The top reported proficiency rate is 24% in Science. The lowest is 5% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Southern Hills Es
Southern Hills Elementary serves students from pre-kindergarten through fourth grade as part of Oklahoma City Public Schools, the state’s largest district. The school sits in the southern part of Oklahoma City, a sprawling capital that covers an enormous land area and blends a dense downtown core with vast stretches of residential suburbs and industrial zones. The city’s economy is anchored by oil and gas, federal employment at Tinker Air Force Base and the FAA’s aeronautical center, livestock markets, and state government. A voter-approved penny sales tax program known as MAPS has funded downtown revitalization for decades, and the city has been on a sustained growth trajectory.
Southern Hills Elementary enrolls a student body that is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial share of Black students and smaller shares of students who are white, of two or more races, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Asian. The free-or-reduced-price lunch data was not available, so the share of students from low-income households is not reported here by this dataset. The elementary serves only early grades, ending at fourth grade, which means there is no graduation rate, as that measure does not apply.
State testing results for the most recent school year show a clear challenge. In third-grade math, a very small share of students scored at the proficient level, and in fourth-grade math the share was even smaller. On the English language arts side, the pattern was similar: a very small share of third graders met the proficient bar, and a similarly small share of fourth graders did. Science testing from an earlier year, when the school still served fifth grade, showed a notably higher share of students reaching proficiency, but that data is several years old and the state changed its cut scores for math and reading, making trend comparisons uncertain. The state’s testing framework shifted in ways the school has little control over, and the overall proficiency index for Southern Hills placed the school in the bottom quartile among elementary schools across Oklahoma County’s districts. A parent considering this school will want to investigate what academic supports and interventions are in place, as the proficiency rates are well below what many families expect from a public elementary.
The school is part of Oklahoma City Public Schools, a district that pre-kindergarten through fourth grade teachers working alongside the broader district's initiatives. Publicly reported information indicates the district has pursued bond measures and capital improvement projects in recent years, but specific details about the most recent bond referendum or the district’s strategic academic priorities were not available in the data provided.
Housing in the area around the school is moderately priced relative to national benchmarks. Home values in the zip code are below the state average, and rents are also below that mark. For a family looking to buy in the school’s attendance zone, the estimated monthly mortgage payment falls below the typical rent, which may make homeownership a more attainable option than renting. The unemployment rate in the broader economy has been stable and moderate.
Southern Hills Elementary is a small public school serving a young grade span. Its student demographics reflect the diversity of its part of Oklahoma City. The academic proficiency data presents a clear area of concern, with results that are among the lowest in the county. A parent evaluating this school should seek a direct conversation with the principal or a visit to the classroom to understand the school’s instructional approach, intervention programs, and how it works to move students toward grade-level mastery in the early years before they move on to a middle school.
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