Nowata

The Nowata school district in Oklahoma consists of three schools - Nowata Elementary School, Nowata High School, and Nowata Middle School - serving students from kindergarten through 12th grade. The district faces some academic challenges, with mixed performance across the schools.

Nowata High School stands out as the strongest performer, ranking 168 out of 463 Oklahoma high schools and earning a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school has a relatively high 4-year graduation rate of 82.2% and outperforms the state average in 11th grade English Language Arts proficiency. In contrast, Nowata Elementary School has seen a significant decline in its statewide ranking, dropping from 264 out of 411 Oklahoma elementary schools in 2018-2019 to 478 out of 614 in 2024-2025, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics also declining across various grade levels.

The Nowata school district faces several challenges, including high rates of free/reduced lunch recipients (over 68% in all schools) and chronic absenteeism rates of 19% across all schools. These factors may contribute to the overall academic challenges faced by the district. While Nowata Middle School has seen fluctuating performance, with its statewide ranking ranging from 52 out of 228 Oklahoma middle schools in 2018-2019 to 342 out of 369 in 2024-2025, its proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics remain consistently low, with only 7% of students proficient or better in these subjects across all grades.