The top reported proficiency rate is 77% in Science. The lowest is 24% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Medford Es
Medford ES serves students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade in a single building, making it the sole elementary and middle school for Medford Public Schools. The school sits in Medford, a small rural county seat in north-central Oklahoma near the Kansas border. The town has a compact downtown core anchored by the Grant County Courthouse, and the surrounding landscape is dominated by wheat fields and grain elevators. Medford’s population has been in a long-term decline, but the town is actively pursuing industrial growth, including a rebuild of the ONEOK natural gas processing plant and plans for a second industrial park. The school’s campus is close to the center of town, consistent with the community’s very small geographic footprint.
The student body is small for a PK-8 school, and the demographic profile is predominantly white, with a smaller share of students who are Hispanic and a modest share identifying as two or more races. Information on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals, receive special education services, or are English learners was not available in the data, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about these supports. The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. The data also did not include information on discipline, staffing, or attendance.
State testing results for the 2024-25 school year are limited. Oklahoma changed the cut scores for its English language arts and math assessments that year, which means the results are not directly comparable to prior years. Many of the school’s grade-level results are suppressed because the tested student groups are too small to report publicly. That is a common pattern in very small rural schools and does not necessarily indicate a problem. Among the results that are available, eighth graders showed a strong proficiency rate in science. In math, the eighth-grade proficiency rate was lower, and in seventh-grade English language arts, about a third of students met the proficiency bar. Because so many other grade levels and subjects are suppressed, it is difficult to get a full picture of academic performance across the school. The available data positions Medford ES favorably relative to the other school districts in Grant County, though the county has only three districts, so that comparison should be read with that limited context in mind.
The school offers a single academic pathway through eighth grade, after which students would move on to a high school setting. The data did not include information on course offerings, advanced programs, or career-focused pathways, likely because the school does not serve high school grades where those are typically tracked. A parent interested in the school’s curriculum or enrichment opportunities would need to contact the school directly.
Housing in Medford is relatively affordable. Home values are well below the national typical, and the local housing stock is a mix of owner-occupied and rental units, with a notable share of vacant homes reflecting the area’s population decline. The town has a public library, a park, a swimming pool, and a golf course. The nearest hospital is in a nearby town, not in Medford itself.
The district has not seen major recent changes that would affect families, based on the available information. The school’s small size and rural setting will appeal to families who want a close-knit environment where the same building serves children from early childhood through middle school. The limited testing data makes it hard to fully judge academic performance, but the school’s relative standing within its county suggests it is a solid option for the area.
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