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E. A. Cox Middle School

Public Grades 5-8

547^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 583 Tennessee Middle Schools

Better than 6% of Tennessee middle schools

Summary

E. A. Cox Middle School is a public middle school located in Columbia, Tennessee, serving grades 5-8 with a total enrollment of 652 students. The school is part of the Maury County School District, which is ranked 95 out of 139 districts in Tennessee and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

E. A. Cox Middle School consistently ranks in the bottom half of Tennessee middle schools, with rankings ranging from 406 out of 475 in 2012-2013 to 568 out of 587 in 2023-2024. The school's performance on TNReady assessments is significantly below the state and district averages across all subjects and grade levels, with proficiency rates around 12-16% in 2024-2025, compared to the state averages of 42.2%, 38.9%, and 46.1% in Mathematics, English Language Arts, and Science, respectively. The school also has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 18.8% to 28.2% over the past few years, which are significantly higher than the state and district averages.

Nearby schools, such as Mt. Pleasant Middle Visual Perform. Arts, Spring Hill Middle School, Whitthorne Middle School, and Battle Creek Middle School, generally outperform E. A. Cox Middle School on academic measures, with higher proficiency rates and better rankings. Schools in the Williamson County School District, such as Thompson's Station Middle School, Heritage Middle School, and Spring Station Middle School, significantly outperform E. A. Cox Middle School and the Maury County schools, with proficiency rates often exceeding 60% and rankings in the top 50 middle schools in Tennessee.

626

Students ?

14.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,957

Per pupil spending ?

74.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

633 Bear Creek PIKE
Columbia, TN 38401

(931) 840-3902

District: Maury County

Students who attend E. A. Cox Middle School usually attend:

High:

Columbia Central High School

Feeder schools for E. A. Cox Middle School:

Elementary:

R Howell Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

32.3%

African American:

31.9%

Hispanic:

28.0%

See top rated Tennessee middle schools

Compare E. A. Cox Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 15th percentile in 2013 → 6th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Tennessee average (14% vs 43% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (6th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 9 percentile points since 2013

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school14%

District avg36%

Tennessee avg43%

547^th of 583

Tennessee public middle schools ?

Bottom 6%▼ down 2 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Tennessee Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 5Middle Schools in the Maury County

95^th of 139Maury County among Tennessee districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	9.0	547 of 583	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	7.3	568 of 587	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	9.5	549 of 594	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	8.7	540 of 569	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	10.4	515 of 576	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	9.4	539 of 574	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	8.2	537 of 563	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	19.0	450 of 492	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	25.2	409 of 485	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	30.8	406 of 475	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	23.6	393 of 466	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	37.4	317 of 462	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2010	29.7	344 of 435	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	19.5	267 of 312	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.1	307 of 318	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	17.0	292 of 316	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	16.1	276 of 299	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	12.1	293 of 293	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	10.5	280 of 284	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	30.5	74 of 100	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.4	33 of 42	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	8.9	513 of 546	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	7.6	542 of 554	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.5	535 of 560	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	7.7	534 of 552	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	8.7	508 of 538	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	8.8	507 of 529	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	11.7	274 of 286	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.0	283 of 285	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	11.0	276 of 285	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	14.7	261 of 275	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	17.0	238 of 261	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	11.4	225 of 228	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	14.0	208 of 219	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	10.8	478 of 490	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.2	502 of 510	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	9.0	510 of 514	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	12.0	472 of 495	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	10.7	476 of 483	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	10.5	480 of 490	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	9.6	474 of 481	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	9.9	520 of 550	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	7.7	542 of 560	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.5	521 of 557	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	10.5	509 of 540	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	14.5	457 of 529	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	11.6	485 of 523	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	18.2	310 of 332	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	16.5	293 of 299	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	29.5	217 of 279	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Tennessee percentile	Rating
2025	5.9	485 of 492	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	6.1	496 of 504	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	7.5	494 of 503	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	7.8	490 of 500	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	11.3	478 of 496	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	11.4	465 of 484	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	10.2	470 of 481	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

English Language Learner (2025)26th percentile+20 vs school

African American (2025)14th percentile+8 vs school

Special Education (2025)7th percentile~ school

Female (2025)6th percentile~ school

Male (2025)5th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)4th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)2nd percentile-4 vs school

White (2025)1st percentile-5 vs school

By subject vs Tennessee (2024-2025) ?

Social Studies16%-33 vs state

Science16%-30 vs state

English Language Arts14%-25 vs state

Mathematics12%-30 vs state

1.0

3 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★0

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3★0

2★0

1★3

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, July 14, 2021

its bad enough that my kid knew who each of their teachers was voting for in the election because those teachers are paid for math, english, history, science.... not being paid to teach my kid their own personal political opinions. But when they allow their teachers to share with my minor their sexual preferences and sexual orientation is beyond a violation and not acceptable. There should not be a teacher who feels like its their right to talk to talk to my child about their sexual preferences and I have no clue as to how that could ever tie into any of the subjects my on my childs schedule.... and we'll be homeschooling. It was bad enough being 121st school district in tennessee out of 140 districts, and 539th out of 574 middle schools in tennessee but brainwashing my kid with your own personal and private agendy is not what our tax dollars are supposed to be spent on and your opinion isnt actually made for the classroom, the factual subject you were hired to teach is how those funds were meant to be utilized. Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, July 19, 2016

This past 5th grade year was very disappointing. The lack of participation from students and parents is clearly wearing on the teachers. My daughter stopped having homework at the beginning of the second semester. She stated that teachers said they stopped handing it out because no one would do it and the kids didn't care. At this grade level, shouldn't homework or some sort exist, especially with the students being at such low performing levels? It seemed that learning was not occurring, it was more about memorizing test answers to get passing scores. Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, January 7, 2013

This school is having a large problem with bullies. I have been to the school 3 times this year myself to address the issues with school officials. I personally know of many other parents that are in the same boat as I. My son hates going to this school. A few of the problem kids have been addressed, but not all. My son is told by his teachers to just ignore them. What kind of message is being sent by these teachers? It's a shame that we have to send our children to place where they should be able to have fun and learn, but can't due to the proverbial blind eye being turned. Close Quote

Schools Near E. A. Cox Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				TNReady Mathematics (2025)						TNReady English Language Arts (2025)						TNReady Algebra I (2025)		TNReady Science (2025)						TNReady Social Studies (2025)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	TNReady Mathematics 4th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 5th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 6th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 7th Grade	TNReady Mathematics 8th Grade	TNReady Mathematics All Grades	TNReady English Language Arts 4th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 5th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 6th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 7th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts 8th Grade	TNReady English Language Arts All Grades	TNReady Algebra I 8th Grade	TNReady Algebra I All Grades	TNReady Science 4th Grade	TNReady Science 5th Grade	TNReady Science 6th Grade	TNReady Science 7th Grade	TNReady Science 8th Grade	TNReady Science All Grades	TNReady Social Studies 6th Grade	TNReady Social Studies 7th Grade	TNReady Social Studies 8th Grade	TNReady Social Studies All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
E. A. Cox Middle School	Public	5-8	633 Bear Creek PIKE	Columbia	38401	Maury County	Maury County	No	No	No	Yes	(931) 840-3902	652	45	14.3		220 (33.7%)	204 (31.3%)	184 (28.2%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	38 (5.8%)	9	547^th of 583 public middle schools	6.2%		7.3	568^th of 587 public middle schools	3.2%	21		14.9	11.0	10.6	11.2	12.0		15.6	15.6	11.3	11.9	13.6				13.6	12.2	20.3	17.9	16.0	9.6	27.3	12.6	16.4	$13,957	$893	$12,218
Battle Creek Middle School	Public	5-8	121 Battle Creek Way	Spring Hill	37174	Maury County	Maury County	No	No	No	No	(931) 388-8403	727	44	16.5		546 (75.1%)	58 (8.0%)	98 (13.5%)	5 (0.7%)	5 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	14 (1.9%)	62.3	190^th of 583 public middle schools	67.4%		62.5	188^th of 587 public middle schools	68.0%	2		42.1	45.2	37.9	38.3	41.0		41.3	37.3	28.4	20.5	31.9	87.1	87.1		36.8	65.0	44.4	54.1	49.9	63.3	59.8	51.4	58.0	$11,173	$444	$10,092
Whitthorne Middle School	Public	5-8	915 Lion PKWY	Columbia	38401	Maury County	Maury County	No	No	No	Yes	(931) 388-2558	955	59	16.1		487 (51.0%)	205 (21.5%)	184 (19.3%)	11 (1.2%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	65 (6.8%)	32.6	403^rd of 583 public middle schools	30.9%		23.2	457^th of 587 public middle schools	22.1%	54		29.1	28.4	30.7	12.2	25.0		26.8	28.3	29.4	15.8	25.0				27.4	34.6	41.7	25.3	32.2	42.2	45.6	30.2	39.2	$11,458	$637	$10,054
Spring Hill Middle School	Public	5-8	3501 Cleburne RD	Spring Hill	37174	Maury County	Maury County	No	No	No	No	(931) 451-1531	538	31	17.4		346 (64.3%)	81 (15.1%)	88 (16.4%)	9 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	12 (2.2%)	60.4	201^st of 583 public middle schools	65.5%		63.2	182^nd of 587 public middle schools	69.0%	19		51.6	54.4	37.0	43.8	46.6		40.3	39.9	35.6	37.5	38.3				34.7	52.2	47.4	40.3	43.8	48.2	53.3	33.3	44.7	$12,148	$547	$10,851
Spring Station Middle School	Public	6-8	1000 Spring Station DR	Spring Hill	37174	Williamson County	Williamson County	No	No	No	No	(615) 472-5080	835	55	15.1		635 (76.0%)	34 (4.1%)	86 (10.3%)	38 (4.6%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (4.8%)	90	44^th of 583 public middle schools	92.5%		88	47^th of 587 public middle schools	92.0%	3			57.5	55.0	59.5	57.5			54.5	44.1	47.9	48.7					69.7	83.1	64.1	72.0	76.5	68.2	76.7	73.9	$13,218	$228	$12,441
Heritage Middle School	Public	6-8	4803 Columbia PIKE	Thompsons Station	37179	Williamson County	Williamson County	No	No	No	No	(615) 472-4540	822	60	13.6		562 (68.4%)	37 (4.5%)	119 (14.5%)	54 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	48 (5.8%)	95.4	19^th of 583 public middle schools	96.7%		96.5	19^th of 587 public middle schools	96.8%				61.8	75.4	65.3	68.0			60.2	59.4	51.0	56.7					76.6	76.9	69.3	74.1	73.8	84.3	78.5	79.1	$13,098	$169	$12,460
Thompson's Station Middle School	Public	6-8	2638 Clayton Arnold RD	Thompsons Station	37179	Williamson County	Williamson County	No	No	No	No	(615) 472-5350	566	41	13.9		470 (83.0%)	9 (1.6%)	44 (7.8%)	20 (3.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	21 (3.7%)	97.4	10^th of 583 public middle schools	98.3%		97.9	11^th of 587 public middle schools	98.1%	1			78.1	68.0	67.1	70.9			71.3	63.1	58.1	64.0					79.8	82.6	80.0	80.8	86.0	77.9	80.5	81.3	$14,305	$169	$13,798
Mt. Pleasant Middle Visual Perform. Arts	Public	5-8	410 Gray LN	Mount Pleasant	38474	Maury County	Maury County	No	No	No	Yes	(931) 379-1100	417	32	13.1		290 (69.5%)	64 (15.3%)	24 (5.8%)	5 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (8.2%)	22.9	460^th of 583 public middle schools	21.1%		31.2	411^th of 587 public middle schools	30.0%	49		26.7	34.8	24.7	17.6	25.6		29.7	29.2	20.0	16.7	23.8				30.0	31.5	21.2	21.3	25.9	19.1	24.7	35.2	27.0	$14,389	$543	$12,746
Westhills Elementary	Public	4-6	1351 N Ellington PKWY	Lewisburg	37091	Marshall County	Marshall County	No	No	No	Yes	(931) 359-3909	577	37	15.7		337 (58.4%)	66 (11.4%)	108 (18.7%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (10.6%)								(n/a)	41.4	39.9	31.0			37.7	37.9	22.0	36.9			32.5			50.0	47.1	40.5			46.1	38.7			38.7	$12,102	$587	$10,619
Lewisburg Middle School	Public	7-8	500 Tiger BLVD	Lewisburg	37091	Marshall County	Marshall County	No	No	No	Yes	(931) 359-1265	432	26	16.6		258 (59.7%)	52 (12.0%)	85 (19.7%)	8 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (6.7%)	40.2	346^th of 583 public middle schools	40.7%		34.2	387^th of 587 public middle schools	34.1%	41				23.0	27.3	25.1				22.0	22.5	22.3	76.9	76.9				40.3	36.8	38.5		55.5	42.1	48.5	$11,350	$971	$9,486

Frequently Asked Questions about E. A. Cox Middle School

What is the racial makeup of E. A. Cox Middle School?

Students at E. A. Cox Middle School are 32% White, 32% African American, 28% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of E. A. Cox Middle School attend?

Students who attend E. A. Cox Middle School usually go on to attend Columbia Central High School

Is E. A. Cox Middle School a good school?

E. A. Cox Middle School ranks in the bottom 6.2% of Tennessee middle schools.

What district is E. A. Cox Middle School in?

Maury County

How many students attend E. A. Cox Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 626 students attended E. A. Cox Middle School.

Rate E. A. Cox Middle School!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Tennessee Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.