Paul Knox Middle, North Augusta SC

Original Research by School Decision on Paul Knox Middle

Paul Knox Middle serves grades six through eight in North Augusta, a residential city on the Savannah River that functions as a suburb of Augusta, Georgia. The area saw major growth in the mid-20th century tied to the nearby Savannah River Site, and the city retains a historic core with antebellum homes along wide downtown boulevards. Civic anchors include a riverfront park, a minor league baseball stadium, and a miles-long paved trail system that runs through neighborhoods. Housing values in the zip code fall below the state median, and rents are moderately priced relative to income, making this a relatively accessible market for families.

The school itself is a regular public middle school in the Aiken 01 district. The student body is majority white, with Black students making up roughly a quarter of enrollment and Hispanic students a notable share. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a population with significant economic need. Special education and English learner counts were not available in the data, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those supports.

On state assessments, the school shows a clear split between English language arts and math. Proficiency in ELA sits above the midpoint in each grade, with roughly three-fifths to two-thirds of students meeting the bar depending on the grade. Math proficiency is lower, with about two-fifths of students scoring proficient across grades six through eight. Science results from sixth grade show just over half of students at proficiency. These are single-year figures, and because the assessment cut scores changed recently for some subjects, direct year-over-year trend comparison is not possible based on the data available.

No graduation rate is reported, which is expected for a middle school. The neighbor comparison tool could not position this school relative to other Aiken County districts because only one school-level record was available for the county. That means there is no peer benchmark from the data to say whether these results are high or low for the area.

The school's program offerings were not detailed in the data, so the full range of electives, extracurriculars, and support services is unclear from this account alone. A parent may want to visit or contact the school to learn about course selection, clubs, and any gifted or intervention programs.

The Aiken 01 district has been through several recent changes that families should know about. Voters approved a sizable bond referendum in late 2024 to build a new North Augusta High School, replace an existing middle school, and fund renovations and safety upgrades across the district, with a property tax increase attached. An elementary redistricting plan affecting North Augusta-area schools took effect for the 2025-26 school year, so some attendance zones have shifted. The district also adopted a new literacy curriculum based on the science of reading, which will affect feeder elementary schools.

For a family considering Paul Knox Middle, the picture is of a school where a majority of students come from lower-income households, ELA results are solid, math results leave more room for growth, and the surrounding district is in a period of facility investment and boundary adjustment. The lack of program details and special population data means some key questions about student experience will need to come directly from the school.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 638%

School 38% · District 25% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

Grade 737%

School 37% · District 20% · ▲ 17 pts above district

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 840%

School 40% · District 22% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 661%

School 61% · District 52% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 768%

School 68% · District 52% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Grade 860%

School 60% · District 53% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Science

Grade 654%

School 54% · District 43% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 784%

School 84% · District 66% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

This schoolAiken 01, 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-income49%Higher-income72%24 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income60%Higher-income76%16 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income47%Higher-income72%25 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income27%Higher-income47%20 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income21%Higher-income52%31 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income25%Higher-income54%29 pp gap