Harding Middle School

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  52405


(319) 558-2254

District: Cedar Rapids Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
178th of 337 Iowa Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $14,559 Help


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:  15.3 Help
Number of students:  713

Racial breakdown:

White:
66.2%
African American:
10.4%
Two or more races:
10.2%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  42.9% Help


 See top rated Iowa middle schools

 Compare Harding Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends
Help
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...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 53.79. (See more...)
Help
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
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Compare Details Harding Middle School has the largest middle school student body size in the Cedar Rapids Community School District.  (See more...)
Finance
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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 178th 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 276th of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Harding Middle School?

Rank History for Harding Middle School

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

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

Harding Middle School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    





Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)
0%

0%

0%

0%

100%

  

Reviews:
by a student
Tuesday, January 22, 2019

Open Quote 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

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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

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

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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

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

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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

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

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal 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 131st of 342 Middle schoolsRanks 140th 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)68.379
 10.7%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Cedar Rapids Community School District)63.363.9
 0.6%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)67.572.7
 5.2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Harding Middle School)71.372.1
 0.8%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Cedar Rapids Community School District)59.457.4
 2%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)69.469.9
 0.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Harding Middle School)75.776.2
 0.5%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Cedar Rapids Community School District)67.468
 0.6%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)69.974.2
 4.3%
7th Grade Mathematics (Harding Middle School)72.870.1
 2.7%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Cedar Rapids Community School District)58.559
 0.5%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)70.168.9
 1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Harding Middle School)79.977.1
 2.8%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Cedar Rapids Community School District)71.569.5
 2%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)69.576
 6.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Harding Middle School)77.382.3
 5%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Cedar Rapids Community School District)63.766.4
 2.7%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)71.872
 0.2%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students802713
 11.1%
African American9574
 22.1%
American Indian33
Asian2619
 26.9%
Hispanic7466
 10.8%
Pacific Islander45
 25%
White551472
 14.3%
Two or More Races4973
 49%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients48.6%42.9%
 5.7%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Harding Middle School

In the 2022-23 school year, 713 students attended Harding Middle School.

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

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

Students at Harding Middle School are 66% White, 10% African American, 10% Two or more races, 9% Hispanic, 3% Asian.


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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.





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