Middle Schools in Florence 05

The Florence 05 school district is home to just one middle school, Johnsonville Middle, which serves grades 6-8 in the small town of Johnsonville, SC, with an enrollment of 281 students and a student-teacher ratio of 13.3:1.

As the only middle school in the district, Johnsonville Middle presents a mixed picture for parents. The school's standout achievement is its exceptional Algebra 1 performance, with a 100% proficiency rate on the EOCEP exam, far exceeding both the district (86.4%) and state (74.0%) averages. Eighth graders also show strength, outperforming state averages in both ELA (60.2% vs. 58.9%) and math (48.7% vs. 44.2%). However, the school struggles significantly in 7th grade, where math proficiency sits at just 30.3%—11.5 points below the state average—and ELA proficiency dropped sharply from 63.8% to 53.3% year-over-year. This creates a "tale of two grades" pattern, with 8th graders thriving while 7th graders lag behind. The school has earned a 3-star rating for three consecutive years, even though the district overall holds a 2-star rating and ranks 42nd out of 75 districts in South Carolina.

Parents should be aware of two major concerns. First, chronic absenteeism is alarmingly high at 31.8%, nearly 10 points above the state average of 22.3%, which likely contributes to academic struggles. Second, performance is highly volatile year-to-year—8th-grade math improved by 15.1 points while 7th-grade math declined by 7.1 points, suggesting inconsistent instructional effectiveness or small cohort sizes. Despite spending a substantial $16,670 per student, proficiency rates remain near or below state averages in most subjects, raising questions about resource allocation. The school's 100% Algebra proficiency suggests a strong accelerated math program, but general math proficiency lags, particularly in 7th grade. For parents, this school offers excellent preparation for advanced math students and strong 8th-grade outcomes, but the 7th-grade dip and absenteeism issues warrant attention.