Tahlequah

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Tahlequah, Oklahoma - 6 schools

An equity score of 46/100 ranks Tahlequah #132 of 439 districts in Oklahoma (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $11,886 per pupil, Tahlequah ranks #245 of 540 Oklahoma districts by per-pupil spending (Oklahoma districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

3,607
Total Enrollment
6
Schools
$11,886
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Tahlequah operates 6 public schools serving 3,607 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Oklahoma. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle, 1 combined 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 Cherokee County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,886 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 540 Oklahoma districts by per-pupil spending. See how Oklahoma compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 19.4% local, 49.8% state, and 30.7% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 46/100, ranked #132 of 439 in Oklahoma against a state average of 38, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 6 schools offering Advanced Placement (7 AP courses district-wide), a 328.3:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 27.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 19.6% White, 19.6% Hispanic or Latino, 0.9% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Tahlequah Ms, with a diversity index of 75.0/100.

Its largest campus is Tahlequah Hs, enrolling 1,358 students (37% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Sequoyah Es, at 182 students, a 7x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Tahlequah Hs accounts for 36.6% of all Tahlequah student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Tahlequah-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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Tahlequah school enrollment varies 7.5× across entities

Tahlequah school enrollment ranges from 182 students (lowest) to 1,358 students (highest), a spread of 1,176 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Tahlequah student-counselor ratio is 328:1 — 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 Tahlequah is typically wider than the Tahlequah-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Tahlequah chronic absenteeism rate is 27.3% — 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 Tahlequah is typically wider than the Tahlequah-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

30.7%
Federal
49.8%
State
19.4%
Local

Funding Equity

46
Equity Score
132 / 439
State Rank
38
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 6 schools in Tahlequah.

White 19.6%
Hispanic or Latino 19.6%
African American 0.9%
Asian 0.8%
Multiracial 26.2%
Other 32.9%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 74.2/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Tahlequah's schools, above the Oklahoma average of 59.6.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Tahlequah Ms 75.0
  2. 2 Greenwood Es 74.8
  3. 3 Sequoyah Es 74.5
  4. 4 Tahlequah Hs 74.3
  5. 5 Heritage Es 74.3

Programs & Resources

1 / 6
Schools with AP
7 AP courses total
328.3:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
27.3%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Tahlequah

School Enrollment
Tahlequah Hs
1,358
Tahlequah Ms
730
Heritage Es
501
Greenwood Es
500
Cherokee Es
441
Sequoyah Es
182

How Tahlequah Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Oklahoma districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Coweta Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Altus Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Sapulpa Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Guthrie Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Santa Fe South (Charter) Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Tahlequah's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Oklahoma

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Tulsa
33,871 students · 69 schools · $12,178/pupil
Compare vs Tahlequah →
Oklahoma City
33,245 students · 59 schools · $13,529/pupil
Compare vs Tahlequah →
Epic Virtual Charter
28,478 students · 2 schools · $6,980/pupil
Compare vs Tahlequah →
Edmond
26,190 students · 28 schools · $9,132/pupil
Compare vs Tahlequah →
Moore
24,632 students · 34 schools · $9,485/pupil
Compare vs Tahlequah →

Compare Tahlequah

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Tulsa →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Tahlequah?

Tahlequah has 6 schools, including 1 high, 1 middle, 3 elementary, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 3,607 students.

How much does Tahlequah spend per student?

Tahlequah spends $11,886 per student. The district has an equity score of 46/100, ranking #132 in Oklahoma.

What is the demographic composition of Tahlequah?

Tahlequah students are 19.6% White, 19.6% Hispanic or Latino, 0.9% African American, 0.8% Asian, averaged across 6 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Tahlequah?

Tahlequah has an equity score of 46/100, ranking #132 out of 439 districts in Oklahoma.