The top reported proficiency rate is 49% in Math. The lowest is 47% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Francis Es
Francis Es is a public elementary school in rural Pontotoc County serving students from prekindergarten through third grade. It is part of Byng Public Schools, a district based in the Ada area. The school sits on a rural road outside the town, and its grade span means that families will move their children to another building for fourth grade and beyond.
Enrollment is at a size that allows a close-knit feel, with just a few classrooms per grade. The student body is diverse, with American Indian students making up the largest share, followed by white students, students who identify as two or more races, and a smaller Hispanic population. The school does not report the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, nor does it provide data on students with disabilities or English learners, so a parent should ask the school directly about these supports.
State test results are available for third grade only, as that is the first tested year. In both math and English language arts, roughly half of third graders scored at the proficient level or above on the Oklahoma School Testing Program. The state changed its cut scores for these tests in the same year, so the results cannot be directly compared with prior years’ data. Still, when measured against all other schools in Pontotoc County, Francis Es places in the top quartile for overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. That is a strong signal for a primary school.
Because the school stops at third grade, there is no graduation rate to report, and chronic absenteeism data was not available.
The community around the school is Ada, the county seat and a mid-sized town with a diverse economy. Ada is the headquarters of the Chickasaw Nation, home to East Central University, and a manufacturing center for cement, auto parts, and other goods. The town’s population has been stable, with modest growth supported by tribal administration and industrial investment. Housing in the area is relatively affordable compared to national benchmarks, and the local rental market has been rising moderately.
Byng Public Schools recently passed a bond that funds new facilities across the district: a district-wide safe room, a band facility, a weight room, an agriculture education building, and a new tennis, track, and soccer complex on the main campus. These projects expand academic, athletic, and safety infrastructure and represent a notable investment in the district’s long-term capacity.
For a family looking at Francis Es, the picture is of a small primary school with a diverse student body, solid academic results relative to the county, and a district that is investing in its facilities. The school’s rural setting and limited grade span mean that transitions to other buildings are built into the pathway. A parent may want to ask about the specific programs and supports for the early grades, as well as details on class sizes and how the school handles the prekindergarten program, since that is a large share of its enrollment. The available data does not speak to those topics directly.
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