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W. G. Sanders Middle

Public, Magnet Grades 6-8

266^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 341 South Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 22% of South Carolina middle schools

Summary

W. G. Sanders Middle in Columbia, SC, serves 503 students in grades 6-8 within the Richland 01 school district, and has recently experienced a significant drop in its overall state ranking.

This school presents a mixed picture for parents to consider. On one hand, it has a standout strength: for three consecutive years, 100% of students taking the Algebra 1 End-of-Course exam have scored as proficient—far exceeding district and state averages. This suggests that students placed in advanced math are exceptionally well-supported. On the other hand, the school's overall performance has declined sharply. After ranking in the 40th percentile statewide for several years, it fell to the 21st percentile in the most recent school year. This decline is broad, affecting nearly all subjects and student groups. For example, proficiency in standard grade-level math now hovers around 25-28%, and 8th-grade English Language Arts dropped from a strong 56% to 36% in just one year. The school also struggles with chronic absenteeism, which has surged to 32.8%—higher than both the district (26.7%) and state (22.3%) averages, and likely a major factor in the academic slide.

Compared to nearby schools, W. G. Sanders sits in a challenging middle ground. It outperforms Alcorn Middle (0th percentile) and W. A. Perry Middle (8th percentile), but trails far behind Crayton Middle (86th percentile) and Hand Middle (57th percentile), both just a few miles away. Notably, the school spends a substantial $20,208 per student and maintains a low student-teacher ratio of 9.3:1—yet these resources haven't translated into broad academic gains. The most concerning trend is the widening gender gap (females rank in the 23rd percentile vs. males in the 17th) and a sharp drop in effectiveness for low-income students, from the 43rd to the 13th percentile. For parents, this school offers excellent advanced math opportunities but currently faces significant challenges in foundational instruction and overall student engagement.

503

Students ?

9.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,208

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3455 Pine Belt Road
Columbia, SC 29204

(803) 735-7575

District: Richland 01

Students who attend W. G. Sanders Middle usually attend:

High:

W.J. Keenan High

Feeder schools for W. G. Sanders Middle:

Elementary:	A. J. Lewis Greenview Elementary
	Burton Pack Elementary

Racial breakdown:

African American:

74.8%

White:

11.7%

Hispanic:

9.1%

See top rated South Carolina middle schools

Compare W. G. Sanders Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 25th percentile in 2016 → 22nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 9 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Carolina average (34% vs 51% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (22nd percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (33% vs 22% South Carolina)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school34%

District avg40%

South Carolina avg51%

266^th of 341

South Carolina public middle schools ?

Bottom 22%▼ down 3 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 9Middle Schools in the Richland 01

55^th of 75Richland 01 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	22.5	266 of 341	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	31.9	222 of 321	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.0	186 of 322	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.9	195 of 325	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.7	187 of 310	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	21.3	247 of 311	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	32.9	216 of 315	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	30.2	216 of 303	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	33.6	213 of 317	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2016	28.3	228 of 303	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	22.9	244 of 301	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	12.7	271 of 291	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	7.1	267 of 276	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	9.0	254 of 271	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	17.7	240 of 269	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	22.8	225 of 261	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	15.6	224 of 249	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	14.7	230 of 244	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	15.6	215 of 236	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	6.2	223 of 231	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	6.5	225 of 230	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	8.6	220 of 230	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2003	15.0	204 of 225	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	34.3	183 of 258	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	47.1	130 of 251	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	55.2	91 of 246	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.3	64 of 253	74.7%	★★★★☆
2022	60.8	63 of 249	74.7%	★★★★☆
2021	35.9	152 of 235	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	49.8	114 of 252	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	44.6	126 of 237	46.8%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	29.9	149 of 192	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	39.9	110 of 184	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	15.5	172 of 177	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	42.1	101 of 187	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	80.1	18 of 195	90.8%	★★★★★
2018	47.7	93 of 194	52.1%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	24.0	237 of 310	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	32.2	207 of 295	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.5	161 of 293	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.4	182 of 299	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.1	195 of 290	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	22.7	218 of 279	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	33.8	205 of 296	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	31.0	198 of 281	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	15.1	178 of 197	9.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	28.2	152 of 173	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	35.9	146 of 184	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	35.3	146 of 185	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	41.3	134 of 182	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	0.7	178 of 179	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	20.5	280 of 325	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	34.3	208 of 308	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.4	175 of 304	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.8	171 of 313	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.4	174 of 300	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	16.1	259 of 288	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	31.3	212 of 289	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.3	236 of 280	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	20.8	256 of 310	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	31.1	210 of 298	29.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.4	177 of 292	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.8	182 of 303	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.1	171 of 292	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	18.8	227 of 279	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	33.1	199 of 296	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	29.7	207 of 284	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	42.1	157 of 271	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	95.0	9 of 256	96.5%	★★★★★
2023	81.7	40 of 260	84.6%	★★★★☆
2019	94.3	12 of 258	95.3%	★★★★★

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)

White (2026)42nd percentile+20 vs school

African American (2026)29th percentile+7 vs school

Female (2026)24th percentile~ school

Disabled (2026)22nd percentile~ school

Male (2026)17th percentile-5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)14th percentile-8 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)10th percentile-12 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts43%-15 vs state

Science31%-21 vs state

Mathematics26%-16 vs state

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Schools Near W. G. Sanders 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)		EOCEP Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 (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 3rd Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 4th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 5th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 6th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 7th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 8th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 3rd Grade	SC READY Mathematics 4th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 5th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 6th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 7th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 8th Grade	SC READY Science 4th Grade	SC READY Science 6th Grade	EOCEP Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 End of Course	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
W. G. Sanders Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	3455 Pine Belt Road	Columbia	29204	Richland County	Richland 01	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 735-7575	503	54	9.3	100.0%	59 (11.7%)	376 (74.8%)	46 (9.1%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.8%)	22.5	266^th of 341 public middle schools	22.0%		31.9	222^nd of 321 public middle schools	30.8%	44				43.6	50.3	36.0				24.5	28.6	26.0		31.4		$20,208	$1,375	$1,201	$2,576	$14,996	$2,637	$17,633
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
Crayton Middle	Public	6-8	5000 Clemson Avenue	Columbia	29206	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 738-7224	952	68	14.0	100.0%	469 (49.3%)	330 (34.7%)	70 (7.4%)	17 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	64 (6.7%)	82.2	49^th of 341 public middle schools	85.6%		82.3	50^th of 321 public middle schools	84.4%	1				69.1	76.1	66.1				56.0	60.7	57.2		65.0		$17,291	$1,415	$1,114	$2,529	$12,672	$2,090	$14,761
Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy	Public, Charter	2-8	6015 N Main Street	Columbia	29224	Richland County	School Public Charter School District	Yes	No	No	No	(803) 900-0664	216	23	9.3	34.3%	106 (49.1%)	89 (41.2%)	9 (4.2%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.6%)	1.4	341^st of 341 public middle schools	0.0%		8.5	311^th of 321 public middle schools	3.1%	30	6.3	22.6	19.6	14.3	15.4		9.7	0.0	4.3	0.0	0.0		0.0	8.6		$16,348	$1,802	$163	$1,965	$11,174	$3,208	$14,383
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
Dent Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	2721 Decker Boulevard	Columbia	29206	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 699-2750	1,059	83	12.7	100.0%	185 (17.5%)	566 (53.4%)	186 (17.6%)	67 (6.3%)	5 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (4.4%)	42.1	190^th of 341 public middle schools	44.3%		40.7	185^th of 321 public middle schools	42.4%	5				50.2	54.5	55.8				30.9	40.6	35.5		43.0		$15,232	$1,039	$661	$1,699	$11,035	$2,497	$13,532
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
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
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
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

Frequently Asked Questions about W. G. Sanders Middle

What district is W. G. Sanders Middle in?

Richland 01

What is the racial makeup of W. G. Sanders Middle?

Students at W. G. Sanders Middle are 75% African American, 12% White, 9% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races.

How many students attend W. G. Sanders Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 503 students attended W. G. Sanders Middle.

Is W. G. Sanders Middle a good school?

W. G. Sanders Middle ranks in the bottom 22.0% of South Carolina middle schools.

What high school do graduates of W. G. Sanders Middle attend?

Students who attend W. G. Sanders Middle usually go on to attend W.J. Keenan High

Rate W. G. Sanders Middle!

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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.