The top reported proficiency rate is 30% in English language arts. The lowest is 12% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Empire Ms
Empire Middle School serves about one hundred students in sixth through eighth grade and is part of the Empire school district, a small rural district whose address places it on a county road outside of Duncan, Oklahoma. The school itself is not a charter or magnet school, and its Title I status was not reported. The district covers a sparsely populated area, and the school draws from a community that has deep ties to the oilfield industry and agriculture. Duncan, the county seat of Stephens County, is the closest town of any size, and it carries a history tied to Halliburton’s founding, cattle ranching, and railroad commerce. The housing market in the broader area is relatively affordable compared to state and national benchmarks, and the local economy has been described as stable, with the Duncan Area Economic Development Foundation working to sustain growth.
On state assessments, which are the Oklahoma School Testing Program, the results for Empire Middle School are mixed and, for several tested groups, suppressed. The suppression means that the number of students tested in a particular grade and subject was too small to report publicly, a common occurrence in a school this size. For the grades and subjects where results are available, the proficiency rates are low. In mathematics, the seventh-grade cohort had a modest share of students scoring at the proficient or above level, while the eighth-grade group’s rate was much lower. In English language arts, the eighth-grade group had a somewhat higher but still modest share reaching proficiency; results for sixth and seventh grade were suppressed. Science results for eighth grade were also suppressed. Across the school, the overall proficiency index places Empire Middle School in the bottom quartile among districts in Stephens County, based on the nine districts in the county that had comparable data. A parent considering this school may want to ask the school directly about the specific strategies they use to support students who are below grade level in math and reading, as well as about instruction in science, where public data is sparse.
The student body is predominantly white, with smaller shares identifying as Hispanic, American Indian or Alaska Native, and two or more races. No data was available for the percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, nor for those receiving special education services or English learner support. Those are meaningful gaps; families may wish to ask the district about the resources available for students with learning differences or those who are still building English proficiency, since those supports are often a key part of the middle school experience.
The school environment data is limited. There is no reported information on discipline rates, chronic absenteeism, or staffing ratios. The district brief did not identify any recent curriculum changes, referendums, or major policy shifts that would directly affect a middle school family. The lack of such changes is not unusual for a small rural district, but it means that a resident moving into the area or considering enrollment has little public documentation to rely on for recent direction.
The community of Duncan offers some civic and cultural anchors, including parks, a history museum, and the Chisholm Trail Heritage Center, and the area has a mix of industrial and agricultural employment. The school itself sits outside the city limits, so the daily commute would involve rural roads. Housing costs in the zip code are moderate, and rents are below the national average, which could be a factor for families weighing affordability.
Empire Middle School is a small school where academic proficiency on state tests is a soft spot relative to other schools in the county. The available data suggests that a family considering this school would benefit from a direct conversation with the principal or teachers about how the school identifies and assists students who are not yet meeting grade-level standards, especially given that some results are suppressed and the overall picture is incomplete.
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