Taft Middle School

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:
244th of 337 Iowa Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $15,361 Help


Feeder schools for Taft Middle School:

Elementary:    Maple Grove Elementary
    West Willow Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio:  14.2 Help
Number of students:  578

Racial breakdown:

White:
68.3%
African American:
12.8%
Two or more races:
9.0%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  37.7% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Taft Middle School ranks worse than 72.4% of middle schools in Iowa. It also ranks 2nd 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 38.2. (See more...)
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (68.3%), African American (12.8%), two or more races (9%). (See more...)
Help
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
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Taft Middle School is 14.2, which is the 3rd best among 6 middle schools in the Cedar Rapids Community School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Taft Middle School employs 40.4 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Taft Middle School is $15,361, which is the 3rd 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 244th 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 276th 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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Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools IA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2012 54.88 162nd 349 53.6%
2013 71.28 65th 350 81.4%
2014 72.89 65th 337 80.7%
2015 67.40 106th 349 69.6%
2016 61.80 129th 343 62.4%
2017 52.79 167th 327 48.9%
2018 61.03 126th 318 60.4%
2019 65.34 108th 342 68.4%
2021 34.26 243rd 324 25.0%
2022 41.82 224th 337 33.5%
2023 49.86 192nd 334 42.5%
2024 38.20 244th 337 27.6%
See the entire list of Iowa Middle School Rankings!

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

Taft 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: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!


Enrollment information for Taft 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 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

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

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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

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

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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

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

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal 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 108th of 342 Middle schoolsRanks 192nd 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)7374.1
 1.1%
   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 (Taft Middle School)68.873.6
 4.8%
   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 (Taft Middle School)79.370.2
 9.1%
   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 (Taft Middle School)66.766.5
 0.2%
   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 (Taft Middle School)87.378
 9.3%
   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 (Taft Middle School)82.376.9
 5.4%
   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 Students604578
 4.3%
African American4774
 57.4%
American Indian11
Asian1116
 45.5%
Hispanic2738
 40.7%
Pacific Islander21
 50%
White465395
 15.1%
Two or More Races5152
 2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients32.9%37.7%
 4.8%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Taft Middle School

In the 2022-23 school year, 578 students attended Taft Middle School.

Students at Taft Middle School are 68% White, 13% African American, 9% Two or more races, 7% Hispanic, 3% Asian.

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


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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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