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Northside Middle

Q: Is Northside Middle a good school?

Northside Middle ranks 255 th of 341 South Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

255^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 341 South Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 25% of South Carolina middle schools

Summary

Northside Middle in West Columbia, SC, serves 528 students in grades 6 through 8 and is part of the Lexington 02 school district, which ranks in the 29th percentile statewide. The school has a high-poverty population, with 84-90% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, and a favorable student-to-teacher ratio of 12.2:1.

Northside presents a striking contrast in academic outcomes. While general math proficiency is below state averages—only 17.8% of 6th graders and 17.3% of 7th graders were proficient in 2025-2026—the school's Algebra 1 End-of-Course exam results are exceptional, with 95.75% of students scoring proficient in 2024-2025, far exceeding the state average of 73.95%. This suggests a highly effective advanced math program. English Language Arts proficiency shows a positive trend, improving from 38.7% in 6th grade to 52.8% in 8th grade, outpacing district averages in the upper grades. The school also demonstrates notable strengths with specific student groups, ranking in the 59th percentile for African American students and showing significant improvement for disabled students, jumping from the 12th to the 51st percentile in the most recent year.

Compared to nearby schools, Northside is the middle performer within its district, outperforming Pine Ridge Middle (14th percentile) but trailing R. H. Fulmer Middle (49th percentile). It significantly outperforms several schools in the Richland 01 district, including Alcorn Middle (0th percentile) and Heyward Gibbes Middle (10th percentile), but is vastly outperformed by Meadow Glen Middle in Lexington 01 (92nd percentile). Chronic absenteeism at 23.8% remains a challenge, though per-student spending of $16,360 is comparable to higher-performing schools, suggesting relatively efficient resource allocation.

528

Students ?

12.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,360

Per pupil spending ?

84.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

157 Cougar Drive
West Columbia, SC 29169

(803) 739-4190

District: Lexington 02

Students who attend Northside Middle usually attend:

High:

Brookland-Cayce High

Feeder schools for Northside Middle:

Elementary:	Riverbank Elementary
	Saluda River Academy for the Arts

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

45.5%

African American:

24.4%

White:

23.5%

See top rated South Carolina middle schools

Compare Northside Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 56th percentile in 2016 → 25th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Carolina average (36% vs 51% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 31 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school36%

District avg39%

South Carolina avg51%

255^th of 341

South Carolina public middle schools ?

Bottom 25%▼ down 31 pts since 2016

From top 44% (2016) to bottom 25% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 4Middle Schools in the Lexington 02

52^nd of 75Lexington 02 among South Carolina 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	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	26.1	255 of 341	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	29.1	234 of 321	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.1	252 of 322	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.7	230 of 325	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.8	216 of 310	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.9	160 of 311	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.6	206 of 315	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.9	181 of 303	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	54.9	131 of 317	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2016	54.9	134 of 303	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2015	64.1	83 of 301	72.4%	★★★★☆
2014	72.2	70 of 291	75.9%	★★★★☆
2013	66.3	87 of 276	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2012	64.5	106 of 271	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2011	64.2	105 of 269	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2010	60.7	115 of 261	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2009	73.1	62 of 249	75.1%	★★★★☆
2008	69.8	74 of 244	69.7%	★★★★☆
2007	71.5	65 of 236	72.5%	★★★★☆
2006	80.0	42 of 231	81.8%	★★★★☆
2005	79.0	45 of 230	80.4%	★★★★☆
2004	77.9	48 of 230	79.1%	★★★★☆
2003	76.6	54 of 225	76.0%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	54.5	104 of 258	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	44.0	146 of 251	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.5	138 of 246	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.6	165 of 253	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.8	162 of 249	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	52.0	95 of 235	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	28.3	201 of 252	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	35.5	166 of 237	30.0%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	43.9	95 of 192	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	21.0	161 of 184	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.9	156 of 177	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	9.8	187 of 187	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	30.5	132 of 183	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	33.7	113 of 164	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	34.4	132 of 195	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	65.9	41 of 194	78.9%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	26.9	91 of 113	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	25.0	90 of 110	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.3	98 of 104	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	17.0	85 of 95	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	13.3	93 of 97	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	19.7	79 of 87	9.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	11.4	115 of 117	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	13.8	89 of 93	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	27.4	226 of 310	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	30.5	212 of 295	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.4	236 of 293	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.0	220 of 299	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	32.4	197 of 290	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	45.2	150 of 279	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	34.4	200 of 296	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	30.4	200 of 281	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	24.7	169 of 197	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	24.1	157 of 173	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	30.2	158 of 184	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.8	158 of 185	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.8	152 of 182	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	50.3	113 of 179	36.9%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	18.0	144 of 159	9.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	22.1	133 of 156	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.0	134 of 144	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	16.3	127 of 141	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	12.5	122 of 129	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	18.3	97 of 111	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	7.7	136 of 139	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	14.2	114 of 123	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	34.7	217 of 325	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	39.7	187 of 308	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.2	211 of 304	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.9	237 of 313	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.5	231 of 300	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	41.3	157 of 288	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	29.5	217 of 289	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.9	210 of 280	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	24.0	242 of 310	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	27.7	226 of 298	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.3	226 of 292	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.8	214 of 303	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.1	207 of 292	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	44.5	144 of 279	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.7	188 of 296	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.5	139 of 284	51.1%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	26.8	211 of 271	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	45.5	140 of 259	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.0	183 of 256	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	50.0	121 of 260	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	40.5	147 of 249	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	59.2	94 of 244	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	58.3	107 of 258	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	52.2	122 of 250	51.2%	★★★☆☆

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)

African American (2026)60th percentile+34 vs school

Disabled (2026)51st percentile+25 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)33rd percentile+8 vs school

Female (2026)27th percentile~ school

White (2026)22nd percentile-3 vs school

Male (2026)22nd percentile-3 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)19th percentile-6 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)14th percentile-11 vs school

Hispanic (2026)9th percentile-16 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts46%-12 vs state

Science42%-10 vs state

Mathematics24%-18 vs state

4.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Great "neighborhood" smaller sized middle school that does a lot with the resources of a smaller district with a wide range of socioeconomic groups. Advanced courses, particularly in 8th grade, are very well-designed to prepare the student for high school. Positive school atmosphere with minimal discipline/gang/racial problems. Very diverse population of white, black and hispanic students. Close Quote

Schools Near Northside Middle

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				SC READY English Language Arts (2026)			SC READY Mathematics (2026)			SC READY Science (2026)	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 (2024)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SC READY English Language Arts 6th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 7th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 8th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 6th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 7th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 8th Grade	SC READY Science 6th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Personnel Spending from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Sub-total Spending from State and Local Funds
Northside Middle	Public	6-8	157 Cougar Drive	West Columbia	29169	Lexington County	Lexington 02	No	No	No	No	(803) 739-4190	528	43	12.2	84.5%	124 (23.5%)	129 (24.4%)	240 (45.5%)	10 (1.9%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.4%)	26.1	255^th of 341 public middle schools	25.2%		29.1	234^th of 321 public middle schools	27.1%	21	38.7	45.6	52.8	17.8	17.3	38.2	41.8	$16,360	$547	$1,527	$2,074	$11,997	$2,290	$14,286
St. Andrews Middle	Public	6-8	1231 Bluefield Road	Columbia	29210	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 731-8910	627	58	10.8	100.0%	17 (2.7%)	523 (83.4%)	46 (7.3%)	11 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (4.6%)	9.5	323^rd of 341 public middle schools	5.3%		9.7	307^th of 321 public middle schools	4.4%	16	32.6	36.7	35.2	13.3	16.4	18.5	23.5	$18,051	$2,156	$1,651	$3,808	$11,942	$2,301	$14,244
Heyward Gibbes Middle	Public	6-8	500 Summerlea Drive	Columbia	29203	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 343-2942	252	26	9.8	100.0%	4 (1.6%)	227 (90.1%)	13 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.2%)	15.3	305^th of 341 public middle schools	10.6%		11.9	297^th of 321 public middle schools	7.5%	8	32.4	46.5	37.2	17.3	11.3	30.8	27.5	$28,273	$2,597	$1,973	$4,569	$19,307	$4,397	$23,704
R. H. Fulmer Middle	Public	6-8	1614 Walterboro St.	West Columbia	29170	Lexington County	Lexington 02	No	No	No	No	(803) 822-5660	526	47	11.1	100.0%	221 (42.0%)	176 (33.5%)	92 (17.5%)	4 (0.8%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	28 (5.3%)	45.5	175^th of 341 public middle schools	48.7%		42.7	175^th of 321 public middle schools	45.5%		43.3	51.8	53.9	33.1	36.7	56.2	49.4	$15,079	$689	$1,316	$2,005	$10,905	$2,170	$13,074
Meadow Glen Middle	Public	6-8	440 Ginny Lane	Lexington	29072	Lexington County	Lexington 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 821-0600	778	61	12.7	30.8%	501 (64.4%)	92 (11.8%)	57 (7.3%)	87 (11.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (5.3%)	89.9	29^th of 341 public middle schools	91.5%		92.8	19^th of 321 public middle schools	94.1%	10	75.3	79.1	75.3	56.6	67.6	68.9	69.7	$15,868	$1,026	$375	$1,401	$12,878	$1,589	$14,468
Cyril B. Busbee Creative Arts Academy	Public, Magnet	6-8	501 Bulldog Boulevard	Cayce	29033	Lexington County	Lexington 02	No	Yes	No	Yes	(803) 739-4070	442	35	12.6	100.0%	128 (29.0%)	161 (36.4%)	102 (23.1%)	21 (4.8%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (6.3%)	29.8	244^th of 341 public middle schools	28.4%		29.5	232^nd of 321 public middle schools	27.7%	12	39.5	45.3	47.6	20.6	29.5	44.1	42.8	$16,055	$1,248	$1,134	$2,382	$11,314	$2,359	$13,673
W. A. Perry Middle	Public	6-8	2600 Barhamville Road	Columbia	29204	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 256-6347	320	32	10.0	100.0%	2 (0.6%)	289 (90.3%)	11 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (5.6%)	12.9	313^th of 341 public middle schools	8.2%		13.4	290^th of 321 public middle schools	9.7%	23	26.6	47.7	46.5	14.0	14.4	17.0	18.5	$30,818	$3,082	$2,054	$5,136	$19,110	$6,573	$25,683
Hand Middle	Public	6-8	2600 Wheat Street	Columbia	29205	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 343-2947	755	61	12.3	100.0%	232 (30.7%)	388 (51.4%)	82 (10.9%)	7 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	44 (5.8%)	52.2	148^th of 341 public middle schools	56.6%		49.1	149^th of 321 public middle schools	53.6%	1	62.4	64.3	56.3	39.1	33.5	40.1	44.6	$18,872	$1,401	$1,133	$2,534	$13,897	$2,441	$16,338
Alcorn Middle	Public	6-8	5125 Fairfield Road	Columbia	29203	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 735-3439	381	31	12.4	100.0%	11 (2.9%)	295 (77.4%)	55 (14.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.0%)	4	340^th of 341 public middle schools	0.3%		6.4	318^th of 321 public middle schools	0.9%	22	25.1	17.8	29.8	10.8	9.2	9.8	14.4	$22,494	$2,572	$1,551	$4,123	$15,467	$2,904	$18,371
Pine Ridge Middle	Public	6-8	735 Pine Ridge Drive	West Columbia	29172	Lexington County	Lexington 02	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 755-7400	379	31	12.2	100.0%	113 (29.8%)	139 (36.7%)	108 (28.5%)	4 (1.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.7%)	17.6	293^rd of 341 public middle schools	14.1%		15.4	278^th of 321 public middle schools	13.4%	15	36.4	39.6	34.9	22.7	22.6	25.6	38.6	$17,076	$669	$2,162	$2,832	$10,992	$3,253	$14,245

Frequently Asked Questions about Northside Middle

What high school do graduates of Northside Middle attend?

Students who attend Northside Middle usually go on to attend Brookland-Cayce High

Is Northside Middle a good school?

Northside Middle ranks 255^th of 341 South Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend Northside Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 528 students attended Northside Middle.

What is the racial makeup of Northside Middle?

Students at Northside Middle are 45% Hispanic, 24% African American, 23% White, 4% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What district is Northside Middle in?

Lexington 02

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Latest South Carolina data All new data »

2025–26 EOCEP & SC READY test scoresAug 10, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataNov 3, 2025

2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 3, 2025

2024–25 EOCEP & SC READY test scoresSep 2, 2025

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