The top reported proficiency rate is 62% in Math. The lowest is 22% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Empire Es
Empire ES is a public elementary school serving prekindergarten through fifth grade in the Empire school district, located in Duncan, Oklahoma. This is a small school by enrollment size for its grade band, and its student body is predominantly white, with a notable share of students who are Hispanic and a smaller share who identify as two or more races; there are also a small number of American Indian or Alaska Native students. Information about the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals was not available in the data provided, so a parent may want to ask the school about that directly.
State testing results from the 2024–25 school year give a partial picture of academic performance. For third-grade math, a strong majority of students met the state’s proficient or above mark on the OSTP assessment. Fourth-grade English language arts results were significantly lower, with about one in five students reaching that same benchmark. Fifth-grade math and English language arts results were suppressed due to small testing counts, as was fifth-grade science. Because of these suppressions, it is not possible to get a complete view of the school’s performance across all tested grades, but the available data suggests a mixed profile: solid math achievement in one grade and a soft spot in reading at another. A parent may want to talk with the school about literacy instruction and support for older elementary students.
When compared with other districts in Stephens County, Empire ES’s overall proficiency index placed it in the top quartile. That is a positive signal relative to nearby schools, though the comparison is based on a limited set of reported results and should be interpreted with that grain of salt. The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. Chronic absenteeism data was also not available.
The town of Duncan, where the school is located, is the county seat of Stephens County and has a history rooted in the oil industry; Halliburton has a major presence there, along with agriculture. The local economy also includes the Chickasaw Nation and the regional hospital. Downtown Duncan has parks and walking trails, and the community has noted recent positive growth. Housing in the area is relatively affordable, with home values and rents well below national averages, which may be a draw for families.
No information about course offerings, special programs, or school-level staffing was available in the data. Whether the school offers gifted programs, intervention services, or enrichment activities is something a prospective family would need to ask directly. The district itself had no publicly reported recent changes, such as curriculum shifts or facility investments, that would alter the school’s character.
Overall, Empire ES presents as a small elementary within a district that performs well relative to its county peers in the limited testing data available. The disparity between math and reading results in the tested grades is worth a closer conversation with the school. For a family looking at the Duncan area, this school sits in a community with a stable economic base and affordable housing, but with relatively little public information on its programs and student supports beyond the basics.
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