The top reported proficiency rate is 10% in Science. The lowest is 3% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Wheeler Ms
Wheeler Middle School serves fifth through eighth grade within the Oklahoma City Public Schools system. The school sits just southeast of downtown Oklahoma City, a sprawling state capital that combines a dense core of government and energy-industry offices with vast stretches of residential suburbs and industrial zones. The city has invested heavily in downtown revitalization through its MAPS program, which has funded a convention center, a downtown park, and a streetcar system linking entertainment districts. Economic anchors include Tinker Air Force Base, the oil and gas sector, and state government. The area immediately around Wheeler, in the 73129 zip code, has home values notably lower than the state median, and rents have been rising in a market that remains less expensive than the national average.
The student body at Wheeler is large for a middle school serving only those four grades. Hispanic students make up the great majority of the enrollment, with much smaller shares of White, Black, American Indian or Alaska Native, and multiracial students. The school draws from a neighborhood where housing is relatively affordable by metro standards, which shapes the community that feeds into it. Free or reduced-price meal eligibility data was not available, and information on students with disabilities and English learners was also not reported in the school's profile.
On state assessments administered in 2024-25, proficiency rates at Wheeler were very low across all tested subjects and grade levels. In math, the share of students reaching the Proficient or Above level was in the low single digits for fifth, seventh, and eighth grades, and slightly higher for sixth grade. Reading and language arts results followed a similar pattern, with proficiency in the low single digits for every grade. Science results were stronger by comparison but still low: fifth-grade science proficiency was modestly higher, and eighth-grade science reached a higher level than any other tested subject or grade. It is important to note that Oklahoma changed cut scores for math and English language arts assessments that year, which can affect comparability with prior years. Overall, the school's proficiency index placed it in the bottom quartile among districts in Oklahoma County. A parent looking at these results would want to ask the school directly what academic interventions, tutoring, or curriculum supports are in place and how the school measures growth for students who are not yet at the proficient level.
Because Wheeler does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report. Data on chronic absenteeism and discipline were not available, so it is not possible to characterize the school's attendance climate or behavioral environment from this data set. Information about program offerings, such as whether the school provides gifted-and-talented services, music and arts, or extracurricular activities, was also absent from the available records. A parent should inquire about these directly, as they can form a meaningful part of the middle school experience.
The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. It operates under the Oklahoma City district, which has pursued bond measures for facilities and capital improvements, though specific recent referendum details were not captured in the profile.
For a family considering Wheeler, the picture is straightforward. This is a large middle school serving a predominantly Hispanic student body in a lower-cost urban neighborhood. The district is part of a growing city with significant public investment in infrastructure and downtown amenities. The academic proficiency numbers, as reported, are very low across the board, and the eighth-grade science result, while the strongest relative spot, still leaves a large majority of students below the proficient threshold. Any family would want to dig into the school's plans for accelerating student learning, how it supports students who are behind, and what enrichment opportunities exist outside the tested curriculum.
See more original research from School Decision →