Dr. Phinnize J. Fisher Middle, Greenville SC

Original Research by School Decision on Dr. Phinnize J. Fisher Middle

Dr. Phinnize J. Fisher Middle is a regular public school serving sixth through eighth grade as part of the Greenville 01 district in Greenville, South Carolina. This is a midsized middle school for its grade band, and the student body reflects the diversity of the broader community: a mix of White students, Black students, Hispanic students, Asian students, and students identifying with two or more races, plus a small number of American Indian and Pacific Islander students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, giving the school a middle-income economic profile overall.

The academic picture is strongest in English language arts. Across the three tested grades, a solid majority of students met the state’s proficiency standard, with performance peaking at the eighth-grade level. This is a clear strength; a parent looking for a middle school where literacy is a pillar will see that reflected here. Science results also showed a majority of students reaching proficiency at the sixth-grade level, the only grade in which science is tested at this school. Social studies data is older and from a previous assessment, so it offers less of a current read on that subject.

Math tells a different story. While a modest share of sixth and seventh graders scored proficient, the figure dropped notably for eighth graders, with fewer than half meeting the standard. This is the softest academic spot in the available data and is worth a conversation with the school. A parent may want to ask how math instruction is structured across the grades, what interventions are in place for students who are behind, and whether course placement practices might be contributing to the pattern.

There is only one year of state assessment data available for most subjects, so it is not possible to see a trend. County-level comparisons were not possible because the comparison set was too small to generate a position; the school sits in a district where few peers matched the criteria for that analysis.

Greenville itself is a rapidly growing city that has shifted from its industrial and textile roots toward advanced manufacturing, automotive production, and a strong health care and energy sector. Major employers include Michelin, Prisma Health, Bon Secours, and Duke Energy, and the city’s downtown is anchored by Falls Park on the Reedy, the Peace Center performing arts venue, and the Swamp Rabbit Trail, a converted rail corridor popular with pedestrians and cyclists. The school’s neighborhood, with an address on Millennium Boulevard, sits within a housing market where home values are above the state and national medians, and rents are similarly elevated. This is not an inexpensive part of Greenville, though the school’s free and reduced-price lunch share suggests it draws from a mix of income levels.

A search for recent district-level changes or priorities in Greenville 01 turned up little of lasting impact, so there is no publicly reported information about new initiatives, boundary adjustments, or program shifts that would affect this school.

For a family considering Fisher Middle, the central question is math. The school delivers strong reading results, solid early science outcomes, and a diverse peer environment in a growing, economically vibrant city. But the math proficiency figures, especially by eighth grade, are low enough to warrant a closer look. A parent who is comfortable with that and who values the school’s literacy performance and the broader community context will find it a reasonable fit. A parent for whom strong middle-school math is a top priority may want to ask how the school supports students who are not yet at grade level and whether advanced math tracks are accessible.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 647%

School 47% · District 47%

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

Grade 749%

School 49% · District 41% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 837%

School 37% · District 41% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▲ 11 pts above state median · even with county median

English language arts

Grade 670%

School 70% · District 61% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 781%

School 81% · District 63% · ▲ 18 pts above district

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

Grade 866%

School 66% · District 61% · ▲ 5 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 663%

School 63% · District 55% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 780%

School 80% · District 72% · ▲ 7 pts above district

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

This schoolGreenville 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-income53%Higher-income91%39 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income70%Higher-income93%23 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income53%Higher-income79%25 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income27%Higher-income73%46 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income32%Higher-income65%33 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income22%Higher-income51%29 pp gap