Summary:
Zip code 29212 in Columbia, SC is home to 2 middle schools serving grades 6-8, both part of the Lexington 05 school district, which is ranked 13th out of 75 districts in the state.
There is a stark contrast between the two schools in this area. Irmo Middle is the clear academic leader, particularly in 6th grade where it dramatically outperforms district and state averages in every subject. However, this performance drops off significantly in 7th and 8th grades, where the school falls below both district and state averages. In contrast, CrossRoads Intermediate, which serves only 6th grade, lags far behind Irmo Middle in 6th grade performance despite spending $868 more per student. For example, in 6th grade ELA, Irmo Middle scores 82.6% proficient while CrossRoads scores just 50.1% — a 32.5-point gap. This pattern suggests that CrossRoads students may feed into Irmo Middle for 7th grade, which could explain the dramatic decline in Irmo's 7th grade scores as the two student populations merge.
Both schools face significant challenges with chronic absenteeism, with rates around 23-24% compared to the district average of 15%. Irmo Middle does show some bright spots, including a 93.5% proficiency rate in Algebra 1 and notable improvement in 8th grade math, jumping from 22.8% to 36.3% proficiency year-over-year. The school has also improved its overall ranking from a 2-star to a 3-star rating over the past two years. For parents, this area offers a mixed picture: exceptional 6th grade performance at Irmo Middle, a struggling 6th-grade-only school at CrossRoads, and concerning declines in upper-grade performance that warrant further investigation.
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