The top reported proficiency rate is 11% in English language arts. The lowest is 3% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on W.s. Hornsby Middle School
W.S. Hornsby Middle School serves grades six through eight in Augusta, a mid-sized city anchored by healthcare, higher education, and military employment along Georgia's border with South Carolina. The school sits in a downtown-adjacent area where all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the population is overwhelmingly Black, reflecting the demographics of the surrounding city. Enrollment is modest for a middle school, with roughly evenly distributed classes across the three grade levels.
The school's academic standing reflects a sustained challenge across all tested subjects. State assessment results from the current year show proficiency rates well below the state baseline in mathematics, English language arts, science, and social studies. In sixth-grade mathematics, the proficiency rate is very low; seventh-grade math and reading both sit at low single digits, while eighth-grade science proficiency is particularly sparse. Reading performance in eighth grade is also very low. Only eighth-grade math shows relative strength within the school's own results, though it remains below what districts in Richmond County typically achieve. Placed against the two other districts in the county, Hornsby's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile. The data available covers only the current school year, so trends over time cannot be assessed. A parent may want to look into further with the school what academic supports, tutoring, or intervention programs are available to students who are not yet proficient, and whether there are plans to address proficiency outcomes.
The school feeds into the Richmond County system, which is undergoing a significant structural reorganization. Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, attendance zones will shift under a newly adopted Long-Range Facilities Master Plan. T.W. Josey Comprehensive High School is set to close as a traditional zoned high school by the end of the 2028-29 school year, and the Josey-Murphey campus will be repurposed as a districtwide College and Career Academy serving grades nine through twelve as a choice program. This means families need to understand that the high school pathway for a student currently at Hornsby will look different than the traditional feeder model. The district is funding substantial new construction through voter-approved sales tax without adding debt, including a new Barton Chapel Elementary and the new academy facility. The district maintained a traditional school calendar for the 2025-26 school year rather than moving to a modified year-round schedule, preserving a standard summer break for families.
Augusta itself is a city with a revitalizing downtown anchored by Broad Street, a historic commercial corridor with restaurants, breweries, and cultural institutions, alongside a civic riverfront. Downtown is walkable and home to Augusta University's Cyber Institute, government offices, and the public library headquarters. The wider metropolitan area is more car-dependent. Housing in the immediate area is modest in price, well below state and national medians, with rental costs proportionally lower than mortgage costs. The local economy is anchored by healthcare (Wellstar MCG Health, the only academic medical center in the region), Fort Eisenhower (the Army's largest communications and electronics training facility), and manufacturing. Downtown and surrounding residential neighborhoods including Summerville and Turpin Hill are seeing multifamily development and affordable housing investment. North Augusta across the river is experiencing faster residential growth.
For a family considering Hornsby, the school offers an accessible location in an urban setting with growing downtown investment, but the current academic proficiency presents a clear starting point for questions about instructional approach, resource allocation, and improvement strategy within the building itself.
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