Summary:
There are four middle schools in Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools, serving grades 6–8 in the Williamsburg, Virginia area. Lois Hornsby Middle ranks as the district's academic leader, with the highest overall rank and perfect scores in advanced math, while Toano Middle shows the most improvement across science, reading, and civics. Berkeley Middle stands out as an equity success story, achieving the highest average SOL proficiency despite a 65% free/reduced lunch rate, and James Blair Middle is the area of concern, ranking lowest with a 2-star rating.
Across the district, students perform well in reading, science, civics, and advanced math, but general 7th- and 8th-grade math is a weakness. For example, Algebra I and Geometry proficiency range from 92% to 100%, while on-grade math averages just 44% and 42%, below state averages. Berkeley posts the best 7th-grade math score at 55.1% and the highest civics score at 83.2%, while also having the lowest chronic absenteeism at 7.6%. James Blair, despite the highest per-pupil spending and lowest student-teacher ratio, lags in most subjects including 8th-grade science and reading.
Spending and class size do not predict outcomes: Lois Hornsby spends the least per student yet outperforms James Blair, which spends $1,683 more per student. Attendance is a district strength, with absenteeism at 7.6%–10.4%, well below the state average of 14.8%. Overall, these four schools offer solid academics, but families should be aware of the math gap and the significant internal performance spread between the top and bottom schools.
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