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Poteau, Oklahoma - 5 schools
An equity score of 45/100 ranks Poteau #142 of 439 districts in Oklahoma (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $11,152 per pupil, Poteau ranks #313 of 540 Oklahoma districts by per-pupil spending (Oklahoma districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
2,182
Total Enrollment
5
Schools
$11,152
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Poteau operates 5 public schools serving 2,182 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Oklahoma. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 elementary, 1 high, 1 combined, 1 middle schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Le Flore County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,152 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 540 Oklahoma districts by per-pupil spending. See how Oklahoma compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 21.7% local, 51.4% state, and 27.0% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 45/100, ranked #142 of 439 in Oklahoma against a state average of 38, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 5 schools offering Advanced Placement (3 AP courses district-wide), a 284.9:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 23.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 42.0% White, 23.7% Hispanic or Latino, 1.1% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is 7th and 8th Grade Academic Ctr, with a diversity index of 72.8/100.
Its largest campus is Poteau Hs, enrolling 674 students (31% of the district's total enrollment).
Poteau Hs accounts for 30.9% of all Poteau student enrollment
That dominant concentration means Poteau-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
Poteau school enrollment varies 2.4× across entities
Poteau school enrollment ranges from 277 students (lowest) to 674 students (highest), a spread of 397 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Poteau student-counselor ratio is 285:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Variation between sub-units within Poteau is typically wider than the Poteau-aggregate figure suggests.
Poteau chronic absenteeism rate is 23.0% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Variation between sub-units within Poteau is typically wider than the Poteau-aggregate figure suggests.