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Oklahoma City Public Schools, Oklahoma, elections
| Oklahoma City Public Schools |
|---|
 |
| District details |
| School board members: 8 |
| Students: 33,245 (2022-2023) |
| Schools: 59 (2022-2023) |
| Website: Link |
Oklahoma City Public Schools is a school district in Oklahoma (Oklahoma County). During the 2023 school year, 33,245 students attended one of the district's 59 schools.
This page provides information regarding school board members, election rules, finances, academics, policies, and more details about the district.
Elections
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Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, Chairperson
General election
Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 1
General election
Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 2
General election
Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 3
General election
General election for Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 3
Jessica Cifuentes defeated incumbent Cary Pirrong in the general election for Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 3 on April 2, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Jessica Cifuentes (Nonpartisan) | 66.6 | 233 |
| Cary Pirrong (Nonpartisan) | 33.4 | 117 | ||
| Total votes: 350 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 4
General election
Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 6
General election
Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 5
General election
General election for Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 5
Adrian Anderson defeated Sharri Coleman in the general election for Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 5 on April 5, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Adrian Anderson (Nonpartisan) | 52.7 | 557 | |
| Sharri Coleman (Nonpartisan) | 47.3 | 499 | ||
| Total votes: 1,056 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 7
General election
Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, Chairperson
General election
General election for Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, Chairperson
Incumbent Paula Lewis defeated incumbent Charles Henry in the general election for Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, Chairperson on April 6, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Paula Lewis (Nonpartisan) | 51.9 | 4,579 |
 | Charles Henry (Nonpartisan) | 48.1 | 4,236 | |
| Total votes: 8,815 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 1
General election
General election for Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 1
Carole Thompson defeated Brett Hayes in the general election for Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 1 on April 6, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Carole Thompson (Nonpartisan) | 58.9 | 1,168 | |
| Brett Hayes (Nonpartisan) | 41.1 | 816 | ||
| Total votes: 1,984 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 2
General election
General election for Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 2
Lori Bowman defeated James McHenry in the general election for Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 2 on April 6, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Lori Bowman (Nonpartisan) | 75.5 | 1,872 | |
| James McHenry (Nonpartisan) | 24.5 | 609 | ||
| Total votes: 2,481 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 7
General election
Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 3
General election
The general election was canceled. Carrie Coppernoll Jacobs (Nonpartisan) won without appearing on the ballot.
Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 4
General election
The general election was canceled. Mark Harold Mann (Nonpartisan) won without appearing on the ballot.
Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 6
General election
General election for Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 6
Incumbent Gloria Torres defeated Josh Means in the general election for Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 6 on April 2, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Gloria Torres (Nonpartisan) | 57.2 | 287 |
| Josh Means (Nonpartisan) | 42.8 | 215 | ||
| Total votes: 502 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 4
General election
The general election was canceled. Mark Harold Mann (Nonpartisan) won without appearing on the ballot.
Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 5
General election
General election for Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 5
Incumbent Ruth Veales defeated Willie Kelley and Nichell Braddy-Garcia in the general election for Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 5 on February 13, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Ruth Veales (Nonpartisan) | 58.7 | 965 |
| Willie Kelley (Nonpartisan) | 26.0 | 428 | ||
| Nichell Braddy-Garcia (Nonpartisan) | 15.3 | 252 | ||
| Total votes: 1,645 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 7
General election
The general election was canceled. Jace Kirk (Nonpartisan) won without appearing on the ballot.
Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, Chairperson
General election
General election for Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, Chairperson
Incumbent Paula Lewis won election in the general election for Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, Chairperson on April 4, 2017.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Paula Lewis (Nonpartisan) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 1
General election
General election for Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 1
Incumbent Charles Henry won election in the general election for Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 1 on April 4, 2017.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Charles Henry (Nonpartisan) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 2
General election
General election for Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 2
Incumbent Rebecca Budd won election in the general election for Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 2 on April 4, 2017.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ |  | Rebecca Budd (Nonpartisan) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 3
General election
General election for Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 3
Incumbent Carrie Coppernoll Jacobs won election in the general election for Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 3 on February 9, 2016.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ |  | Carrie Coppernoll Jacobs (Nonpartisan) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 6
General election
General election for Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 6
Incumbent Gloria Torres won election in the general election for Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 6 on February 10, 2015.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Gloria Torres (Nonpartisan) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 7
General election
General election for Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 7
Incumbent Ron Millican won election in the general election for Oklahoma City Public Schools school board, District 7 on February 11, 2014.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ |  | Ron Millican (Nonpartisan) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Election rules
Election dates and frequency
School board nonpartisan primary elections in Oklahoma are held on the second Tuesday in February every year. School board primary elections are only held if more than two candidates run for a school board member seat. If two candidates run, the primary is canceled and both candidates advance to the general election.
School board general elections in Oklahoma are held on the first Tuesday in April every year.
See law: Oklahoma Statute §70-5-107A. Boards of education of school districts - Membership - Election procedure
Below are the recent/upcoming dates for all public school districts in the state. There may be exceptions to these dates for specific districts because of local charters and district-specific exceptions and carve-outs.
- Filing deadline date: December 3, 2025
- Primary election date: February 10, 2026
- General election date: April 7, 2026
Election system
School board members in Oklahoma are elected through a system of a nonpartisan primary election and a nonpartisan general election. The primary election is only held if a large enough number of candidates run for office.
See law: Oklahoma Statute §70-5-107A. Boards of education of school districts - Membership - Election procedure
Party labels on the ballot
School board elections in Oklahoma are nonpartisan, which means party labels do not appear on the ballot for school board candidates.
See law: Oklahoma Statute §70-5-107A. Boards of education of school districts - Membership - Election procedure
Winning an election
The top two school board candidates with the most votes in the nonpartisan primary advance to the general election as long as none of them receives more than 50% of the vote. If only two candidates file for the primary election, they automatically advance to the general election. If there are three or more candidates on the ballot for the primary election and one receives more than 50% of the vote, that candidate wins the election outright and is elected to office, and the general election is canceled.
The school board candidate with the most votes in the general election is elected to office. In Oklahoma, school board candidates can be elected outright in the nonpartisan primary election.
See law: Oklahoma Statute §70-5-107A. Boards of education of school districts - Membership - Election procedure
Term length and staggering
School districts with three board members have three-year board member terms. School districts with five members have five-year board member terms. School districts with seven members have four-year board member terms. Elementary school district board members have three-year terms. Independent school districts (which serve grades K-12) have school boards with five-year terms or four-year terms, depending on how many school board members they have. Districts with average student attendance of more than 30,000 can opt to elect a chair of the board in addition to other school board members. The chair must be elected at large to four-year terms. As of 2022, Oklahoma City Schools was the only district that had opted to have an additional elected chair of the school board.
See law: Oklahoma Statute §70-5-107A. Boards of education of school districts - Membership - Election procedure
Representation: at large vs. by sub-district
School districts either elect all regular school board members at large, or they elect all regular school board members from residence areas (sub-districts) with one board member elected by the voters of each sub-district. Elementary school districts must elect school board members at large. Any school district with an average daily student attendance of fewer than 1,800 students may choose to elect school board members at large instead of from sub-districts. Other school districts must elect school board members by sub-districts. Independent school districts that contain a city and for which less than 20% of the population of the school district resides outside of the city's limits may use the city's ward boundaries instead of drawing its own sub-district boundaries. Board members elected from sub-districts must reside within that sub-district when elected and for the duration of their terms. School districts with average student attendance of more than 30,000 can opt to elect a chair of the school board at large, which means that if other board members are elected by sub-district, that district would use a combination of elections at large and elections by sub-district elections.
See law: Oklahoma Statute §70-5-107A. Boards of education of school districts - Membership - Election procedure
Filing deadlines and swearing-in dates
The deadline for candidates to file for regular school board elections is the Wednesday following the first Monday in December in the year before the February primary election. Candidates must submit their filing by 5:00 pm on the day of the filing deadline.
See law: Oklahoma Statute §26-13A-110
Newly elected school board members officially take office at the first school board meeting taking place after the results of the election have been certified.
See law: Oklahoma Statute §70-5-107A. Boards of education of school districts - Membership - Election procedure
About the district
School board
Oklahoma City Public Schools consists of eight members serving four-year terms. To find information about school board meetings, click here.
| Name | Seat | Year assumed office | Year term ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lori Bowman | District 2 | 2021 | 2029 |
| Carole Thompson | District 1 | 2021 | 2029 |
| Paula Lewis | chairperson | 2017 | 2029 |
| Jessica Cifuentes | District 3 | 2024 | 2028 |
| Dana Meister | District 4 | 2024 | 2028 |
| Juan Lecona | District 6 | 2023 | 2027 |
| Mike Shelton | District 5 | 2024 | 2026 |
| Meg McElhaney | District 7 | 2019 | 2026 |
Join the conversation about school board politics
District map
Overlapping state house districts
The table was limited to the lower chamber because it provides the most granularity. State house districts tend to be more numerous and therefore smaller than state senate or U.S. House districts. This provides an impression of the partisan affiliations in the area.
Budget
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[1]
| SOURCE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal: | $83,254,000 | $2,683 | 20% |
| Local: | $167,913,000 | $5,412 | 40% |
| State: | $173,412,000 | $5,589 | 41% |
| Total: | $424,579,000 | $13,685 |
| TYPE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Expenditures: | $433,405,000 | $13,969 | |
| Total Current Expenditures: | $404,893,000 | $13,050 | |
| Instructional Expenditures: | $202,561,000 | $6,528 | 47% |
| Student and Staff Support: | $70,822,000 | $2,282 | 16% |
| Administration: | $63,875,000 | $2,058 | 15% |
| Operations, Food Service, Other: | $67,635,000 | $2,179 | 16% |
| Total Capital Outlay: | $24,783,000 | $798 | |
| Construction: | $16,992,000 | $547 | |
| Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: | $904,000 | $29 | |
| Interest on Debt: | $2,825,000 | $91 |
Academic performance
Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements. To protect student privacy, percentages are reported as ranges for groups of 300 students or fewer. If five or fewer students were included in a data set, the data will display as "PS."[2]
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 7 | 35 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 20 |
| 2018-2019 | 12 | 41 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 26 |
| 2017-2018 | 12 | 42 | 6 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 25 |
| 2016-2017 | 17 | 47 | 8 | 16 | 15 | 19 | 30 |
| 2015-2016 | 47 | 76 | 35 | 46 | 44 | 47 | 62 |
| 2014-2015 | 51 | 76 | 39 | 51 | 51 | 53 | 63 |
| 2013-2014 | 47 | 75 | 34 | 48 | 44 | 49 | 58 |
| 2012-2013 | 54 | 80 | 44 | 54 | 53 | 63 | 65 |
| 2011-2012 | 53 | 78 | 43 | 52 | 54 | 60-64 | 65 |
| 2010-2011 | 54 | 80 | 44 | 53 | 54 | 65 |
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 10 | 31 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 16 | 28 |
| 2018-2019 | 16 | 40 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 21 | 35 |
| 2017-2018 | 16 | 36 | 10 | 13 | 17 | 22 | 36 |
| 2016-2017 | 19 | 40 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 24 | 38 |
| 2015-2016 | 49 | 73 | 40 | 46 | 52 | 50 | 67 |
| 2014-2015 | 51 | 69 | 43 | 48 | 55 | 56 | 66 |
| 2013-2014 | 49 | 70 | 41 | 47 | 49 | 50 | 64 |
| 2012-2013 | 52 | 71 | 47 | 49 | 54 | 62 | 66 |
| 2011-2012 | 52 | 71 | 46 | 48 | 54 | 60-64 | 68 |
| 2010-2011 | 52 | 71 | 47 | 47 | 53 | 67 |
The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-2020 | 65 | 80-89 | 67 | 65 | 50-54 | 65-69 | 55-59 |
| 2018-2019 | 74 | 80-89 | 74 | 75 | 60-64 | 60-69 | 65-69 |
| 2017-2018 | 67 | 80-84 | 65 | 73 | 40-44 | 60-69 | 54 |
| 2016-2017 | 73 | 70-74 | 78 | 73 | 65-69 | 70-79 | 65-69 |
| 2015-2016 | 71 | 80-84 | 76 | 71 | 65-69 | 40-59 | 61 |
| 2014-2015 | 74 | 80-84 | 79 | 75 | 55-59 | 60-79 | 60-64 |
| 2013-2014 | 73 | 85-89 | 77 | 71 | 55-59 | >=50 | 70-74 |
| 2012-2013 | 79 | 90-94 | 77 | 79 | 65-69 | 60-79 | 82 |
Students
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[3]
| Year | Enrollment | Year-to-year change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2022-2023 | 33,245 | 3.5 |
| 2021-2022 | 32,086 | 3.3 |
| 2020-2021 | 31,026 | -15.7 |
| 2019-2020 | 35,897 | -4.5 |
| 2018-2019 | 37,530 | -3.1 |
| 2017-2018 | 38,709 | -2.8 |
| 2016-2017 | 39,806 | -2.6 |
| 2015-2016 | 40,823 | -0.6 |
| 2014-2015 | 41,074 | 0.4 |
| 2013-2014 | 40,913 | -9.3 |
| 2012-2013 | 44,720 | 3.4 |
| 2011-2012 | 43,212 | 0.5 |
| 2010-2011 | 42,989 | 1.0 |
| 2009-2010 | 42,549 | 3.4 |
| 2008-2009 | 41,089 | 0.3 |
| 2007-2008 | 40,985 | 0.5 |
| 2006-2007 | 40,778 | 1.1 |
| 2005-2006 | 40,322 | -0.2 |
| 2004-2005 | 40,387 | -0.5 |
| 2003-2004 | 40,599 | -0.6 |
| 2002-2003 | 40,856 | 1.5 |
| 2001-2002 | 40,240 | 1.2 |
| 2000-2001 | 39,750 | 0.6 |
| 1999-2000 | 39,531 | 0.0 |
| RACE | Oklahoma City Public Schools (%) | Oklahoma K-12 STUDENTS (%) |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 2.0 | 11.2 |
| Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.9 | 2.3 |
| Black | 19.6 | 7.9 |
| Hispanic | 57.4 | 19.8 |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Two or More Races | 7.2 | 12.9 |
| White | 11.5 | 45.5 |
Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
Staff
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[4]
As of the 2022-2023 school year, Oklahoma City Public Schools had 2,181.18 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 15.24.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF TEACHERS |
|---|---|
| Prekindergarten: | 106.64 |
| Kindergarten: | 0.00 |
| Elementary: | 854.33 |
| Secondary: | 1,220.21 |
| Total: | 2,181.18 |
Oklahoma City Public Schools employed 11.88 district administrators and 148.92 school administrators as of the 2022-2023 school year.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS |
|---|---|
| District Administrators: | 11.88 |
| District Administrative Support: | 137.43 |
| School Administrators: | 148.92 |
| School Administrative Support: | 151.53 |
| TYPE | NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF |
|---|---|
| Instructional Aides: | 646.05 |
| Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: | 45.48 |
| Total Guidance Counselors: | 110.83 |
| Elementary Guidance Counselors: | 40.24 |
| Secondary Guidance Counselors: | 70.59 |
| Librarians/Media Specialists: | 57.89 |
| Library/Media Support: | 34.21 |
| Student Support Services: | 614.11 |
| Other Support Services: | 671.10 |
Schools
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[5]
About school boards
Education legislation in Oklahoma
Bills are monitored by BillTrack50 and sorted by action history.
See also
| School Boards | Education Policy | Local Politics | Oklahoma |
|---|---|---|---|
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 |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024
- ↑ U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "State Assessments in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics- School Year 2018-19 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed February 25, 2021
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024
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