The top reported proficiency rate is 24% in Science. The lowest is 9% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Commerce Ms
Commerce Middle School serves students in grades six through eight in the small town of Commerce, Oklahoma, a former lead-and-zinc mining community that now relies on manufacturing, healthcare, and retail as its primary industries. The school is part of the Commerce Public Schools district, and its enrollment of roughly 180 students is spread evenly across the three grade levels. The student body is racially diverse, with the largest group identifying as white, followed by American Indian or Alaska Native, Hispanic, and students of two or more races; Black and Asian students together make up a very small share. The available records do not indicate how many students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, receive special education services, or are English learners, so a family interested in those supports would need to ask the school directly.
Academically, the school’s state test results place it at the low end of the spectrum among Ottawa County districts. In math, the proportion of students scoring proficient or above was modest across all three tested grades, and the same was true in English language arts. The eighth-grade science results were somewhat higher, but overall the school’s combined proficiency index sat in the bottom quartile of the county. The state recently changed its cut scores for both math and ELA assessments, which makes direct comparisons with prior years uncertain; a parent may want to discuss with the school how these new standards affect instruction and student progress. Because the school serves only middle grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and chronic absenteeism data was not available.
Commerce itself is a compact town with a historically stable but slightly declining population, a high share of vacant housing, and a median household income that is modest relative to national benchmarks. The local economy leans heavily on manufacturing and healthcare, and the town’s property values are low compared to the state and national averages. The community’s mining-era commercial density has faded, and the town is car-dependent with limited walkability. No major new housing developments or growth initiatives were identified in publicly reported sources, and the district’s recent years do not appear to have featured changes that would directly affect a middle school family, such as boundary shifts or program overhauls.
For a parent or resident considering this school, the picture is one of a small, economically modest community where state test results are notably below the county median. The school’s academic profile is a clear soft spot, and families who prioritize strong test-based outcomes might find the current proficiency rates a concern worth investigating further. At the same time, the school’s size and the town’s compact scale mean that students are likely to be well-known to staff, and the school’s racial and ethnic diversity is broader than what many small-town Oklahoma districts show. The absence of data on free lunch eligibility, special education enrollment, and English learner services is a gap; a family with a child who might need those supports should ask the school directly about what is available. There is no evidence of program offerings such as advanced courses, career pathways, or enrichment activities in the available data, so that too is a question a parent would want to raise with the school administration.
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