Middle Schools in Florence 03

The Florence 03 district in South Carolina has only one middle school, Ronald E. McNair Junior High, which serves students in grades 7-8. This school faces significant challenges, with consistently low academic performance and a student population that is predominantly African American and economically disadvantaged.

Ronald E. McNair Junior High has struggled to meet academic standards, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics well below the district and state averages. In the 2023-2024 school year, only 24.8% of 7th graders and 19.5% of 8th graders were proficient in ELA, compared to district averages of 32.5% and 32.2%, and state averages of 50.2% and 50.3%. In Mathematics, the proficiency rates were even lower, at 6.6% for 7th grade and 7.4% for 8th grade, compared to district averages of 7.9% and 13.3%, and state averages of 33.8% and 30.2%. The school has consistently ranked in the bottom 10% of South Carolina middle schools for the past three years.

Despite the school's high per-student spending of $15,865 and a low student-teacher ratio of 9:1, the academic performance remains poor. This suggests that the school may need to re-evaluate its resource allocation and instructional practices to better address the specific needs of its predominantly African American and economically disadvantaged student population. Addressing the persistent academic underperformance and the socioeconomic factors that may be contributing to it will be crucial for improving the educational outcomes for students at Ronald E. McNair Junior High.