White Knoll Middle, West Columbia SC

Original Research by School Decision on White Knoll Middle

White Knoll Middle serves sixth through eighth grade in West Columbia, part of the Lexington 01 district. It is a regular public school with an enrollment that is majority White, with a substantial share of students who are Black, Hispanic, or identify with two or more races. A significant majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing the school in a different economic context from some of its district neighbors.

State test results present a mixed picture. In English language arts, roughly half of students scored at the proficient level across all three middle grades, a rate that positions the school near the middle of the pack among schools in its county. In science, a little more than a third of sixth graders reached that bar, which is the only tested year for the subject at this level. Math proficiency is a clear soft spot, with about a fifth of students meeting the standard in sixth and seventh grade, and a smaller share in eighth grade. This pattern means that a parent whose child struggles in math would want to look into this further with the school to understand what supports are available. The social studies assessment data dates back several years, uses an older test, and is not directly comparable to the current assessments, so it does not give a clear picture of present performance.

The school sits within Lexington 01, a district that has been growing rapidly. Voters recently approved a major bond referendum to build new elementary and middle schools, renovate existing buildings, and address overcrowding district-wide. The district has also shifted to a new K-12 literacy curriculum grounded in the science of reading, a change that is still being phased in. Teacher pay has been raised, including a higher starting salary, which signals an effort to retain staff. These district-level moves may affect White Knoll Middle directly, from eventual attendance boundary changes to the way reading is taught in its classrooms.

West Columbia is a commuter city and suburb of Columbia, directly across the Congaree River from the state capital. Its downtown on State Street has shops and restaurants, and the city is investing in sidewalk and road upgrades. The Riverwalk trails along the rivers are a notable amenity. Major employers include Lexington Medical Center, which is expanding with new facilities, and Southeastern Freight Lines. The city is part of one of the fastest-growing counties in South Carolina, and recent sewer expansion on the Sunset Boulevard corridor is aimed at unlocking more development. Housing values and rents in the area are moderate relative to national benchmarks, and the city promotes its lower property tax rates compared to surrounding municipalities.

For a family considering White Knoll Middle, the academic picture is one where literacy instruction is a relative strength, math results are an area to investigate further, and the district is actively building capacity for growth. The school environment is a regular public middle school in a suburban setting that is part of a fast-growing county with ongoing school construction and curriculum changes.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 623%

School 23% · District 50% · ▼ 28 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 722%

School 22% · District 42% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 818%

School 18% · District 36% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 651%

School 51% · District 68% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 749%

School 49% · District 66% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 849%

School 49% · District 65% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Science

Grade 638%

School 38% · District 56% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 757%

School 57% · District 68% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

This schoolLexington 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-income47%Higher-income65%19 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income45%Higher-income63%19 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income40%Higher-income70%30 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income20%Higher-income31%11 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income14%Higher-income41%27 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income15%Higher-income25%11 pp gap