Panama

The Panama school district in Oklahoma serves three schools - Panama Elementary School, Panama High School, and Panama Middle School. The district faces challenges, with the middle school struggling significantly and the high school showing inconsistent performance, despite some bright spots.

Panama High School stands out as the strongest performer, ranking 149 out of 463 Oklahoma high schools and earning 3 out of 5 stars from SchoolDigger. The school has a relatively high 11th grade English Language Arts proficiency rate of 40%, compared to the state average of 37%, and maintains a decent 82.2% four-year graduation rate. In contrast, Panama Middle School has seen a significant decline in its statewide ranking, dropping from 130 out of 332 middle schools in 2015-2016 to 346 out of 369 in 2024-2025, with proficiency rates well below the state averages in both English Language Arts and Mathematics.

Across the district, the high rates of free/reduced lunch recipients, ranging from 74.54% at Panama High School to 85.81% at Panama Elementary School, suggest that the Panama school district serves a predominantly low-income student population. This socioeconomic factor likely contributes to the academic challenges faced by the schools. Additionally, the relatively low spending per student and high student-teacher ratios indicate that the district may be facing resource constraints that could be impacting the quality of education.