Rector A. Jones Middle School, Florence KY

Original Research by School Decision on Rector A. Jones Middle School

Rector A. Jones Middle School serves grades six through eight in Florence, a fast-growing suburban city that sits at the intersection of major highways near Cincinnati. The school is part of Boone County Schools, the county’s main public district, and draws from the surrounding residential neighborhoods and commercial corridors that define Florence’s car-dependent landscape.

The student body is diverse in background. White students make up the largest share, followed by a sizeable Hispanic population, a notable Black student presence, and smaller groups of students who are Asian, Native American, Pacific Islander, or multiracial. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, a marker that families considering the school may want to factor into their understanding of the community’s economic context.

Housing in the area is moderate by regional standards, with home values above the Kentucky median but below the national median. Rents have been rising, consistent with broader trends. The city describes itself as one of the fastest-growing communities in Northern Kentucky, and district officials have opened a new elementary school to address overcrowding from rapid residential growth. Boone County Schools has also adopted a strategic plan emphasizing career pathways and expanded career and technical education at the high school level, which shapes the long-term academic options that feed from this middle school.

On state assessments, performance is lower than what families moving into Boone County might expect from some other schools in the area. When compared with the other district in Boone County, this school’s overall proficiency index sits in the bottom quartile. Across all three grades, the share of students meeting state proficiency standards in math is modest, roughly a quarter of tested students. In English language arts, about a third of students reach proficiency in the upper grades, with a somewhat higher share in sixth grade. Science results are very low, with a small fraction of seventh graders proficient. Social studies results are similar to the ELA pattern. These are the most recent available figures, and a parent may want to ask the school about its approach to improving achievement, particularly in math and science.

The school operates as a regular public institution with no charter or magnet designation. It does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. Data on special education and English learner populations, chronic absenteeism, and discipline were not available in the source information.

In sum, Rector A. Jones Middle School sits in a growing, commercially oriented suburb within a district that is expanding its facilities and career-focused programming. Its student body is economically diverse, and its academic results on state tests are lower than those of the county’s other district. A family weighing options would benefit from visiting the school, understanding its curriculum and support structures, and comparing its offerings and outcomes with other middle schools in the broader region.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 627%

School 27% · District 51% · ▼ 24 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median

Grade 727%

School 27% · District 55% · ▼ 28 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median

Grade 828%

School 28% · District 51% · ▼ 23 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median

English language arts

Grade 644%

School 44% · District 62% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median

Grade 732%

School 32% · District 58% · ▼ 26 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median

Grade 831%

School 31% · District 47% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median

Science

Grade 712%

School 12% · District 36% · ▼ 24 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median

Social studies

Grade 832%

School 32% · District 42% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median

This schoolBoone County, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income43%Higher-income53%10 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income33%Higher-income29%4 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income29%Higher-income42%13 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income25%Higher-income41%16 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income26%Higher-income35%9 pp gap