Middle Schools in Lexington 04

The two middle schools serving Lexington 04 in South Carolina—Frances F. Mack Intermediate (grades 5-6, 515 students) and Sandhills Middle (grades 7-8, 495 students)—form a sequential pathway for roughly 1,010 students, but both schools face significant academic challenges in a district ranked in the 9th percentile statewide.

Math proficiency is the most pressing concern, with rates falling dramatically as students advance. At Frances F. Mack Intermediate, only 26.1% of 5th graders and 20.9% of 6th graders are proficient in math, compared to state averages near 49% and 41%. The situation worsens at Sandhills Middle, where just 14.2% of 7th graders and 16.4% of 8th graders meet math standards—a 45.6% decline from 5th to 7th grade. ELA performance is comparatively stronger but still lags state averages by 16-20 points, with proficiency ranging from 37.1% to 43.7% across grades. Chronic absenteeism compounds these issues, affecting 33.9% of students at both schools—52% higher than the state average of 22.3%.

Notable differences exist between the two schools. Frances F. Mack Intermediate spends $15,010 per student (17.9% more than Sandhills Middle's $12,734) yet shows mixed year-over-year results, including a strong 10.5-point gain in 5th grade ELA but declines in 6th grade subjects. Sandhills Middle has seen its ranking slip from the 13th to 7th percentile, though it posted modest gains in 7th grade ELA and 8th grade math. The 6th-to-7th grade transition appears particularly problematic for math, suggesting curriculum misalignment between the schools. With both schools performing near the district average, these are systemic challenges requiring coordinated intervention in math instruction, attendance programs, and transition support rather than isolated school-level fixes.