The top reported proficiency rate is 16% in English language arts. The lowest is 8% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Soper Es
Soper Elementary serves students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade in a single building in the small rural town of Soper, Oklahoma, which sits on U.S. Highway 70 in Choctaw County. The school is the only elementary campus in the Soper district, and it houses all students in those grade bands. The town itself is very small, with a long history of population decline from a peak early in the twentieth century down to a modest figure in the 2020 census. The local economy is agricultural, with pasture land and ranching, and the school district itself is one of the few identifiable employers in the area. The town’s historic downtown commercial core was largely destroyed by a tornado and has not been substantially rebuilt, leaving the school and a few churches as primary civic anchors.
The student body is small, and the racial and ethnic composition is notable: a majority of students are American Indian or Alaska Native, with a substantial minority of White students and very small numbers of students from other racial groups. No data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch was available, so a parent who wants to understand the economic profile of the school would need to inquire directly. Similarly, information on students with disabilities and English learners was not reported. It is worth noting that these gaps in data often reflect the reporting practices of small districts rather than an absence of those populations.
On state assessments administered through the Oklahoma School Testing Program, the school’s results register well below statewide averages across tested grades and subjects. In math, proficiency rates were very low in third through seventh grade, with eighth-grade results suppressed to protect student privacy. In English language arts, rates were also low across all tested grades, though there was a modest upward trend from the lower elementary grades through middle school, with seventh graders reaching the highest rate among the cohort. In science, the fifth-grade rate was low, and the eighth-grade result was again suppressed. Overall, the school’s proficiency index placed it below the midpoint when compared to other districts in Choctaw County, a comparison set that includes several similarly situated rural entities. A parent should be aware that Oklahoma changed its cut scores for math and English language arts in this testing cycle, which makes direct year-over-year comparisons unreliable.
Because the school serves only through eighth grade, there is no graduation rate. The building is located within the town itself on St. Louis Street, so students walk or are driven short distances. District-level information on recent changes such as bond measures, curriculum shifts, or staffing updates was not found in publicly available searches, suggesting a period of relative stability but also limited public documentation of the district’s plans and priorities. The school does not have a charter or magnet designation, and Title I status was not reported.
For a family considering Soper Elementary, the central facts are the very low proficiency rates on state tests, the small and rural setting in a town that has been contracting for decades, and the absence of high school grades on this campus. The student composition is majority American Indian, a characteristic that is relatively uncommon statewide and may be a meaningful consideration for some families. A parent who prioritizes strong academic indicators as measured by state assessments will want to investigate further with the school about instructional supports, intervention programs, and how the school addresses the learning needs reflected in these results. A family that values a very small, close-knit rural school where their child will be known by name and where the school is woven into the fabric of a quiet agricultural town may find this environment suitable. Housing in the area is affordable relative to national benchmarks, with home values remaining stable in recent years.
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