Original Research by School Decision on Thomas Edison Preparatory Hs
Thomas Edison Preparatory High School is a comprehensive public high school in Tulsa, serving grades nine through twelve. It operates within Tulsa Public Schools, the state’s largest district. The school is located in a residential area of midtown Tulsa, a city that has diversified its economy beyond its historical oil base into finance, aviation, and technology. Housing values in the zip code are above the national median, and monthly rents are moderate relative to household incomes.
The student body is roughly a thousand, making it a mid-sized high school for its grade band. The composition is majority white, with a strong Hispanic presence, followed by smaller Black, two-or-more-races, and American Indian or Alaska Native groups. Asian and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students make up a very small share. 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 provided, so a family would need to inquire directly with the school about those supports.
State testing data for the school was not available in the records examined, and neither was a graduation rate. Because the school serves grades nine through twelve, testing and graduation metrics would normally be expected, but the data was simply absent in what was provided. The comparison fact-set that positions schools relative to districts in Tulsa County could not compute several key measures—overall proficiency, four-year graduation rate, and chronic absenteeism—for the same reason. A parent may want to ask the school or district for current assessment results and graduation outcomes to get a fuller picture of academic performance.
The school does not operate as a charter school, and its magnet and Title I status were not specified. No information was available on discipline rates, course access, staffing ratios, or attendance patterns. The records also did not include any program offerings such as Advanced Placement, career and technical education, or dual-credit pathways. Given that the school’s name includes “Preparatory,” a parent may want to ask directly about the academic focus, course rigor, and any special programs or pathways that define the school’s identity.
The district has been under scrutiny. In 2023, the Oklahoma State Board of Education lowered Tulsa Public Schools’ accreditation to “accredited with deficiencies” due to low academic performance scores and library book policy concerns. The district remains operational but is working to address those deficiencies. In 2024, voters approved a substantial bond package for facility improvements, safety, technology, and transportation across all school sites, without raising property tax millage rates. Also in 2024, the district closed two elementary schools as part of a portfolio review process driven by declining district enrollment, which has dropped from a higher figure to a lower one over recent years. That right-sizing effort may continue and could affect feeder patterns that feed into Edison.
Tulsa itself is a city with a downtown known for its Art Deco architecture and a set of major cultural institutions—the Gilcrease Museum, the Woody Guthrie Center, and the Greenwood Rising history center. The metro area has grown steadily, and the local economy has broadened beyond energy to include aviation, finance, and technology. Higher education options within the city include the University of Tulsa, Oral Roberts University, and satellite campuses of Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma.
What is missing from this profile is substantial. Without state test results, a graduation rate, or program details, the central academic story of Thomas Edison Preparatory High School cannot be told from the data at hand. A family would need to gather those directly from the school or district office. What can be said is that the school serves a diverse student population in a stable midtown neighborhood within a district that has been working through accreditation challenges and enrollment decline, and that the city around it offers a broad economic and cultural base.
See more original research from School Decision →