The top reported proficiency rate is 15% in Math. The lowest is 5% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Garfield Es
Garfield Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Ponca City, a small city in north-central Oklahoma whose economy and history are closely tied to the petroleum industry. The Phillips 66 refinery remains the largest employer, but the city has experienced a steady population decline since a major corporate reduction moved jobs out, and recent efforts have sought to diversify into technology, manufacturing, and service sectors. The school sits within the Ponca City district.
The student body is diverse in its composition. No one racial or ethnic group forms a heavy majority, though a plurality of students are white. The school also enrolls a notable share of students who are Hispanic, and the populations of American Indian or Alaska Native students and students identifying as two or more races are each about the same size. Smaller numbers of Black students and Asian students round out the enrollment. This is a school with a mix of backgrounds.
State testing results for the most recent year show low proficiency rates in reading and mathematics across the grades that are tested. In third grade, the share of students meeting the state’s proficient or above standard was modest in math and very low in English language arts. Fourth grade results were low in both subjects. Fifth grade results were lower still in math and English language arts, and the science proficiency rate was similarly low. Compared to other school districts within Kay County, Garfield Elementary’s overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quarter of the comparison group. The state changed its cut scores for the reading and math assessments in this year, which makes direct comparisons to prior years uncertain. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand the support structures in place and how the school is addressing student learning.
The school’s enrollment is relatively small for an elementary serving kindergarten through fifth grade, with a roughly balanced distribution across grade levels. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch was not available, so the socioeconomic profile of the student body is not directly observable from the information at hand. Information on the school’s staffing, such as teacher-to-student ratios or teacher experience, and on chronic absenteeism and discipline was also absent from the data provided, which leaves gaps in understanding the school environment.
Housing in Ponca City is notably more affordable than the national median, and rents are also modest. The mortgage and rent costs are similar to one another when estimated monthly, so the choice between buying and renting may come down more to a family’s long-term plans than to a stark affordability difference.
Garfield Elementary is a neighborhood school serving a diverse student population in a community whose economic anchor remains the oil refinery, but whose population trajectory has been one of gradual decline. The academic picture, based on the latest state assessments, is one where proficiency rates are low across subjects and grades, and the school stands in the lower portion of its county for performance. For a family considering this school, the primary questions likely center on the specific academic support, intervention, and enrichment programs the school offers, since the testing data alone does not capture what a classroom experience looks like day to day.
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