The top reported proficiency rate is 16% in Science. The lowest is 12% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on E. A. Cox Middle School
E. A. Cox Middle School is a regular public school in Columbia, Tennessee, serving grades five through eight as part of the Maury County school district. The school sits on Bear Creek Pike, outside the city’s historic downtown grid. Columbia is the Maury County seat and one of the fastest-growing cities in Middle Tennessee, located south of Nashville along the I-65 corridor. Its downtown centers on a Town Square and the Maury County courthouse, with Riverwalk Park along the Duck River and an emerging Arts District a few blocks away. The city’s rapid growth—driven in part by commuters—has reshaped the school’s enrollment context, though the school itself has no special designation such as magnet or charter status.
The most direct measure of academic performance comes from the state’s TNReady assessments for the 2024–2025 school year. Across math, English language arts, science, and social studies, the share of students scoring at proficient or above was well below half in every subject. Parent participation rates were nearly universal, so the results reflect nearly the entire tested population. A small minority of students met the state’s proficiency bar in each subject area. A family considering this school would want to ask the school directly about how it supports students who are below grade-level expectations, and what academic interventions or enrichment are available. The data does not include results for earlier years, so it is not possible to describe a trend.
Demographically, the student body is diverse. White students make up the largest single group, followed by Black students and Hispanic students, each representing a substantial share. Smaller populations of Asian, two or more races, American Indian, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students are also present. No information was available on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals, nor on special education or English learner populations. These gaps matter because they are often linked to resource allocation and support services. A parent may want to ask the school for that data directly.
The surrounding housing market shows home values that are slightly above the national benchmark, and similar for rents, reflecting the area’s growth pressures and its proximity to Nashville. The broader economic context includes a stable but not unusually low national unemployment rate. Within the district, the school board approved a shift to a 12-point grading scale in early 2024, replacing a 10-point scale. The change drew parent backlash over concerns about college admissions competitiveness, and a board member later filed a resolution to review it. The board also debated a more restrictive cell phone policy ahead of the 2024–2025 school year. These policy decisions are district-wide and apply to all Maury County schools, including this middle school.
Because this is a middle school that does not serve grade twelve, a graduation rate is not applicable, and comparisons to other districts in the county were not possible because only one district exists in the county. The school does not have publicly reported information on program offerings, such as advanced courses, arts, or career pathways, nor on discipline, attendance, or staffing ratios. A family interested in those details would need to contact the school or review its website directly.
The picture that emerges is of a traditional middle school in a growing, historic Tennessee town, serving a diverse student body on a campus that is separate from the city’s walkable downtown core. The academic results from the most recent state tests point to a high proportion of students not yet meeting proficiency benchmarks—a soft spot that prospective families should explore in conversation with the school. Without data on support programs, teacher experience, or extracurriculars, the available evidence offers only a partial view of what daily experience at Cox Middle School might be like.
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