John W. Moore Middle, Florence SC

Original Research by School Decision on John W. Moore Middle

John W. Moore Middle is a regular public school in Florence, South Carolina, serving grades six through eight as part of the Florence 01 district. The school sits in a mid-sized regional hub that serves as the medical and commercial center for the Pee Dee region, an area anchored by two major hospital systems, manufacturing employers like General Electric and Honda, and distribution centers. The city has invested heavily in redeveloping its historic downtown in recent years, with new cultural venues, apartments, and streetscaping, while the broader district underwent a significant restructuring in 2022 through a mandatory consolidation with a neighboring district. Families moving into the area should be aware that the combined district now operates under a new governance structure and elected board, which may affect representation and attendance zones.

The student body is diverse across a few racial and ethnic groups. Black and white students each make up a substantial share of the enrollment, followed by smaller shares of students who are Hispanic, identify as two or more races, and Asian. A majority of students come from households with economic need, as measured by federal meal program eligibility.

State assessment results from the most recent testing year showed a mixed picture across subjects and grade levels. In English language arts, proficiency rates were roughly similar across all three grade levels, with a majority of students meeting the state's proficiency benchmark. In math, outcomes varied more by grade, with the eighth-grade cohort performing notably stronger than the sixth- and seventh-grade cohorts. In science, the rate was lower than the English language arts results. These figures provide a snapshot for one year, and because assessment cut scores in English language arts and science were recently adjusted, direct comparisons to earlier years are not possible. A parent may want to ask the school how these scores compare to its own internal benchmarks and whether academic support is targeted at the grades and subjects where proficiency rates are lower.

The school's overall proficiency index, which averages results across tested subjects and grades, placed it in the top quartile relative to other school districts in Florence County. This is a positive sign for academic performance in the local context. Because John W. Moore is a middle school that does not serve the high school grades, a graduation rate was not applicable, and no data on chronic absenteeism was available. Information on the school's course offerings, staffing ratios, and discipline rates was also not provided, so families with specific interests in those areas should reach out to the school directly.

For a family considering this school, John W. Moore Middle offers a student body that reflects the region's racial and economic diversity, set in a city with a growing downtown and a consolidating district. The academic results suggest relative strength in English language arts and, in eighth-grade math, while some performance gaps in other grades and subjects are visible and worth exploring with the school.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 643%

School 43% · District 35% · ▲ 8 pts above district

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

Grade 739%

School 39% · District 33% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median

Grade 853%

School 53% · District 38% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 27 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 656%

School 56% · District 49% · ▲ 7 pts above district

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

Grade 756%

School 56% · District 49% · ▲ 6 pts above district

even with state median

Grade 857%

School 57% · District 49% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 4 pts above state median

Science

Grade 643%

School 43% · District 38% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 578%

School 78% · District 68% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

This schoolFlorence 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 5Lower-income33%Higher-income67%35 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income51%Higher-income67%16 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income46%Higher-income69%23 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income45%Higher-income74%29 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income27%Higher-income66%39 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income33%Higher-income62%29 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income25%Higher-income60%35 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income38%Higher-income73%35 pp gap