Summary:
Jackson, South Carolina is home to a single middle school, Jackson STEM Middle, which serves grades 6 through 8 and enrolls 302 students within the Aiken 01 school district.
For parents, the most pressing concern at Jackson STEM Middle is its declining state ranking, which has fallen from the 38th percentile in 2023-2024 to the 27th percentile in 2025-2026, along with a drop from a 2-star to a 1-star rating. Despite its STEM-focused name, mathematics is the school's weakest subject, with only 19% of 6th graders proficient in math—a staggering 21.9 points below the state average. While math scores have shown a consistent upward trend across all grades in the most recent year, they remain critically low, trailing the state by double digits in every grade level. The school also struggles with chronic absenteeism, with 28.2% of students chronically absent, which is nearly 6 points higher than the state average and likely a major factor in academic struggles. Per-student spending is substantial at $13,573, yet outcomes lag significantly, suggesting resources are not effectively translating into achievement.
There are some bright spots. Science proficiency in 6th grade (47.5%) is the school's strongest relative performance, trailing the state by only 4.4 points. However, ELA scores are volatile, with 6th grade plummeting 11.7 points while 7th grade soared 14.5 points in a single year, indicating inconsistent instructional quality or cohort changes. The school consistently underperforms both its district and state, with the widest gaps in math. Even with recent math improvements, other schools across South Carolina are improving faster, causing the school's relative position to slip. For parents, the priority should be understanding how the school plans to address math proficiency, attendance, and the declining ranking, as these are the most urgent areas needing strategic focus.
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