The top reported proficiency rate is 40% in English language arts. The lowest is 31% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Lewis and Clark Middle
Lewis and Clark Middle is a regular public school in Jefferson City, Missouri, serving grades six through eight. It is part of the Jefferson City school district, the system for the state capital. The school is a mid-sized middle school for its grade band, drawing from across the city.
Jefferson City itself is a government town, anchored by the Missouri State Capitol on a bluff above the Missouri River. State government is the dominant employer, alongside healthcare, manufacturing (Hitachi), and Lincoln University, a public HBCU. The city has seen a modest population decline in recent years, and an EF-3 tornado caused extensive damage on the southwest side in a recent year, which likely shaped development patterns there. The housing market in the school's zip code shows home values and rents that have risen at a pace above the national average, though the area remains more affordable than many parts of the country. The district itself, Jefferson City, did not have any major parent-relevant changes publicly reported in recent searches.
Lewis and Clark Middle is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. It serves a student body that is majority white, with a substantial Black student population and smaller shares of Hispanic and multiracial students. Just over half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of moderate economic need across the school. The school is a mid-sized middle school, with enrollment spread fairly evenly across sixth, seventh, and eighth grades.
On the Missouri Assessment Program, the school's results show a pattern that parents will want to examine closely. In English language arts, the share of students scoring proficient or above was in the high thirty to low forty percent range across grades six through eight, with seventh grade the strongest. In math, the results were lower and declined by grade: sixth grade was in the high forties, seventh grade dropped to the low thirties, and eighth grade fell to the low twenties. Science, tested only in eighth grade, was in the low thirties. When compared to other districts in Cole County, Lewis and Clark Middle's overall proficiency index sits below the midpoint of the county's districts. This is a soft spot. A parent may want to look into this further with the school, particularly around math support and how the school addresses the drop in performance from sixth to eighth grade.
The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. Data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing ratios, and course access were not available in the provided information. Similarly, information on special education and English learner populations was missing. A parent interested in those areas would need to ask the school directly.
The school's setting is Jefferson City, a government town with a stable but slightly declining population. The housing market in the school's zip code has seen home values and rents rise faster than the national average, though the area remains more affordable than many parts of the country. The district itself did not have any recent major changes publicly reported, so the school's context appears to be one of continuity rather than upheaval.
For a family considering Lewis and Clark Middle, the picture is mixed. The school serves a diverse student body in a stable district in the state capital. The academic results, particularly in math and science, are areas where a parent would want to understand what supports are in place and how the school is working to improve them. The school is a straightforward, regular public middle school in a mid-sized city with a government-centered economy and a modestly declining population. It is not a school with standout test scores or specialized programs, but it is also not a school with any red flags in the available data beyond the academic performance itself. A family moving to Jefferson City would want to visit, talk to the principal about math instruction, and see how the school's environment matches their child's needs.
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