The top reported proficiency rate is 23% in Science. The lowest is 6% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Keota Es
Keota ES is a public school in the Keota Public Schools district that serves students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade in the small, remote rural town of Keota, Oklahoma. The school operates within a setting that has experienced a long-term population decline, a fact that frames any discussion of the community’s resources and trajectory. The school itself is integrated into the town’s low-density grid, rather than sitting on a separate campus.
Enrollment is relatively small, and the student body is predominantly white, with a substantial share of students who are American Indian or Alaska Native. Smaller numbers of Asian, two-or-more-races, and Hispanic students round out the demographic picture. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, as well as counts of students with disabilities and English learners, was not available in the records used for this profile. A parent interested in these dimensions of student support should follow up directly with the school.
State testing results from the most recent school year paint a clear picture of low overall academic proficiency. The school’s overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades places it above the midpoint when measured against other districts in Haskell County, though the absolute rates are very low. In mathematics, the share of students scoring at the proficient level or above was in the low single digits in several tested grades and no higher than roughly one in ten students in any tested grade. In English language arts, proficiency rates were somewhat higher but still weak, ranging from about one in ten to roughly one in four students across grades. Science results were in a similar range: about one in five fifth graders and one in four eighth graders scored proficient or above. A meaningful number of results were suppressed in the public data, which often occurs when small group sizes prevent reliable reporting. This is common in a school of this size, but it does mean the available scores represent an incomplete picture.
The state assessment system underwent a cut-score change in recent years, which the state flags as a factor that may affect year-over-year comparability. That change, combined with the small number of students tested in each grade, means the reported rates should be understood as a starting point rather than a precise, trendable measure. A parent looking for a school with strong or improving state test results will want to look into this further with the school or district.
No graduation rate is reported because the school does not serve high school grades. There was no information available on course access, staffing levels, or discipline patterns, so it is not possible to describe those dimensions of the school environment here. The district brief turned up no recent major initiatives or boundary changes of note for this small rural system.
Housing in the Keota area is affordable relative to state and national benchmarks. Home values are well below the Oklahoma median, and the estimated monthly mortgage cost on a typical home is modest. The town sits on the banks of Kerr Lake and near the Port of Keota, a stop on the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System, which has drawn some light industry. These are the main local economic features beyond agriculture and the school district itself.
This school fits a family looking for a small, rural, community-anchored setting where the school is woven into the town rather than isolated from it. The academic proficiency numbers are low, and a parent who places a high priority on state test performance should investigate further. For a family already rooted in Keota, this is the local elementary and middle school. For a family considering a move into town, the affordable housing and rural lifestyle are the main draw; the academic data warrants close attention.
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