Primary and Secondary
Oklahoma City Public Schools is the city's largest school district and second-largest in the state.General Information. Oklahoma City Public Schools. Retrieved on 2007-07-18.</ref> The Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics in Oklahoma City is home to some of the state's most gifted math and science pupils. Classen School of Advanced Studies is located in the Oklahoma City Public School District, a national Blue Ribbon School.[citation needed] It was recently named the No. 17-school in the nation according to Newsweek . In addition, Belle Isle Enterprise Middle School in OKCPS was named the top middle school in the state according to the Academic Performance Index, and recently received the Blue Ribbon School Award.[citation needed]
Advanced Science and Technology Education Center (ASTEC), Inc. is an Oklahoma Charter School(both Middle and High School) that began as a summer camp in 1986 while its founder, Dr. Freda Deskin, was on the faculty of the University of Oklahoma. Either the Oklahoma University or Oklahoma City University had, at various times since its inception, sponsored various aspects of ASTEC’s programs. On April 9, 2000, ASTEC Charter School became the State of Oklahoma’s first start-up charter school. In addition to the Middle / High School, ASTEC offers an After School Programs, Summer Camp, Virtual School (grades 7-12), and Outreach Programs such as rocketry. In last year's first graduating class, 100% of students are now attending a university.[citation needed]
There are numerous suburban districts which surround the urban OKCPS district, such as Putnam City Public Schools in suburban northwest Oklahoma City, and Mid-Del Schools , serving the eastern and southeastern parts of the metropolitan area. The city also has very well developed private and parochial schools, including Casady School, Heritage Hall Schools, and the schools of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City including Bishop McGuinness High School and Mount Saint Mary High School. Of special note, St. Mary's is the oldest high school in the state, founded in 1903 by the Sisters of Mercy.[citation needed]
A civic initiative named "MAPS for Kids" is attempting to remedy the problems of the inner city district. It will provide new schools for the central city and improve their concatchment areas by moving certain schools closer to wealthier neighborhoods. A sort of "reverse white-flight" is the underlying concept of initiative with the old decrepit inner-city schools being renovated or rebuilt and new technology being made available. An example of this includes John Marshall High School in North Oklahoma City, once said to be the worst public school in the state, is being rebuilt on land closer to Lake Hefner. It is hoped that the new school, complete with facilities and attractions familiar in many suburban districts, will attract the higher income families and thus improve the Oklahoma City district. However, controversy over the relocation of the high school has also raised questions over the wisdom of relocating a historically African-American high school to a predominantly white area. "MAPS for Kids" is funded with a voter-approved one-cent sales tax over seven years, which expires in December 2007.[citation needed]
(Source: Wikipedia.org)
