The top reported proficiency rate is 39% in Science. The lowest is 21% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Purcell Intermediate School
Purcell Intermediate School serves students in third through fifth grades for Purcell Public Schools, a small district in McClain County. The school occupies its own campus in a town that functions as a county seat and a trade hub for surrounding rural communities. Purcell sits along the I-35 corridor and has a downtown with historic buildings, some antique shops and boutiques, and a city lake and golf course for recreation. The town has seen population growth in recent decades, and the district built a new high school campus not long ago, though changes at the intermediate level were not publicly reported. The school itself is a traditional public school, not a charter or magnet, and its grade band means it sits between an elementary school and a middle school in the local progression.
On state assessments administered through Oklahoma’s testing program, Purcell Intermediate’s results place it below the midpoint among districts in McClain County when looking at overall proficiency across math, reading, and science. The proficiency rates vary by subject and grade. In reading, performance is particularly soft, with a notably low result in fourth grade. Math scores are also below what is typical for the county. Science, tested only in fifth grade, comes in a bit higher but still below the middle of the pack. A parent looking at these numbers may want to discuss with the school what supports are in place for students who are not meeting the proficient threshold. Because the state changed its cut scores for reading and math in the most recent testing year, the results are not directly comparable to prior years, which makes it difficult to tell whether performance is improving or declining.
The student body is modest in size, serving a few hundred children. White students make up roughly half the enrollment, Hispanic students about a quarter, and there are notable shares of American Indian students and students identifying as two or more races. Asian and Black students are present in very small numbers. The school did not report the share of students from low-income households, nor the number of students receiving special education services or English learner supports. Those gaps mean a parent would need to ask the school directly about the level of need and the resources available to meet it.
Housing in Purcell is less expensive than the national typical, consistent with a town that promotes a cost of living below the U.S. average. Home values in the area have risen modestly over the past year, in line with state trends. The local unemployment rate is around the national average, and several large employers in the area include state correctional facilities, a municipal hospital, and Tinker Air Force Base within commuting distance.
For a family considering this school, the picture is one of a straightforward intermediate setting in a growing but still small city. The academic results are below the county midpoint, which is the relevant comparison, and the missing information on poverty and special programs leaves questions unanswered. The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to consider. A parent may want to visit the school, ask about its approach to reading and math intervention, and get a sense of how the district’s curriculum and support structures flow from this intermediate school into the upper grades.
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