The top reported proficiency rate is 32% in Science. The lowest is 15% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Velma-alma Ms
Velma-Alma MS is a small public middle school serving grades six through eight in the rural town of Velma, Oklahoma, part of a county where oil and gas extraction anchor the local economy. The enrollment is small, with roughly equal numbers across the three grades. The student body is predominantly white, with a sizable share of students identifying as two or more races, a handful of American Indian or Alaska Native students, and a handful of Hispanic students. Data on economic disadvantage, special education, and English learner status were not available in the reporting, so a family considering the school may want to ask the district directly about those supports.
State testing results from the 2024-25 school year show that proficiency rates across math, English language arts, and science place the school at a low level. In math, the rate for sixth graders was not reported due to suppression; for seventh graders it was below a fifth of students scoring proficient or above, and for eighth graders it was lower still. In English language arts, the pattern was similar: roughly one in six seventh graders and one in eight eighth graders met the proficient bar, with sixth graders slightly above that. Science results for eighth graders were somewhat stronger, with about a third of students reaching proficiency. Compared with other districts in Stephens County, the school’s overall proficiency index sits in the bottom quartile of the nine districts in the county. Oklahoma changed its proficiency cut scores in the same testing year, which can make comparison with prior years difficult; the state notes the change, so these results reflect a new baseline.
Because Velma-Alma MS ends at eighth grade, there is no graduation rate or chronic absenteeism data to report. The school does not appear to offer high school programs or a wide slate of electives, and no information on course access, staffing ratios, or discipline was included in the available records. A parent interested in the breadth of programming would need to follow up with the school directly.
The town of Velma has seen a long-term population decline from a mid-twentieth-century peak, and the 2020 census recorded a small population. Its economy remains tied to oil and gas extraction, with mining and quarrying as the top employment sector. The school is located on Main Street, though no specific information was found about whether it sits near a downtown core or on a separate campus. The community has a nine-hole golf course and an annual Old Settler’s Picnic and Rodeo, but no walkability data or public transit exists for the area; residents are likely car-dependent. The school district itself had no publicly reported recent changes or strategic initiatives that would affect families.
For a family considering this school, the picture is one of a very small rural middle school with academic outcomes that trail most other schools in the county. The low proficiency rates are a soft spot, and a parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand the instructional approach and any efforts underway to raise achievement. The community is tight-knit but shrinking, and housing is likely affordable given the area’s profile. The school offers no special programs or extracurricular breadth that show up in the data, so families seeking a range of electives, advanced coursework, or robust student supports may find the options limited. It is a straightforward, no-frills middle school in a quiet rural setting, best suited for those who value small class sizes and a known local environment over academic performance metrics or program depth.
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