grade English language arts and eighth-grade English language arts, the rates were similarly low. Science results for fifth and eighth grades were suppressed. When compared against other school districts in Bryan County, Bennington ES placed in the bottom quartile for overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. The state testing system in Oklahoma also underwent a cut-score change in both math and English language arts, which means the results from this year may not be directly comparable to prior years.
Because the school serves only through eighth grade, there is no high school graduation rate to consider. No information was available on chronic absenteeism, disciplinary incidents, or course access.
No program offerings were reported, nor was there information on staffing ratios, Title I status, or magnet or charter designation.
This is a school that functions as a central anchor in a small, economically modest rural community. Academically, the available state assessment results point to challenges in reaching proficiency, though the very small class sizes and suppressed data make it difficult to fully gauge performance across all grades. A family considering this school would likely be choosing a close-knit, community-centered setting in a quiet rural town, and may want to follow up directly with the school about student support services, enrichment offerings, and specific academic strategies given the low reported proficiency rates.
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