Harding Middle School

Q: Is Harding Middle School a good school?

Harding Middle School ranks 178 th of 337 Iowa middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Harding Middle School is a public middle school in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, serving 713 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Cedar Rapids Community School District, which is ranked 276 out of 309 districts in the state.

Harding Middle School consistently outperforms the district and state in academic proficiency across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 83.7% of Harding's 8th-grade students were proficient in English Language Arts, compared to 70.7% for the district and 77.5% for the state. In 8th-grade Mathematics, Harding's proficiency rate was 81.4%, compared to 63.7% for the district and 73.2% for the state. The school's diverse student population, with 66.2% White, 10.38% African American, 9.26% Hispanic, 2.66% Asian, and 10.24% two or more races, is higher than the nearby schools. Additionally, 42.92% of Harding's students receive free or reduced-price lunch, which is higher than the nearby schools, which range from 18.25% to 72.15%.

While Harding Middle School outperforms the district and state, some nearby schools, such as Excelsior Middle School and Oak Ridge Middle School (part of the Linn-Mar Community School District), have even higher proficiency rates and rankings among Iowa middle schools. Harding's consistent academic performance, with its ranking among Iowa middle schools ranging from 131 to 209 over the past decade, suggests the school has maintained a stable and effective educational program.

Detail:

Public 6-8

4801 Golf ST NE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52402

(319) 558-2254

District: Cedar Rapids Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
178^th of 337 Iowa Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,559

Students who attend Harding Middle School usually attend:

High:

John F Kennedy High School

Feeder schools for Harding Middle School:

Elementary:	Hiawatha Elementary School
	Nixon Elementary School
	Viola Gibson Elementary School
	Wright Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.7

Number of students: 695

Racial breakdown:

White:

64.9%

Two or more races:

11.4%

Hispanic:

11.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 37.7%

See top rated Iowa middle schools

Compare Harding Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Harding Middle School ranks worse than 52.8% of middle schools in Iowa. It also ranks first among 6 ranked middle schools in the Cedar Rapids Community School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 53.79. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Harding Middle School has the largest middle school student body size in the Cedar Rapids Community School District. Racial makeup is: White (64.9%), two or more races (11.4%), Hispanic (11.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 37.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Cedar Rapids Community School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Harding Middle School is 15.7. 4 middle schools in the Cedar Rapids Community School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Harding Middle School employs 44.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Harding Middle School is $14,559, which is the lowest among 6 middle schools in the Cedar Rapids Community School District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

Harding Middle School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Harding Middle School 178^th of 337 Iowa public middle schools. (See Harding Middle School in the ranking list.)

Cedar Rapids Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Cedar Rapids Community School District 276^th of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Harding Middle School.

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Rank History for Harding Middle School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	68.25	92^nd	349	73.6%
2013	64.83	104^th	350	70.3%
2014	52.36	179^th	337	46.9%
2015	50.40	202^nd	349	42.1%
2016	49.62	196^th	343	42.9%
2017	34.16	253^rd	327	22.6%
2018	38.41	228^th	318	28.3%
2019	61.56	131^st	342	61.7%
2021	43.75	209^th	324	35.5%
2022	54.57	157^th	337	53.4%
2023	60.63	140^th	334	58.1%
2024	53.79	178^th	337	47.2%

See the entire list of Iowa Middle School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Iowa Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a student
Tuesday, January 22, 2019

This hell hole is bad from beginning to end. The scheduling for the breaks are horrible, all the food is horrible, the teachers themselves are not half bad but the classes and the stuff you learn makes it the most pointless 3 years of your life. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Harding Middle School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	804	23	14	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	845
1989	828	26	16	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	876
1990	859	22	15	10	2	n/a	n/a	0	908
1991	843	19	12	9	3	n/a	n/a	0	886
1992	896	25	7	7	3	n/a	n/a	0	938
1993	833	24	9	6	4	n/a	n/a	0	876
1994	799	37	9	8	6	n/a	n/a	0	859
1995	805	20	20	10	2	n/a	n/a	0	857
1996	805	20	20	10	2	n/a	n/a	0	857
1997	825	24	26	8	1	n/a	n/a	0	884
1998	865	33	25	6	3	n/a	n/a	0	932
1999	865	34	25	7	2	n/a	n/a	0	933
2000	870	31	17	6	2	n/a	n/a	0	926
2001	835	28	17	11	2	n/a	n/a	0	893
2002	787	53	18	10	4	n/a	n/a	0	872
2003	787	53	18	10	4	n/a	n/a	0	872
2004	783	74	16	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	883
2005	797	101	18	12	3	n/a	n/a	0	931
2006	793	79	19	21	4	n/a	n/a	0	916
2007	809	95	20	22	6	n/a	n/a	0	952
2008	741	83	29	20	7	n/a	n/a	0	880
2009	740	81	29	16	5	n/a	n/a	0	871
2010	703	82	25	20	4	0	1	0	835
2011	768	74	25	24	2	0	1	0	894
2012	725	73	23	30	2	4	14	0	871
2013	710	74	27	43	1	4	24	0	883
2014	658	58	26	53	3	3	35	0	836
2015	622	70	32	49	2	2	30	0	807
2016	608	73	29	56	2	2	43	0	813
2017	593	99	35	60	0	2	51	0	840
2018	548	88	29	71	1	2	45	0	784
2019	551	95	26	74	3	4	49	0	802
2020	547	97	25	77	4	1	43	0	794
2021	481	79	26	63	2	2	53	0	706
2022	474	78	25	63	1	4	67	0	712
2023	472	74	19	66	3	5	73	1	713
2024	451	59	23	77	3	2	79	1	695

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Harding Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	845	60.7	13.9	9.5
1989	876	5.9	148.4	8.4
1990	908	58.9	15.4	7.6
1991	886	62.0	14.2	9.7
1992	938	62.0	15.1	9.1
1993	876	55.5	15.8	9.7
1994	859	53.3	16.1	13.9
1995	857	54.3	15.8	10.9
1996	857	54.3	15.8	10.9
1997	884	53.9	16.4	11.4
1998	932	57.7	16.2	11.7
1999	933	59.1	15.8	15.9
2000	926	61.0	15.2	15.4
2001	893	63.7	14.0	12.5
2002	872	44.0	19.8	17.1
2003	872	44.0	19.8	17.1
2004	883	59.8	14.8	27
2005	931	60.4	15.4	28.1
2006	916	58.5	15.7	26.6
2007	952	61.0	15.6	25.8
2008	880	58.3	15.1	26.5
2009	871	58.2	15.0	28.1
2010	835	56.6	14.7	31.7
2011	894	60.9	14.6	31
2012	871	60.5	14.3	33
2013	883	65.5	13.4	38.7
2014	836	63.4	13.1	40
2015	807	52.0	15.5	41.1
2016	813	51.0	15.9	42.3
2017	840	52.7	15.9	42.6
2018	784	50.0	15.6	44.1
2019	802	50.6	15.8	48.6
2020	794	48.5	16.3	50.9
2021	706	51.4	13.7	48
2022	712	45.5	15.6	47.9
2023	713	46.3	15.3	42.9
2024	695	44.2	15.7	37.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Harding Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	845	60.7	13.9	9.5
1989	876	5.9	148.4	8.4
1990	908	58.9	15.4	7.6
1991	886	62.0	14.2	9.7
1992	938	62.0	15.1	9.1
1993	876	55.5	15.8	9.7
1994	859	53.3	16.1	13.9
1995	857	54.3	15.8	10.9
1996	857	54.3	15.8	10.9
1997	884	53.9	16.4	11.4
1998	932	57.7	16.2	11.7
1999	933	59.1	15.8	15.9
2000	926	61.0	15.2	15.4
2001	893	63.7	14.0	12.5
2002	872	44.0	19.8	17.1
2003	872	44.0	19.8	17.1
2004	883	59.8	14.8	27
2005	931	60.4	15.4	28.1
2006	916	58.5	15.7	26.6
2007	952	61.0	15.6	25.8
2008	880	58.3	15.1	26.5
2009	871	58.2	15.0	28.1
2010	835	56.6	14.7	31.7
2011	894	60.9	14.6	31
2012	871	60.5	14.3	33
2013	883	65.5	13.4	38.7
2014	836	63.4	13.1	40
2015	807	52.0	15.5	41.1
2016	813	51.0	15.9	42.3
2017	840	52.7	15.9	42.6
2018	784	50.0	15.6	44.1
2019	802	50.6	15.8	48.6
2020	794	48.5	16.3	50.9
2021	706	51.4	13.7	48
2022	712	45.5	15.6	47.9
2023	713	46.3	15.3	42.9
2024	695	44.2	15.7	37.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Harding Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$562 (3.9%)	$13,997 (96.1%)	$14,559

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Harding Middle School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 131^st of 342 Middle schools	Ranks 140^th of 334 Middle schools	3.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Harding Middle School)	68.3	79	10.7%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Cedar Rapids Community School District)	63.3	63.9	0.6%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	67.5	72.7	5.2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Harding Middle School)	71.3	72.1	0.8%
6th Grade Mathematics (Cedar Rapids Community School District)	59.4	57.4	2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	69.4	69.9	0.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Harding Middle School)	75.7	76.2	0.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Cedar Rapids Community School District)	67.4	68	0.6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	69.9	74.2	4.3%
7th Grade Mathematics (Harding Middle School)	72.8	70.1	2.7%
7th Grade Mathematics (Cedar Rapids Community School District)	58.5	59	0.5%
7th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	70.1	68.9	1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Harding Middle School)	79.9	77.1	2.8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Cedar Rapids Community School District)	71.5	69.5	2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	69.5	76	6.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Harding Middle School)	77.3	82.3	5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Cedar Rapids Community School District)	63.7	66.4	2.7%
8th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	71.8	72	0.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	802	713	11.1%
African American	95	74	22.1%
American Indian	3	3
Asian	26	19	26.9%
Hispanic	74	66	10.8%
Pacific Islander	4	5	25%
White	551	472	14.3%
Two or More Races	49	73	49%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	48.6%	42.9%	5.7%

Schools Near Harding Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ISASP English Language Arts (2024)				ISASP Mathematics (2024)				ISASP Science (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISASP English Language Arts 5th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 6th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 7th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 8th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	ISASP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Harding Middle School	Public	6-8	4801 Golf ST NE	Cedar Rapids	52402	Linn County	Cedar Rapids Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 558-2254	695	44	15.7	37.7%	451 (64.9%)	59 (8.5%)	77 (11.1%)	23 (3.3%)	3 (0.4%)	2 (0.3%)	79 (11.4%)	53.8	178^th of 337 public middle schools	47.2%		60.6	140^th of 334 public middle schools	58.1%	38		66.7	82.0	83.7		74.6	71.6	81.4		62.9	$14,559	$562	$13,997
Franklin Middle School	Public	6-8	300 20th ST NE	Cedar Rapids	52402	Linn County	Cedar Rapids Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 558-2452	532	34	15.8	58.1%	316 (59.4%)	100 (18.8%)	42 (7.9%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.6%)	66 (12.4%)	18	298^th of 337 public middle schools	11.6%		16.7	296^th of 334 public middle schools	11.4%	2		63.2	55.7	63.0		45.1	60.1	63.8		63.8	$15,204	$665	$14,539
Vernon Middle School	Public	5-8	1350 4th Avenue	Marion	52302	Linn County	Marion Independent School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 377-9401	621	44	14.1	39.9%	514 (82.8%)	28 (4.5%)	38 (6.1%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	38 (6.1%)	54.2	177^th of 337 public middle schools	47.5%		37.4	237^th of 334 public middle schools	29.0%	60	73.6	77.4	76.5	82.8	76.8	76.8	72.1	66.7	55.2	72.4	$11,914	$388	$11,527
McKinley STEAM Academy	Public	6-8	620 10th ST SE	Cedar Rapids	52403	Linn County	Cedar Rapids Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 558-2348	414	31	13.5	58.0%	221 (53.4%)	109 (26.3%)	25 (6.0%)	4 (1.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (12.1%)	14.6	308^th of 337 public middle schools	8.6%		20.8	289^th of 334 public middle schools	13.5%	19		70.7	64.2	67.8		48.0	48.6	53.0		54.3	$16,456	$251	$16,204
Cedar Rapids Virtual Academy Middle	Public, Virtual	6-8	2500 Egewood Rd	Cedar Rapids	52405	Linn County	Cedar Rapids Community School District	No	(n/a)	Yes	No	(319) 558-3427	44	3	14.6	70.5%	29 (65.9%)	7 (15.9%)	1 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (15.9%)	4.6	322^nd of 337 public middle schools	4.5%		0.9	330^th of 334 public middle schools	1.2%	8				65.0				33.3		30.0
Excelsior Middle School	Public	7-8	3555 N 10th St	Marion	52302	Linn County	Linn-Mar Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 447-3130	605	44	13.7	26.4%	475 (78.5%)	36 (6.0%)	28 (4.6%)	14 (2.3%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (7.6%)	75.4	62^nd of 337 public middle schools	81.6%		71.8	75^th of 334 public middle schools	77.5%	13			86.5	86.6			82.3	83.1		74.4	$13,096	$300	$12,796
Oak Ridge Middle School	Public	7-8	4901 Alburnett Road	Marion	52302	Linn County	Linn-Mar Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 447-3410	537	39	13.7	20.9%	377 (70.2%)	33 (6.1%)	31 (5.8%)	67 (12.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (4.3%)	72.9	72^nd of 337 public middle schools	78.6%		79.6	40^th of 334 public middle schools	88.0%	32			87.8	86.4			79.1	80.4		73.5	$12,711	$282	$12,430
Hazel Point Intermediate School	Public	5-6	453 Echo Hill Road	Marion	52302	Linn County	Linn-Mar Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 447-3001	558	37	15.1	20.3%	386 (69.2%)	34 (6.1%)	25 (4.5%)	78 (14.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (6.1%)								(n/a)	84.8	90.0			84.8	83.8			74.0
Roosevelt Creative Corridor Business Academy	Public	6-8	300 13th ST NW	Cedar Rapids	52405	Linn County	Cedar Rapids Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 558-2153	528	36	14.6	71.4%	210 (39.8%)	190 (36.0%)	45 (8.5%)	11 (2.1%)	3 (0.6%)	13 (2.5%)	56 (10.6%)	11.7	315^th of 337 public middle schools	6.5%		15.6	298^th of 334 public middle schools	10.8%	17		57.1	65.8	73.4		38.5	38.7	59.0		46.9	$15,027	$360	$14,667
Boulder Peak Intermediate School	Public	5-6	3920 35th Avenue	Marion	52302	Linn County	Linn-Mar Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 447-3001	646	47	13.7	31.4%	525 (81.3%)	26 (4.0%)	36 (5.6%)	15 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (6.7%)								(n/a)	69.4	84.8			70.0	82.1			58.8

Frequently Asked Questions about Harding Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Harding Middle School?

Students at Harding Middle School are 65% White, 11% Two or more races, 11% Hispanic, 8% African American, 3% Asian.

How many students attend Harding Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 695 students attended Harding Middle School.

What district is Harding Middle School in?

Cedar Rapids Community School District

Is Harding Middle School a good school?

Harding Middle School ranks 178^th of 337 Iowa middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What high school do graduates of Harding Middle School attend?

Students who attend Harding Middle School usually go on to attend John F Kennedy High School

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Iowa Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.