Bell Elementary School

Bell Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-5 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with 360 students. The school is part of the Tulsa school district, which is ranked 387 out of 452 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Bell Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Oklahoma elementary schools over the past decade, with a current ranking of 538 out of 614 schools.

Bell Elementary faces significant challenges, including very high chronic absenteeism rates ranging from 19% to 40% in recent years, well above the Tulsa and Oklahoma state averages. Academically, the school's students perform poorly on state assessments, with only 11% proficient or better in English Language Arts, 18% in math, and 6% in science, all significantly lower than the surrounding district and state averages. The school serves a predominantly low-socioeconomic student population, with 94% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

Compared to nearby schools, Bell Elementary consistently underperforms. For example, Hoover Elementary, just 2.19 miles away, had significantly higher proficiency rates in English Language Arts, math, and science. Bell Elementary's low-income students, in particular, rank in the bottom 20% of Oklahoma elementary schools for this subgroup, indicating the school is struggling to effectively support its most disadvantaged learners. Despite spending more per student than some nearby schools, Bell Elementary has not seen commensurate improvements in student outcomes, raising questions about the efficient use of resources and the school's strategies for supporting student learning.