The top reported proficiency rate is 36% in Math. The lowest is 22% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Cushing Upper Es
Cushing Upper Elementary serves only second through fourth graders, so there is no graduation rate to report and no high school course pathways. The school’s performance is measured through state assessments in math and English language arts for third and fourth graders. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above was below the midpoint among elementary schools in the county. In English language arts, the proficient share was lower still. The state changed its cut scores for both subjects, so comparing this year’s results to prior years is not straightforward; a parent may want to ask the school how it reads the new bar and what it is doing to lift achievement.
The school is part of the Cushing district, a small-city system in Payne County. The town of Cushing is known as a national crude oil trading hub, with tank farms and pipeline terminals dominating its industrial landscape. Housing values in the town’s zip code are below both the state and national medians, and the local market has seen a modest dip over the past year. The district has been investing in its facilities: voters passed a bond in 2022 that funded a new elementary classroom wing, which opened in 2024, and a second bond in 2023 built a tornado-safe room at the middle school that also serves as a community storm shelter. Both bonds were structured to replace retiring debt rather than raise the property tax rate. The district also raised starting teacher pay and added STEM offerings at the high school, though those affect older students, not Upper Elementary.
The student body at Cushing Upper Elementary is predominantly white, with a substantial minority of students who are two or more races, Hispanic, or American Indian or Alaska Native. Roughly one third of the enrolled students are from these backgrounds. The school does not appear to report free or reduced-price meal eligibility, special education, or English learner counts in available data, so it is hard to gauge the level of economic and learning support the school provides. A family looking into this school may want to ask the principal directly about those services.
Cushing is a small city with a historic Main Street and a municipal park that includes a duck pond, playgrounds, a skate park, and an aquatic center. It is a short drive from Stillwater, where Oklahoma State University is located, and within reach of Tulsa and Oklahoma City. A major new oil refinery has been announced for the area, with construction expected to wrap up in 2027, which could bring a meaningful number of new jobs and potentially change the character of the town and the school’s enrollment over time.
For a family considering this school, the picture is mixed. The facility improvements show that the district is investing in its buildings and safety. The school’s grade span is narrow — just three elementary grades — which means students transition into and out of this building quickly. The academic results are a soft spot, particularly in reading, and the lack of publicly available data on student poverty rates and support programs makes it harder to know what resources are in place. A parent would benefit from a conversation with the school about how it addresses literacy and what interventions are available for students who are not yet at grade level.
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