Summary:
Zip code 29353 is served by a single school, Jonesville Elementary/Middle, a combined Pre-K through 8th grade campus with 557 students in the Union 01 district.
For parents, the most striking thing about this school is its split personality. On one hand, it posts an extraordinary 95.46% proficiency rate on the Algebra 1 End-of-Course exam, far outpacing the state average of 73.95%. This suggests that the school runs a highly effective advanced math program for its top students. On the other hand, grade-level math proficiency is a consistent weakness, with scores below the state average in every grade from 3rd through 8th. The gap is widest in 6th grade, where only 22.1% of students are proficient versus 40.9% statewide. This creates a "two-school" dynamic: exceptional for advanced learners, but struggling for the general student body. English Language Arts is a relative bright spot, as the school outperforms its district in all six tested grade levels, even while remaining below state averages. The school also has a strong attendance record, with a chronic absenteeism rate of just 16.6% compared to 22.3% statewide, and a favorable student-teacher ratio of 13.1 to 1.
One concern is the volatility in test scores year to year. For example, 8th-grade math proficiency jumped from 10.1% to 27.1% between school years, while 6th-grade math dropped from 35.2% to 22.1%. This instability, combined with a state ranking that has bounced between the 26th and 33rd percentiles, suggests the school is still finding its footing. The most critical takeaway is the math divide: the school clearly knows how to push advanced students, but the steady decline in proficiency as students move from 3rd grade (39.8%) to 6th grade (22.1%) indicates that many students fall behind during the middle school transition. Parents should ask how the school plans to extend its advanced math success to the broader student population.
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