The top reported proficiency rate is 9% in Science. The lowest is 5% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Wayman Tisdale Fine Arts Acad
Wayman Tisdale Fine Arts Academy sits within Tulsa, a city that long anchored its identity in oil and has since broadened into aviation, finance, and technology. The downtown core preserves a striking collection of Art Deco buildings, and the city’s cultural institutions—museums, performance venues, a history center commemorating the Tulsa Race Massacre—give the area a civic texture that matters to families who value urban amenities. The city has seen steady population growth, and its economy now draws from a mix of energy, aerospace, and telecommunications employers.
The school belongs to Tulsa Public Schools, the state’s largest district. That district has been under pressure. In 2023, the Oklahoma State Board of Education lowered its accreditation to “accredited with deficiencies,” citing low academic performance and a dispute over library materials. Voters approved a large bond package in 2024 that will fund facility upgrades, safety, and technology without raising property tax millage, but the district also closed two elementary schools in 2024 as part of a right-sizing effort prompted by declining enrollment. These developments mean families enrolling at any TPS school are entering a district actively managing financial and academic challenges.
Wayman Tisdale serves pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. Its name signals a focus on fine arts, though specific program details—course offerings, performance ensembles, partnerships—are not available in the source data. Enrollment sits at a size that is typical for a Tulsa elementary. The student body is racially and ethnically diverse: roughly a quarter of students are Black, a quarter Hispanic, a quarter White, and a substantial share identify as two or more races, with a smaller number of Native American students. Data on economic disadvantage and special education identification were not reported, so a parent cannot yet gauge the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals or receive special services.
On state assessments administered in spring 2025, proficiency rates were very low across all tested grades and subjects. In mathematics, the share of students scoring proficient or above was in the single digits in third, fourth, and fifth grades. In English language arts, results were similarly low, with the highest rate appearing in fifth grade, still below one in ten students. Science proficiency in fifth grade also landed in that same range. It is important to note that Oklahoma changed its cut scores for math and ELA in recent years, which makes direct trend comparisons uncertain, but even accounting for that shift, the school’s performance sits well below typical levels. When measured against all districts in Tulsa County, Wayman Tisdale’s overall proficiency index falls in the bottom quartile. A parent considering this school would want to ask what instructional supports are in place and how the school is working to raise achievement.
The housing market in the school’s zip code is more affordable than the state and national averages. Home values are below Oklahoma’s typical level and have been stable with a slight recent decline. Rents are modest relative to income, and the cost of renting is lower than the estimated monthly mortgage payment on a median-priced home, which may factor into a family’s calculation about living in this part of Tulsa.
Because the school serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to examine, and no data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, or staffing ratios were provided. The academic picture, however, is clear and sobering. Wayman Tisdale Fine Arts Academy is an intentionally named arts-focused school in a large urban district facing accreditation scrutiny and enrollment shifts, and its state test results are among the lowest in Tulsa County. Families who value the arts emphasis may want to investigate how that focus is implemented day to day and what academic supports are layered into the program.
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