The top reported proficiency rate is 17% in Science. The lowest is 14% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Varnum Es
Varnum Elementary serves students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade in a single building that houses the entire district’s younger grades. The school is part of the Varnum district, and it draws from parts of Seminole, a small city with an oil-boom history that has settled into a stable, modest population. Housing values in the area are well below national averages, and the local economy blends light manufacturing, petroleum work, and Seminole State College.
The student body is small, with a demographic mix that includes a substantial share of white students, a meaningful share of American Indian or Alaska Native students, and a similar share of students who identify as two or more races. Hispanic students make up a smaller portion, while Black and Asian student populations are minimal. State 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 reported, leaving family economic and learning-support contexts unclear for anyone looking at this data alone.
State assessment results show that proficiency rates across tested grades and subjects are consistently low. In math, the rates in grade three and grade six were each in the mid-teens, and fourth-grade math was notably lower. Grade seven math was somewhat higher. Results for fifth-grade math and eighth-grade math were suppressed, meaning the numbers were not reported, which sometimes happens with small tested groups. In English language arts, fourth-grade and fifth-grade results were in the single digits, sixth grade was around a quarter of students meeting the bar, seventh grade was below that, and eighth grade was again very low. Third-grade reading results were suppressed. Science results for fifth and eighth grade were both below a fifth of students reaching proficiency. Compared to other districts in Seminole County, Varnum Elementary’s overall proficiency index sits below the midpoint of the group. Because the state changed its cut scores for math and English language arts in recent years, comparing this year’s results directly to prior years is not possible from this data alone, but the current numbers are clearly low by any standard.
The school serves grades that do not include high school, so there is no graduation rate to report, and no data was available on chronic absenteeism or discipline. No information about program offerings, such as gifted education, music, art, or extracurriculars, was provided. The district profile did not turn up any recent changes or initiatives of note.
For a family considering this school, the most important takeaway is the academic picture. State test scores are consistently low across all subjects and grade levels, and a parent would want to investigate further with the school how instruction is delivered, what supports are in place for students who are behind, and what the school’s own goals are for improvement. The small size means classes are modest, and the pre-K through eighth-grade configuration keeps students in the same building through middle school, which can provide stability. But the numbers point to a school where many students are not reaching grade-level benchmarks, and that is the central fact a family would need to weigh.
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