The top reported proficiency rate is 19% in Science. The lowest is 7% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Seiling Jr-sr Hs (jr)
Seiling Jr-Sr HS (JR) serves students in grades seven through nine, a three-year junior high span that separates younger adolescents from the upper high school grades in the same building. The school is part of Seiling Public Schools, the single district serving the small, highway-crossroads town in northwestern Oklahoma’s Dewey County. Seiling’s economy is rooted in agriculture, oil and gas production, wind energy, and the services that support a rural trade area. The town’s population has been stable but small over the long term, and the school is a central institution in community life.
The student body is small. Most students are white, with a notable share identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native, as well as a smaller presence of students of two or more races and a very small Hispanic population. Data on the share of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals, on students with disabilities, and on English learners was not reported, so a parent cannot assess the level of economic or learning support need from the available records. The school’s grade band means that typical high school outcome measures, such as a graduation rate, do not apply here; those would be tracked at the high school level once these students reach grades ten through twelve.
State assessment results are available for seventh and eighth grade in math, English language arts, and science, though the state changed its scoring thresholds in math and English language arts for this testing year, which makes direct year-over-year comparison unreliable. For seventh grade math, the share of students scoring at the proficient or advanced level was modest, and for seventh grade English language arts it was lower still. Eighth grade math results were suppressed and not reported. Eighth grade English language arts results were very low by an absolute measure. Eighth grade science results were somewhat higher than the English language arts figure, but still in a range that most families would consider low. When compared against other districts in Dewey County on a composite proficiency measure across tested subjects and grades, this school placed in the bottom quartile. A parent looking at these numbers should understand that the cohort sizes are very small, so a single year’s result can swing noticeably, but the pattern across subjects is consistent and points to a significant academic challenge.
The school does not appear to be a charter or magnet, and no information was available on whether it receives Title I funding. Data on discipline rates, staffing ratios, course access, and chronic absenteeism were missing from the record. Without that information, it is hard to assess the school’s climate or the breadth of academic pathways available to students in these junior high grades. Given that this is a rural district with a small enrollment, students may have limited elective and advanced course offerings compared to larger schools, though the available data does not confirm or deny that.
Housing in the zip code area has a median value well below national and state benchmarks, making Seiling an affordable place for families buying a home. The typical mortgage payment on a median-priced home would be manageable relative to national household income figures, though local income data for Seiling specifically was not available. Rent and shelter costs nationally have been rising steadily.
There was little public information about recent changes within the Seiling district itself. No major budget events, leadership turnover, facility projects, or program additions were found in a search of district-level developments. A parent weighing this school should consider visiting and asking directly about the academic supports available for students who are not yet at grade level, the extent of any advanced or enrichment programming for students who are ready for more challenge, and how the school prepares ninth graders for the transition into the upper high school grades in the same building. The school’s small size and rural setting mean that the student experience will be tightly integrated with the community, for better and for worse, and families who value that intimacy will find it here.
See more original research from School Decision →