The top reported proficiency rate is 25% in Science. The lowest is 8% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on South Coffeyville Es
South Coffeyville Elementary serves students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade in a single school that sits just south of the Kansas state line in a small, rural town. The school is the only elementary and middle-grade building in the South Coffeyville district; older students attend high school elsewhere. With an enrollment that keeps each grade small, the school offers an intimate setting where students move through most of their K-8 years alongside the same peers.
The student body is predominantly white, with a notable share of American Indian or Alaska Native students and a modest representation of students who identify as two or more races. Hispanic and Black students make up smaller portions of the enrollment. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals, receive special education services, or are classified as English learners was not available. A parent may wish to ask the school directly about the level of support available for students with identified learning needs.
State testing results from the most recent school year show that proficiency rates were low across the tested grades and subjects. In math, the only grade with a reported rate was fourth grade, where roughly a third of students scored proficient or above, and seventh grade, where the rate was far lower. In English language arts, the three grades with reported results all showed proficiency rates below one in ten. Science results were available for eighth grade, where a quarter of students met the proficiency bar. Several grade-level results were suppressed, a common practice when the number of tested students is very small, which makes it difficult to draw firm conclusions about those groups. Compared to other districts in Nowata County, the school’s overall proficiency index sat just above the midpoint of the three districts, meaning it is neither the highest nor the lowest in its immediate county.
The town of South Coffeyville is a compact border community with a declining population. Its commercial district is small, consisting of a handful of convenience stores, salons, a thrift store, and a bar, alongside a bank, a rural medical clinic, a chiropractor, a salvage yard, and a lumber yard. The South Coffeyville Stockyards are described as an important local business. Four churches and a town library serve as civic anchors. Housing in the area is notably affordable relative to state and national benchmarks, which may be a factor for families considering a move. The town functions as a bedroom community in some respects, given that its residents often cross into Coffeyville, Kansas, for services, intercity bus connections, and the nearest airport.
No recent parent-relevant changes to the district, such as boundary shifts, program launches, or leadership turnover, were found in publicly available records. The district appears to have been stable in its operations, with no announced disruptions. Parents evaluating the school should note that the testing data points to significant academic challenges, particularly in English language arts across multiple grades. The very small cohort sizes mean that a single student’s performance can shift a grade-level rate noticeably, but the pattern across grades and subjects suggests a school where many students are not reaching grade-level benchmarks. A family considering this school may want to talk with the principal or teachers about what academic interventions and enrichment are in place, and how the school supports students who are below proficiency. For those who value a tight-knit, rural school where every family is known, South Coffeyville Elementary offers that environment, but the academic results warrant a direct conversation about how the school is working to improve them.
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