Wilson Middle School

Summary:

Wilson Middle School is a public middle school located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 395 students. The school is part of the Cedar Rapids Community School District, which is ranked 276 out of 309 districts in Iowa and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Wilson Middle School consistently underperforms the Cedar Rapids Community School District and the state of Iowa in standardized test scores across all grade levels and subjects. For example, in 2023-2024, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics were significantly lower than the district and state averages. The school has consistently ranked in the bottom 10-15% of Iowa middle schools, with a 0 or 1-star rating from SchoolDigger over the past several years, placing it among the lowest-performing middle schools in the state. Additionally, Wilson Middle School has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 72.15% to 79.35% over the past three years, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

The nearby middle schools, such as Harding Middle School and Taft Middle School, generally perform better academically and have higher school rankings than Wilson Middle School. This highlights the relative underperformance of Wilson Middle School within the Cedar Rapids Community School District. The school's persistent academic struggles and low rankings suggest that targeted interventions and support may be necessary to improve educational outcomes for its students.

Detail:

Public 6-8

2301 J St SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404

(319) 558-3387

District: Cedar Rapids Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
326^th of 337 Iowa Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,810

Students who attend Wilson Middle School usually attend:

High:

Thomas Jefferson High School

Feeder schools for Wilson Middle School:

Elementary:	Cedar River Academy at Taylor
	Grant Elementary School
	Van Buren Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.4

Number of students: 395

Racial breakdown:

White:

45.1%

African American:

27.1%

Hispanic:

13.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 72.2%

See top rated Iowa middle schools

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Wilson Middle School ranks worse than 96.7% of middle schools in Iowa. It also ranks last among 6 ranked middle schools in the Cedar Rapids Community School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 3.2. (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 Wilson Middle School has the largest middle school student body size in the Cedar Rapids Community School District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Wilson Middle School is $17,810, which is the highest among 6 middle schools in the Cedar Rapids Community School District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

SchoolDigger ranks Wilson Middle School 326^th of 337 Iowa public middle schools. (See Wilson 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 Wilson Middle School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	38.03	261^st	349	25.2%
2013	15.89	329^th	350	6.0%
2014	3.47	329^th	337	2.4%
2015	4.68	336^th	349	3.7%
2016	5.67	331^st	343	3.5%
2017	4.37	320^th	327	2.1%
2018	10.87	299^th	318	6.0%
2019	15.47	307^th	342	10.2%
2021	7.40	305^th	324	5.9%
2022	15.80	303^rd	337	10.1%
2023	15.13	300^th	334	10.2%
2024	3.20	326^th	337	3.3%

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 parent on FaceBook
Monday, January 12, 2015

We have lived all over the US and have raised 7 kids. This is absolutely one of the worst schools we have ever came across!! Our last child went here the first year of middle school..... then we moved him to another city and school. The theft rate for anything (not talking just electronics... talking shoes, jackets etc) is very high. There is heavy swearing amongst students and some staff. Violence at this school is some of the highest we have seen. We felt that this principle was not very qualified or didn't have the proper tools to run this middle school..... he refers to any and all problems "Its' because this is a highly diversified school." Before he became the principle of this school in the year 2012/2013 he was a liaison at Jefferson High School. One of the reasons it has one of the smallest student bodies of the Cedar Rapids School District is because it was just changed over to a middle school in 2012/2013. Before that it was an elementary/middle school for grades 2 through 8th. On another more positive note the band teacher is totally awesome and the majority of the 6th grade teachers are compassionate and caring!! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Wilson Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	339	18	2	4	4	n/a	n/a	0	367
1989	345	17	6	5	3	n/a	n/a	0	376
1990	349	10	5	4	3	n/a	n/a	0	371
1991	329	17	5	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	356
1992	342	17	3	1	2	n/a	n/a	0	365
1993	362	7	4	2	2	n/a	n/a	0	377
1994	624	25	7	9	10	n/a	n/a	0	675
1995	534	23	8	8	9	n/a	n/a	0	582
1996	534	23	8	8	9	n/a	n/a	0	582
1997	522	29	12	4	5	n/a	n/a	0	572
1998	532	35	14	5	4	n/a	n/a	0	590
1999	490	52	13	13	2	n/a	n/a	0	570
2000	517	73	16	14	2	n/a	n/a	-25	597
2001	512	71	18	17	2	n/a	n/a	0	620
2002	525	58	14	14	3	n/a	n/a	0	614
2003	525	58	14	14	3	n/a	n/a	0	614
2004	481	78	14	14	3	n/a	n/a	0	590
2005	430	73	14	15	4	n/a	n/a	0	536
2006	431	65	7	20	4	n/a	n/a	0	527
2007	249	38	5	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	301
2008	218	46	4	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	276
2009	190	45	2	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	245
2010	192	48	3	7	1	0	0	0	251
2011	203	48	3	8	3	0	1	0	266
2012	201	47	3	15	2	0	15	0	283
2013	267	58	4	28	4	0	18	0	379
2014	269	64	4	24	1	0	18	0	380
2015	255	63	2	26	2	1	19	0	368
2016	265	55	2	21	0	1	24	0	368
2017	246	68	4	27	1	1	31	0	378
2018	242	78	0	24	0	2	31	0	377
2019	215	61	0	26	2	1	29	0	334
2020	230	96	3	36	2	2	29	0	398
2021	192	86	3	43	0	1	32	0	357
2022	196	112	4	56	0	1	33	0	402
2023	178	107	7	54	1	6	42	0	395

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 Wilson Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	367	28.3	12.9	50.4
1989	376	2.8	134.2	21.3
1990	371	27.5	13.4	47.4
1991	356	27.4	12.9	56.5
1992	365	26.0	14.0	56.2
1993	377	23.8	15.8	48
1994	675	38.0	17.8	29
1995	582	36.0	16.2	31.1
1996	582	36.0	16.2	31.1
1997	572	35.4	16.2	33
1998	590	37.6	15.7	35.3
1999	570	38.5	14.8	46
2000	597	38.4	15.5	40.7
2001	620	41.6	14.9	41.6
2002	614	33.2	18.5	46.6
2003	614	33.2	18.5	46.6
2004	590	39.4	15.0	51
2005	536	36.2	14.8	52.1
2006	527	37.2	14.2	54.8
2007	301	21.8	13.8	53.8
2008	276	21.2	13.0	54
2009	245	17.2	14.2	61.6
2010	251	18.7	13.4	62.9
2011	266	19.5	13.6	63.2
2012	283	21.7	13.0	67.8
2013	379	39.5	9.5	71.8
2014	380	39.7	9.5	72.1
2015	368	33.0	11.1	73.6
2016	368	33.0	11.1	71.2
2017	378	35.0	10.7	73
2018	377	35.3	10.6	77.7
2019	334	35.3	9.4	78.4
2020	398	38.2	10.4	73.4
2021	357	34.7	10.2	76.2
2022	402	30.4	13.2	79.4
2023	395	27.2	14.4	72.2

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 Wilson Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	367	28.3	12.9	50.4
1989	376	2.8	134.2	21.3
1990	371	27.5	13.4	47.4
1991	356	27.4	12.9	56.5
1992	365	26.0	14.0	56.2
1993	377	23.8	15.8	48
1994	675	38.0	17.8	29
1995	582	36.0	16.2	31.1
1996	582	36.0	16.2	31.1
1997	572	35.4	16.2	33
1998	590	37.6	15.7	35.3
1999	570	38.5	14.8	46
2000	597	38.4	15.5	40.7
2001	620	41.6	14.9	41.6
2002	614	33.2	18.5	46.6
2003	614	33.2	18.5	46.6
2004	590	39.4	15.0	51
2005	536	36.2	14.8	52.1
2006	527	37.2	14.2	54.8
2007	301	21.8	13.8	53.8
2008	276	21.2	13.0	54
2009	245	17.2	14.2	61.6
2010	251	18.7	13.4	62.9
2011	266	19.5	13.6	63.2
2012	283	21.7	13.0	67.8
2013	379	39.5	9.5	71.8
2014	380	39.7	9.5	72.1
2015	368	33.0	11.1	73.6
2016	368	33.0	11.1	71.2
2017	378	35.0	10.7	73
2018	377	35.3	10.6	77.7
2019	334	35.3	9.4	78.4
2020	398	38.2	10.4	73.4
2021	357	34.7	10.2	76.2
2022	402	30.4	13.2	79.4
2023	395	27.2	14.4	72.2

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 Wilson Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$271 (1.5%)	$17,539 (98.5%)	$17,810

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Wilson 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 307^th of 342 Middle schools	Ranks 300^th of 334 Middle schools	0.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Wilson Middle School)	61.5	48.3	13.2%
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 (Wilson Middle School)	46.7	45.7	1%
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 (Wilson Middle School)	56.9	60	3.1%
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 (Wilson Middle School)	42.7	50	7.3%
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 (Wilson Middle School)	64.4	68.2	3.8%
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 (Wilson Middle School)	48.9	67.3	18.4%
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	334	395	18.3%
African American	61	107	75.4%
American Indian	2	1	50%
Asian	0	7
Hispanic	26	54	107.7%
Pacific Islander	1	6	500%
White	215	178	17.2%
Two or More Races	29	42	44.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	78.4%	72.2%	6.3%

Schools Near Wilson 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
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	395	27	14.4	72.2%	178 (45.1%)	107 (27.1%)	54 (13.7%)	7 (1.8%)	1 (0.3%)	6 (1.5%)	42 (10.6%)	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	448	32	14.0	52.2%	254 (56.7%)	101 (22.5%)	36 (8.0%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (11.6%)	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
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	510	39	13.0	68.6%	215 (42.2%)	178 (34.9%)	45 (8.8%)	9 (1.8%)	2 (0.4%)	11 (2.2%)	49 (9.6%)	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
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	537	33	16.4	55.7%	322 (60.0%)	107 (19.9%)	28 (5.2%)	7 (1.3%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	67 (12.5%)	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
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	834	55	15.2	36.8%	585 (70.1%)	121 (14.5%)	41 (4.9%)	20 (2.4%)	2 (0.2%)	8 (1.0%)	57 (6.8%)								(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	1,324	77	17.2	34.5%	953 (72.0%)	152 (11.5%)	81 (6.1%)	21 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (0.8%)	105 (7.9%)	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
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	47	3	15.6	63.8%	28 (59.6%)	8 (17.0%)	4 (8.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (12.8%)	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
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	578	40	14.2	37.7%	395 (68.3%)	74 (12.8%)	38 (6.6%)	16 (2.8%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	52 (9.0%)	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
Harding Middle School	Public	6-8	4801 Golf ST NE	Cedar Rapids	52405	Linn County	Cedar Rapids Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 558-2254	713	46	15.3	42.9%	472 (66.2%)	74 (10.4%)	66 (9.3%)	19 (2.7%)	3 (0.4%)	5 (0.7%)	73 (10.2%)	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
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	668	43	15.6	39.7%	548 (82.0%)	32 (4.8%)	38 (5.7%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	44 (6.6%)	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 Wilson Middle School

Is Wilson Middle School a good school?

Wilson Middle School ranks in the bottom 3.3% of Iowa middle schools.

What high school do graduates of Wilson Middle School attend?

Students who attend Wilson Middle School usually go on to attend Thomas Jefferson High School

What is the racial makeup of Wilson Middle School?

Students at Wilson Middle School are 45% White, 27% African American, 14% Hispanic, 11% Two or more races, 2% Asian, 2% Pacific Islander.

What district is Wilson Middle School in?

Cedar Rapids Community School District

How many students attend Wilson Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 395 students attended Wilson 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.