Summary:
There are four public middle schools serving grades 6-8 in Florence, South Carolina, all part of the Florence 01 school district, which holds a 3-star state rating. The schools enroll roughly 3,620 students combined, with Southside Middle being the largest at 1,138 students and Henry L. Sneed Middle the smallest at 634.
John W. Moore Middle is the clear academic leader, earning the district’s only 3-star rating in 2025-2026 and ranking in the 59th percentile statewide—well ahead of its peers. It also has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (22.3%, matching the state average) and outperforms the district in nearly every subject. Southside Middle shows notable strengths in 8th-grade math (42.7% proficiency) and posted the biggest year-over-year gain in 8th-grade ELA, jumping from 48.1% to 54.6%. By contrast, Williams Middle and Henry L. Sneed Middle both rank in the bottom third of the state (31st and 34th percentiles) and have held 2-star ratings for three consecutive years.
One striking finding is the Algebra 1 EOCEP performance: three schools achieved a perfect 100% proficiency rate and Sneed hit 94.87%, far exceeding the state average of 73.95%—though this likely reflects a highly select group of advanced students. Chronic absenteeism appears to be a key differentiator, as the three lower-performing schools all exceed 28% absenteeism versus Moore’s 22.3%. Interestingly, Henry L. Sneed Middle receives the highest per-student funding ($14,430) yet ranks third academically, while Southside Middle gets the least ($12,200) but outperforms both Sneed and Williams. A concerning "8th-grade slump" is visible across schools, with ELA scores dropping 10-12 points below district averages at Williams and Sneed. Overall, John W. Moore Middle demonstrates that strong outcomes are achievable within the same district and similar funding, suggesting its attendance and instructional practices could serve as a model for the other schools.
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