The top reported proficiency rate is 23% in English language arts. The lowest is 15% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Spence Memorial Es
Spence Memorial Elementary serves students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in the small, rural town of Weleetka, Oklahoma. The school is part of the Weleetka district and is the only elementary in the community. With an enrollment that is small for a PK–6 building, it draws from a town that has seen steady population decline since losing its railroad-based economy decades ago and now functions as a residential and agricultural trade center.
The student body is notably diverse in racial and ethnic composition. Roughly equal shares of students identify as American Indian or Alaska Native and as White, with a similar proportion identifying as two or more races. Smaller populations of Hispanic, Black, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students are also present. Data on economic disadvantage, special education, and English learner status were not available, so a family looking into the school would benefit from asking the district directly about those support structures.
State assessment results from the most recent testing year show that the share of students scoring proficient or above in math and reading was in the single digits in some grades and in the low twenties in others, with science performance falling in a similar range. Some grade-level results for both math and English language arts were suppressed, which typically happens when the tested group is too small to report publicly. Because the school serves only younger grades, there is no graduation rate to consider. When placed among the five school districts in Okfuskee County, Spence Memorial’s combined proficiency index sits in the top quartile of that small set, meaning that while the raw numbers are modest, the school performs somewhat stronger than its immediate county peers.
No information was available on course offerings, staffing ratios, discipline rates, or chronic absenteeism. The district’s recent changes were not found in public sources, so the narrative cannot speak to any new initiatives or shifts in direction. Housing values in the area are well below both the state and national medians, reflecting the slow-growth, low-cost rural market.
A parent considering this school will find a small, community-rooted elementary in a town that has contracted over many decades. The academic results are low in absolute terms, though the school’s position relative to other districts in the county suggests it is not an outlier in this region. Families who value a close-knit rural setting and want a school where the student body reflects a mix of Native American, White, and multiracial backgrounds may find a good fit here. Because several data points around student support programs and school environment are missing, a direct conversation with the school or district office would fill the gaps that this profile cannot.
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