The top reported proficiency rate is 38% in Math. The lowest is 28% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Hollis Es
Hollis Elementary School serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in the small farming community of Hollis, the seat of Harmon County in far southwestern Oklahoma. The school is part of the Hollis Public Schools district, which is the only school district in the county. Whether you are considering moving to the area or already live here and want to understand this school, a few things will help you see what it offers.
The elementary is a single building that houses all of the district’s youngest students. The community itself is tightly knit, centered on a single stoplight at the intersection of U.S. Highway 62 and State Highway 30. Agriculture drives the local economy – cotton, wheat, peanuts, and livestock – and several small processing plants and a livestock auction provide jobs. The town has experienced a steady drop in population over recent decades, and home values here sit well below both the state and national averages, with recent downward movement that reflects the area’s broader economic headwinds.
For a parent, the most direct question is how the school performs academically. State testing data from the most recent year gives a mixed picture. In fourth-grade math, a substantial share of students scored at or above the proficient benchmark. Fifth-grade math and fifth-grade English language arts showed lower shares at that level. Results for third graders, as well as for reading in the third and fourth grades, were not publicly reported because the tested groups were very small – a common situation in a school of this size where reporting rules kick in to protect student privacy. Science results for fifth grade were also suppressed for the same reason. What this means in practice is that the school does have some areas of relative strength, particularly in the lower tested grades, but a parent may want to look into individual student progress more closely, since the public numbers only capture part of the picture. The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to consider.
The student body is small, typical for a rural elementary, and it is diverse. More than half of the children identify as Hispanic, about a quarter as White, and the remainder as two or more races, Black, or American Indian. Data on how many students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, how many receive special education services, and how many are English learners were not available in the public records used here. That is a meaningful gap; a family with a child who has an individualized education program or who is learning English would want to ask the school directly about those supports and staffing.
The school environment data – such as discipline rates, course access, employee-to-student ratios, and attendance patterns – was also absent from the material reviewed. For a small rural school district, these details often do not appear in the same public databases that larger districts populate. Again, asking the school directly would fill in those blanks.
Because Harmon County has only one school district, there is no basis to compare Hollis Elementary against a neighboring district on measures like proficiency or chronic absenteeism. The school stands on its own in this community.
In terms of the broader setting, Hollis is a place where the school and town life are tightly woven together. The district office sits on Main Street, the county courthouse anchors the downtown, and civic life revolves around the same stoplight. Public transit is absent, and the nearest larger towns – Altus to the east, Interstate 40 to the north – are a drive away. The district itself does not appear to have undergone any major recent changes that would affect day-to-day operations, based on the available research.
For a family, Hollis Elementary offers a small, community-centered school in a rural town that is stable but economically challenged. The academic results are a mix, with stronger math performance in one grade and softer results elsewhere. The lack of publicly reported data on key support programs means a proactive conversation with the school would be wise. The school fits a family that values a close-knit setting and is willing to look beyond the limited public numbers to understand what their own child will experience.
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