While there has been a chronic teacher shortage in the overall state of Oklahoma, its capital, Oklahoma City, has been able to hold its own in terms of highly rated educational institutions and improving on those that are at a lower tier.
The city has a vast number of private institutions as well, some with national accolades. There is a strong representation of religious-based educational institutions in the state capital.
In total, there are nearly 500 OKC schools encompassing private, public, and charter.
If you live in the city or you’re just moving there, here’s a guide to schools in Oklahoma City, OK.
OKC Public Schools
The public school system in OKC is referred to as Oklahoma City Public Schools (OKCPS) and attends to over 40,000 students. It is the biggest school district in the entire state.
The public school system also has two alternative high schools to meet the needs of students whose needs are not met by traditional high schools.
Contrary to popular belief, alternative high schools not only cater to students with behavioral issues but generally to students who have difficulty adjusting to a regular high school system.
Due to the schools being multicultural, nearly 20,000 students are bilingual, and another significant percentage are English language learners.
The main languages are spoken at the school or English close to 60% in Spanish, just 40%.
Other cultural representations are Asian and Native American, with the former being only an average of 2 percent over the years.
Some of the students in OKCPS need assistance due to disabilities or special needs, so many special education programs are offered in the district.
They also provide thousands of meals daily as the school district is part of the CEP program and comprises breakfast and lunch.
More than 12,000 students rely on the school for transportation on a daily basis. OKC schools consistently reach out to family members to participate in their children’s learning to build trust, especially with the diversity of the school community.
The school district has been imploring parents and residents to become substitute teachers to prevent any interruption in the education flow when teachers are unavailable.
Meanwhile, the city is home to many tertiary level instructions including, the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City University, the University of Central Oklahoma, and Mid-America Christian University.
Most colleges are ranked high at all levels and are all affordable, whether for in-state or out-of-state students.
School Districts
In Oklahoma City, there are 12 school districts. There’s Oklahoma City Public Schools, which services grades pre-K through 12th-grade students.
Edmond is ranked as one of the best school districts, which is just north of the city.
The Mustang School District is popular due to the three gymnasiums, massive band room, and overall great performance of its high school, which serves approximately 3,000 students.
The overall district serves nearly 12,000 students from PK-12 and has an average student-teacher ratio of 18 to 1. The students' test scores in Mustang are generally above the state average in mathematics and reading.
Some of the cities that fall into the school districts include The Village, Nichols Hills, Wheatland, Bethany, Midwest City, and Warr Acres.
High Schools That Serve OKC
You’ll find that there are nine high schools that are serving OKC, and the highest rank is the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics (OSSM). Regardless of OSSM being the top school, all the high schools in OKC have a high rating.
This is unlike many cities across the country where there’s usually a divide among the schools. The high schools in OKC are all very diverse. On Niche.com, which is highly regarded for its ranking system, none of the high schools has less than a B-rating.
Moore High School
Moore High School is one of the sought-after secondary education institutions in Oklahoma City. The school is way above average and its student body, which is usually less than 2,500, comprises a balanced student-teacher ratio of 20 to 1.
Students normally fare well in the national test scores with great proficiency in math and reading. Most students turn up for classes frequently.
Middle Schools That Serve OKC
Thirteen middle schools in OKC are accessible to students across the huge school district, while the private middle schools outweigh that number.
Many of the middle schools are privately operated.
John Marshall Middle School
John Marshall is one of the smaller OKC schools with just over 200 students. The student-teacher ratio is 14 to 1, and the school has only grades 7 and 8.
Close to 70 percent of the school population is a minority, specifically African American. Hispanics and whites are usually close in percentage. John Marshall Middle School is part of the Oklahoma City Public School District.
Roosevelt Middle School
Roosevelt Middle School has been making a sustained effort to get its math and reading proficiency above the state average through additional educational programs and the involvement of the community.
It is in proximity to the U.S. Grant High School. More than 900 students are in grades 6-8, most of whom are eligible for free lunch.
Elementary Schools That Serve OKC
One hundred and forty elementary schools are spread across OKC, most of which have been doing well in terms of scores on state and national tests, assisting disadvantaged students, and operating above-average annually.
There are still a number of schools that have a lot of work to do in terms of getting their students up to par.
The schools that perform well are mainly private institutions.
John Glenn Elementary School
This school, which is located on South Land Avenue, has been struggling to have its students progress year over year. Most students are unfortunately not performing at grade level.
The school is making a sustained effort to correct the issues there with a student-teacher ratio of 15 to 1 for pre-kindergarten and K-4. The school accommodates close to 600 students.
Their student body is the biggest in the Western Heights School District.
Private Schools That Serve OKC
Approximately 80 percent of private OKC schools have religious affiliations, most of which are either Christian or Catholic.
Most of the schools are accredited by either the Oklahoma State Department of Education or the Oklahoma Private School Accreditation Commission.
Others fall under the National Association of Private Schools or the Association of Christian Schools International. They offer classes that prepare their students for college.
More than 300 private institutions make up more than 50 percent of overall OKC schools. Many of them are Greater Oklahoma City Chamber members.
Christian Schools in OKC
Scores of Christian schools serve families across OKC, whether or not they are of religious background. The Christian and Catholic schools in the city are ranked highest on every legitimate site that evaluates schools’ overall performances from K-12.
Some of the Christian schools are interdenominational and train students from pre-K to college preparatory level.
Catholic Schools
Three of the Catholic schools are the only ones to fall into the Blue Ribbon category in not just OKC schools but the entire state.
Blue Ribbon is a national recognition for overall excellence meaning there is no significant disparity in education among the student population at the institution.
One hundred percent of the students at all Catholic high schools in OKC graduate. Catholic schools involve their students in religious activities such as Mass and frequent prayer.
Catholic schools in the city fall under the Oklahoma City Archdiocese.
OKC Charter Schools
The charter school program in OKC has grown exponentially over the years, the majority of which are sponsored by OKCPS. Charter schools aim to give parents greater options for their children and to improve the overall performance of the school districts.
Both middle and high charter school enrollments combined is in the region of 1,000 students. The programs vary across each school, with some offering academically challenging programs. Some of the schools operate virtually.
There are 24 public charter schools in the Oklahoma City area.
Astec Charter School
Astec Charter Middle School is an above-average school, which is highly acknowledged by students and the community.
More than 45% of the teachers have more than five years of experience, while the school meets the state average in terms of the student-to-teacher ratio of 16 to 1.
The school is 50/50 when it comes to gender, and more than 90 percent are Hispanic.
Astec High School, a charter school, guarantees a scholarship for its graduates to OKC Community College for an associate’s degree.
Finally, there is much diversity in OKC schools but also much disparity when it comes to learning and making it to high school graduation.
The great thing is that the communities are being more hands-on, and many people volunteer to be substitute teachers, which comes with a stipend and flexibility.
The state is also pumping more funds each year into reducing the broad gap between students who succeed and those who are struggling.
The private schools have proven to be way ahead of their public school counterparts. Therefore, depending on your preference and budget, make sure to research the schools individually and not just be district, to help you find the best OKC schools for your child’s development.