Taft Middle School

Q: Is Taft Middle School a good school?

Taft Middle School ranks 244 th of 337 Iowa middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Summary:

Taft Middle School is a public middle school in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, serving 578 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.

Taft Middle School consistently outperforms the district and the state of Iowa in academic proficiency across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, Taft's 7th-grade students had an 81% proficiency rate in English Language Arts, compared to 69.6% for the district and 77.3% for the state. The school also has a more diverse student population, with a racial makeup of 68.34% White, 12.8% African American, 6.57% Hispanic, and 9% two or more races. Additionally, Taft Middle School has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 36.59% to 37.87% over the past three school years.

While Taft Middle School's academic performance is generally stronger than the district and state, its statewide ranking has declined over the years, from a high of 65 out of 337 Iowa middle schools in 2013-2014 to a low of 244 out of 337 in the 2023-2024 school year. When compared to nearby schools, such as Oak Ridge Middle School and Vernon Middle School, Taft Middle School performs better academically, particularly in English Language Arts and Mathematics. However, these nearby schools have higher overall academic proficiency rates and statewide rankings.

Detail:

Public 6-8

5200 E Ave NW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52405

(319) 558-2243

District: Cedar Rapids Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
244^th of 337 Iowa Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,361

Feeder schools for Taft Middle School:

Elementary:	Maple Grove Elementary
	West Willow Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.7

Number of students: 596

Racial breakdown:

White:

67.4%

African American:

13.8%

Two or more races:

9.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 40.1%

See top rated Iowa middle schools

Compare Taft Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Taft Middle School ranks worse than 72.4% of middle schools in Iowa. It also ranks 2^nd among 6 ranked middle schools in the Cedar Rapids Community School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 38.2. (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 Racial makeup is: White (67.4%), African American (13.8%), two or more races (9.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 40.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Taft Middle School is 14.7. 3 middle schools in the Cedar Rapids Community School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Taft Middle School employs 40.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Taft Middle School is $15,361, which is the 3^rd highest among 6 middle schools in the Cedar Rapids Community School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

SchoolDigger ranks Taft Middle School 244^th of 337 Iowa public middle schools. (See Taft 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 Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Taft Middle School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	54.88	162^nd	349	53.6%
2013	71.28	65^th	350	81.4%
2014	72.89	65^th	337	80.7%
2015	67.40	106^th	349	69.6%
2016	61.80	129^th	343	62.4%
2017	52.79	167^th	327	48.9%
2018	61.03	126^th	318	60.4%
2019	65.34	108^th	342	68.4%
2021	34.26	243^rd	324	25.0%
2022	41.82	224^th	337	33.5%
2023	49.86	192^nd	334	42.5%
2024	38.20	244^th	337	27.6%

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: 5)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Taft Middle School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	502	12	7	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	523
1989	532	14	10	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	562
1990	533	13	11	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	565
1991	539	12	10	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	571
1992	554	16	13	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	588
1993	578	16	18	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	619
1994	590	12	20	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	633
1995	628	18	27	12	1	n/a	n/a	0	686
1996	628	18	27	12	1	n/a	n/a	0	686
1997	624	13	24	7	4	n/a	n/a	0	672
1998	614	10	18	9	3	n/a	n/a	0	654
1999	599	21	8	11	2	n/a	n/a	0	641
2000	605	30	12	9	2	n/a	n/a	0	658
2001	611	33	14	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	669
2002	621	34	17	11	2	n/a	n/a	0	685
2003	621	34	17	11	2	n/a	n/a	0	685
2004	632	38	15	10	4	n/a	n/a	0	699
2005	635	44	17	11	2	n/a	n/a	0	709
2006	629	50	14	11	4	n/a	n/a	0	708
2007	632	51	13	9	5	n/a	n/a	0	710
2008	622	59	10	6	2	n/a	n/a	0	699
2009	583	60	10	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	662
2010	559	53	18	12	3	0	1	0	646
2011	550	62	19	17	2	0	2	0	652
2012	553	51	13	15	1	3	21	0	657
2013	527	34	12	19	0	2	21	0	615
2014	492	28	10	17	0	2	17	0	566
2015	507	23	11	19	0	2	26	0	588
2016	475	38	12	22	0	1	33	0	581
2017	487	33	16	26	0	1	45	0	608
2018	452	41	16	31	1	1	50	0	592
2019	465	47	11	27	1	2	51	0	604
2020	444	48	11	34	1	0	52	0	590
2021	404	47	15	26	1	1	50	0	544
2022	420	53	18	34	1	0	47	1	574
2023	395	74	16	38	1	1	52	1	578
2024	402	82	13	42	0	1	56	0	596

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 Taft Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	523	38.2	13.6	11.1
1989	562	40.6	13.8	9.4
1990	565	39.4	14.3	12.7
1991	571	42.2	13.5	11.6
1992	588	40.0	14.7	13.9
1993	619	39.2	15.8	13.9
1994	633	39.1	16.2	13.4
1995	686	42.2	16.3	13.6
1996	686	42.2	16.3	13.6
1997	672	42.9	15.7	14.9
1998	654	41.6	15.7	15.6
1999	641	41.0	15.6	23.7
2000	658	42.8	15.4	22.3
2001	669	44.2	15.1	15.1
2002	685	32.0	21.4	20.3
2003	685	32.0	21.4	20.3
2004	699	44.4	15.7	22
2005	709	44.3	16.0	22.3
2006	708	45.3	15.6	25.1
2007	710	45.3	15.7	23.7
2008	699	45.5	15.4	24.7
2009	662	48.5	13.6	28.9
2010	646	46.4	13.9	34.7
2011	652	46.5	14.0	38
2012	657	46.5	14.1	39.4
2013	615	41.1	14.9	28.3
2014	566	39.3	14.4	25.1
2015	588	34.0	17.2	26
2016	581	33.0	17.6	27.4
2017	608	33.7	18.0	28.3
2018	592	35.5	16.6	31.6
2019	604	37.5	16.0	32.9
2020	590	38.4	15.3	39.5
2021	544	35.4	15.3	37.9
2022	574	39.4	14.5	36.6
2023	578	40.4	14.2	37.7
2024	596	40.3	14.7	40.1

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 Taft Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	523	38.2	13.6	11.1
1989	562	40.6	13.8	9.4
1990	565	39.4	14.3	12.7
1991	571	42.2	13.5	11.6
1992	588	40.0	14.7	13.9
1993	619	39.2	15.8	13.9
1994	633	39.1	16.2	13.4
1995	686	42.2	16.3	13.6
1996	686	42.2	16.3	13.6
1997	672	42.9	15.7	14.9
1998	654	41.6	15.7	15.6
1999	641	41.0	15.6	23.7
2000	658	42.8	15.4	22.3
2001	669	44.2	15.1	15.1
2002	685	32.0	21.4	20.3
2003	685	32.0	21.4	20.3
2004	699	44.4	15.7	22
2005	709	44.3	16.0	22.3
2006	708	45.3	15.6	25.1
2007	710	45.3	15.7	23.7
2008	699	45.5	15.4	24.7
2009	662	48.5	13.6	28.9
2010	646	46.4	13.9	34.7
2011	652	46.5	14.0	38
2012	657	46.5	14.1	39.4
2013	615	41.1	14.9	28.3
2014	566	39.3	14.4	25.1
2015	588	34.0	17.2	26
2016	581	33.0	17.6	27.4
2017	608	33.7	18.0	28.3
2018	592	35.5	16.6	31.6
2019	604	37.5	16.0	32.9
2020	590	38.4	15.3	39.5
2021	544	35.4	15.3	37.9
2022	574	39.4	14.5	36.6
2023	578	40.4	14.2	37.7
2024	596	40.3	14.7	40.1

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 Taft Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$386 (2.5%)	$14,975 (97.5%)	$15,361

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Taft 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 108^th of 342 Middle schools	Ranks 192^nd of 334 Middle schools	25.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Taft Middle School)	73	74.1	1.1%
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 (Taft Middle School)	68.8	73.6	4.8%
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 (Taft Middle School)	79.3	70.2	9.1%
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 (Taft Middle School)	66.7	66.5	0.2%
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 (Taft Middle School)	87.3	78	9.3%
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 (Taft Middle School)	82.3	76.9	5.4%
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	604	578	4.3%
African American	47	74	57.4%
American Indian	1	1
Asian	11	16	45.5%
Hispanic	27	38	40.7%
Pacific Islander	2	1	50%
White	465	395	15.1%
Two or More Races	51	52	2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	32.9%	37.7%	4.8%

Schools Near Taft 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 English Language Arts 9th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 6th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 7th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 8th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 9th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	ISASP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Taft Middle School	Public	6-8	5200 E Ave NW	Cedar Rapids	52405	Linn County	Cedar Rapids Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 558-2243	596	40	14.7	40.1%	402 (67.4%)	82 (13.8%)	42 (7.0%)	13 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	56 (9.4%)	38.2	244^th of 337 public middle schools	27.6%		49.9	192^nd of 334 public middle schools	42.5%	52		70.8	81.0	71.2			68.1	64.7	62.6			67.2	$15,361	$386	$14,975
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
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
Wilson Middle School	Public	6-8	2301 J St SW	Cedar Rapids	52404	Linn County	Cedar Rapids Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 558-3387	397	28	14.3	82.1%	156 (39.3%)	132 (33.2%)	62 (15.6%)	5 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	8 (2.0%)	33 (8.3%)	3.2	326^th of 337 public middle schools	3.3%		15.1	300^th of 334 public middle schools	10.2%	26		41.7	54.6	56.1			36.7	45.9	53.3			42.1	$17,810	$271	$17,539
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
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
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
Prairie Creek	Public	5-6	8451 Kirkwood Blvd SW	Cedar Rapids	52404	Linn County	College Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 848-5310	820	56	14.5	35.4%	551 (67.2%)	114 (13.9%)	49 (6.0%)	19 (2.3%)	5 (0.6%)	8 (1.0%)	74 (9.0%)								(n/a)	73.5	69.6				68.1	60.3				58.8		$12,382	$358	$12,023
Prairie Point	Public	7-9	8015 Kirkwood Blvd	Cedar Rapids	52404	Linn County	College Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 848-5500	1,306	79	16.4	32.4%	949 (72.7%)	171 (13.1%)	66 (5.1%)	21 (1.6%)	1 (0.1%)	7 (0.5%)	88 (6.7%)	47.1	208^th of 337 public middle schools	38.3%		47.7	200^th of 334 public middle schools	40.1%	8			78.9	75.1	74.2			73.4	75.8	62.3		59.1	$11,981	$180	$11,800
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Taft Middle School

Is Taft Middle School a good school?

Taft Middle School ranks 244^th of 337 Iowa middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What district is Taft Middle School in?

Cedar Rapids Community School District

What is the racial makeup of Taft Middle School?

Students at Taft Middle School are 67% White, 14% African American, 9% Two or more races, 7% Hispanic, 2% Asian.

How many students attend Taft Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 596 students attended Taft Middle School.

Rate Taft Middle 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.