The Okemah School District is a rural district serving more than 900 students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. The District operates three schools: Okemah Oakes Elementary, Okemah Middle School, and Okemah High School. High school students in the eleventh and twelfth grades have the option of attending the Wes Watkins Career and Technology Center in Wetumka. The District also offers an alternative education program in the evening.

The Okemah Public Schools have a history of promoting a program of strong academics. With the belief that all students can and should learn, the board of education, administration, staff and patrons of the Okemah Public Schools are committed to maintaining and improving the existing educational system. The citizens of the District gave approval to a $2,385,000 bond issue in September 1999 for the construction of a new high school building. The new building was completed in 2001. The construction of a road to the new high school was a $800,000 project. Nearly $600,000 was provided through Creek Nation of Oklahoma and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The remaining amount was paid for by the City of Okemah.

The elementary school is a Great Expectations School and has established high expectations for the students and staff. Students are taught to accept responsibility for their own actions and that "If you can't make a mistake, you can't make anything". Great attention is placed on student behavior and on students working toward set goals. The elementary school also places a strong emphasis on reading with the belief that a student who can not read will be greatly disadvantaged in a very competitive world. As students progress through the grades and study the other disciplines of the educational program, they continue receiving instruction in reading to insure greater literacy and proficiency.

The Okemah Middle School uses the Great Expectations approach. The middle school students and staff are working to prepare students for success in high school, college, and/or employment. The middle school students receive instruction in the core curriculum as well as Spanish, creative writing, art, vocal and instrumental music, computers, and community service.

For more information, visit the Okemah Public Schools.

Okemah Public Schools provide an extremely high quality education for students. The progressive educational system, accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges, provides a modern curriculum which features an honors program for high school students in preparation for higher education institutions. Classes for the gifted and talented students receive high ratings, as do the school's special education classes. Okemah and Okfuskee County students are able to take advantage of Wes Watkins Area Vo-Tech in Wetumka, OSU-Okmulgee in Okmulgee, and Gordon Cooper Vo-Tech in Shawnee, all within 40 miles of Okemah.

Sixty percent of Okemah's graduates attend colleges and universities, and seven such institutions are within 86 miles of Okemah. They include Seminole Junior College (33 miles), Oklahoma Baptist University (40 miles), University of Tulsa (56 miles), Oral Roberts University (56 miles), East Central University (55 miles), University of Oklahoma (78 miles) and Oklahoma State University (86 miles).