Harding Middle School

Summary:

Harding Middle School is a public middle school in Des Moines, Iowa, serving 655 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Des Moines Independent Community School District, which is ranked 301 out of 309 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Harding Middle School has a significantly more diverse student population compared to nearby schools, with a racial breakdown of 16.64% White, 27.79% African American, 34.5% Hispanic, 13.28% Asian, and 7.79% other races. However, the school consistently underperforms compared to state and district averages in standardized test scores, with proficiency rates ranging from 37.1% to 47.6% in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. Additionally, Harding Middle School has an exceptionally high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 89.47% to 90.38%, which is significantly higher than the nearby schools.

Despite the higher spending per student at Harding Middle School ($13,719) compared to some nearby schools, such as Urbandale Middle School ($8,993 per student) and Merrill Middle School ($12,938 per student), the school has consistently ranked among the lowest-performing middle schools in Iowa, with a statewide ranking between 323 and 340 out of 342 schools in recent years. This persistent underperformance suggests the need for significant interventions and support to improve student outcomes at Harding Middle School.

Detail:

Public 6-8

203 E Euclid Ave
Des Moines, IA 50313

(515) 242-8445

District: Des Moines Independent Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
334^th of 337 Iowa Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,719

Students who attend Harding Middle School usually attend:

High:

North High School

Feeder schools for Harding Middle School:

Elementary:	Findley Elementary School
	Moulton Elementary School
	Oak Park

Student/teacher ratio: 17.5

Number of students: 655

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

34.5%

African American:

27.8%

White:

16.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 89.5%

See top rated Iowa middle schools

Compare Harding Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Harding Middle School ranks worse than 99.1% of middle schools in Iowa. It also ranks 9^th among 10 ranked middle schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 0.7. (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 Des Moines Independent Community School District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Harding Middle School is $13,719. 8 middle schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

SchoolDigger ranks Harding Middle School 334^th of 337 Iowa public middle schools. (See Harding Middle School in the ranking list.)

Des Moines Independent Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Des Moines Independent Community School District 301^st of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent 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	2.80	346^th	349	0.9%
2013	7.60	340^th	350	2.9%
2014	0.84	335^th	337	0.6%
2015	3.44	341^st	349	2.3%
2016	2.10	339^th	343	1.2%
2017	3.13	324^th	327	0.9%
2018	2.10	314^th	318	1.3%
2019	1.54	340^th	342	0.6%
2021	0.64	323^rd	324	0.3%
2022	0.92	335^th	337	0.6%
2023	1.29	328^th	334	1.8%
2024	0.70	334^th	337	0.9%

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
Monday, March 6, 2023

Not at all the best school. Bullying has been allowed to rise above and beyond. Suspensions don't last and because parents of bullies refuse to discipline as well as force said bullies to learn their lesson. Certain staff members have been fired recently - one for racial slur and another for whatever purpose (students and parents are glad he's gone) Harding has gone downhill in rapid fire succession and the more that parents call out situations and the bullies/thugs who create them, the more that school oppresses, suppresses and represses freedom of speech regarding dead on description.
If there was a zero star option I'd give it just that.
Harding is now full on- a total lost cause and for reasoning that they absolutely willingly bend a knee to agendas, whiney rats and more! Close Quote

by a student
Tuesday, May 17, 2011

I went to the school for a year, it was horrible. If you love you're child send them to another school where they can really learn and be successful. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Harding Middle School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	527	112	120	15	6	n/a	n/a	780
1989	525	115	123	18	4	n/a	n/a	785
1990	548	103	124	9	4	n/a	n/a	788
1991	531	125	118	16	4	n/a	n/a	794
1992	557	127	95	20	4	n/a	n/a	803
1993	526	154	117	17	6	n/a	n/a	820
1994	543	154	113	18	5	n/a	n/a	833
1995	527	149	133	25	5	n/a	n/a	839
1996	527	149	133	25	5	n/a	n/a	839
1997	486	154	129	42	4	n/a	n/a	815
1998	466	146	124	97	2	n/a	n/a	835
1999	451	153	113	124	4	n/a	n/a	845
2000	483	180	79	145	3	n/a	n/a	890
2001	478	185	57	131	5	n/a	n/a	856
2002	405	157	50	137	3	n/a	n/a	752
2003	405	157	50	137	3	n/a	n/a	752
2004	391	160	51	151	6	n/a	n/a	759
2005	328	137	54	162	8	n/a	n/a	689
2006	271	114	43	153	5	n/a	n/a	586
2007	239	120	43	156	2	n/a	n/a	560
2008	223	112	44	145	2	n/a	n/a	526
2009	216	129	52	146	4	n/a	n/a	547
2010	182	129	55	174	6	1	34	581
2011	160	128	58	173	2	0	35	556
2012	170	120	60	147	3	0	34	534
2013	174	161	69	164	2	0	49	619
2014	185	185	76	198	3	0	53	700
2015	186	212	91	227	4	3	44	767
2016	175	189	98	259	2	2	48	773
2017	168	169	101	253	4	2	46	743
2018	163	189	106	272	4	0	54	788
2019	155	205	103	266	7	1	44	781
2020	141	217	100	299	7	4	47	815
2021	135	230	93	301	5	2	44	810
2022	114	166	94	256	5	1	40	676
2023	109	182	87	226	6	1	44	655

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	780	49.0	15.9	42.8
1989	785	54.1	14.5	43.4
1990	788	45.5	17.3	36.4
1991	794	55.2	14.3	41.9
1992	803	56.0	14.3	42.8
1993	820	54.5	15.0	45.9
1994	833	68.2	12.2	45.7
1995	839	58.0	14.5	45.4
1996	839	58.0	14.5	45.4
1997	815	58.0	14.1	54.6
1998	835	58.0	14.4	54.4
1999	845	53.3	15.9	66
2000	890	59.5	15.0	59.4
2001	856	57.3	14.9	68.2
2002	752	55.3	13.6	69.8
2003	752	55.3	13.6	69.8
2004	759	58.8	12.9	69.4
2005	689	51.5	13.4	79.7
2006	586	58.6	10.0	81.4
2007	560	58.7	9.5	75.4
2008	526	50.5	10.4	82.7
2009	547	49.5	11.1	79.9
2010	581	47.5	12.2	85.5
2011	556	42.0	13.2	87.8
2012	534	44.1	12.0	88.8
2013	619	46.3	13.3	96.4
2014	700	58.4	11.9	93.9
2015	767	58.0	13.2	86.7
2016	773	61.0	12.6	90.6
2017	743	59.0	12.5	91.3
2018	788	55.2	14.2	91.2
2019	781	52.6	14.8	91.7
2020	815	53.8	15.1	91.7
2021	810	52.6	15.3	90.1
2022	676	47.7	14.1	90.4
2023	655	37.3	17.5	89.5

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	780	49.0	15.9	42.8
1989	785	54.1	14.5	43.4
1990	788	45.5	17.3	36.4
1991	794	55.2	14.3	41.9
1992	803	56.0	14.3	42.8
1993	820	54.5	15.0	45.9
1994	833	68.2	12.2	45.7
1995	839	58.0	14.5	45.4
1996	839	58.0	14.5	45.4
1997	815	58.0	14.1	54.6
1998	835	58.0	14.4	54.4
1999	845	53.3	15.9	66
2000	890	59.5	15.0	59.4
2001	856	57.3	14.9	68.2
2002	752	55.3	13.6	69.8
2003	752	55.3	13.6	69.8
2004	759	58.8	12.9	69.4
2005	689	51.5	13.4	79.7
2006	586	58.6	10.0	81.4
2007	560	58.7	9.5	75.4
2008	526	50.5	10.4	82.7
2009	547	49.5	11.1	79.9
2010	581	47.5	12.2	85.5
2011	556	42.0	13.2	87.8
2012	534	44.1	12.0	88.8
2013	619	46.3	13.3	96.4
2014	700	58.4	11.9	93.9
2015	767	58.0	13.2	86.7
2016	773	61.0	12.6	90.6
2017	743	59.0	12.5	91.3
2018	788	55.2	14.2	91.2
2019	781	52.6	14.8	91.7
2020	815	53.8	15.1	91.7
2021	810	52.6	15.3	90.1
2022	676	47.7	14.1	90.4
2023	655	37.3	17.5	89.5

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	$830 (6.1%)	$12,889 (94.0%)	$13,719

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 340^th of 342 Middle schools	Ranks 328^th of 334 Middle schools	1.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Harding Middle School)	27.4	40.4	13%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	48.3	45.6	2.7%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	67.5	72.7	5.2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Harding Middle School)	32.2	35.6	3.4%
6th Grade Mathematics (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	51.1	41	10.1%
6th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	69.4	69.9	0.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Harding Middle School)	36.6	33.9	2.7%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	47.8	48.4	0.6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	69.9	74.2	4.3%
7th Grade Mathematics (Harding Middle School)	35.8	26.1	9.7%
7th Grade Mathematics (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	51.9	43.3	8.6%
7th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	70.1	68.9	1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Harding Middle School)	46	45.4	0.6%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	50.7	51.5	0.8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	69.5	76	6.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Harding Middle School)	47.8	40.6	7.2%
8th Grade Mathematics (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	51.9	46.1	5.8%
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	781	655	16.1%
African American	205	182	11.2%
American Indian	7	6	14.3%
Asian	103	87	15.5%
Hispanic	266	226	15%
Pacific Islander	1	1
White	155	109	29.7%
Two or More Races	44	44
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	91.7%	89.5%	2.2%

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	203 E Euclid Ave	Des Moines	50313	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8445	655	37	17.5	89.5%	109 (16.6%)	182 (27.8%)	226 (34.5%)	87 (13.3%)	6 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	44 (6.7%)	0.7	334^th of 337 public middle schools	0.9%		1.3	328^th of 334 public middle schools	1.8%	6		37.1	46.1	47.6		36.0	34.0	42.3		33.5	$13,719	$830	$12,889
Hiatt Middle School	Public	6-8	1430 E. University Ave	Des Moines	50316	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-7774	529	34	15.7	94.9%	67 (12.7%)	126 (23.8%)	282 (53.3%)	28 (5.3%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.0%)	0.2	335^th of 337 public middle schools	0.6%		0.6	331^st of 334 public middle schools	0.9%	4		37.1	37.1	40.6		35.6	26.6	34.3		23.1	$16,661	$1,079	$15,582
Goodrell Middle School	Public	6-8	3300 E. 29th Street	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8444	523	32	16.2	84.5%	176 (33.7%)	99 (18.9%)	178 (34.0%)	39 (7.5%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (5.5%)	1.8	331^st of 337 public middle schools	1.8%		1.6	326^th of 334 public middle schools	2.4%	5		34.1	46.1	51.7		35.7	49.4	44.8		35.2	$15,696	$1,024	$14,672
Woodside Middle School	Public	5-8	5810 NE 14th St	Des Moines	50313	Polk County	Saydel Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 265-3451	359	36	10.0	71.0%	248 (69.1%)	1 (0.3%)	74 (20.6%)	2 (0.6%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (8.9%)	19.5	296^th of 337 public middle schools	12.2%		16.5	297^th of 334 public middle schools	11.1%	1	63.8	64.0	74.4	61.4	67.5	54.1	64.6	56.0	47.5	54.8	$14,080	$452	$13,628
Callanan Middle School	Public	6-8	3010 Center Street	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8101	507	32	15.8	76.7%	133 (26.2%)	195 (38.5%)	101 (19.9%)	24 (4.7%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.6%)	49 (9.7%)	6.9	319^th of 337 public middle schools	5.3%		7.2	316^th of 334 public middle schools	5.4%	3		51.1	56.1	64.4		44.4	42.4	57.1		50.3	$15,075	$880	$14,196
Meredith Middle School	Public	6-8	4827 Madison Ave	Des Moines	50310	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-7250	664	47	14.0	83.9%	132 (19.9%)	235 (35.4%)	148 (22.3%)	96 (14.5%)	4 (0.6%)	2 (0.3%)	47 (7.1%)	4.2	323^rd of 337 public middle schools	4.2%		4.6	320^th of 334 public middle schools	4.2%	3		50.0	57.6	51.4		43.4	50.0	51.6		42.7	$14,971	$1,099	$13,873
Hoyt Middle School	Public	6-8	2700 E 42nd St	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8446	486	29	16.6	79.8%	226 (46.5%)	81 (16.7%)	135 (27.8%)	14 (2.9%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	27 (5.6%)	1.3	332^nd of 337 public middle schools	1.5%		1.3	329^th of 334 public middle schools	1.5%	3		45.5	50.0	52.6		41.3	32.5	42.2		36.4	$14,771	$931	$13,840
Merrill Middle School	Public	6-8	5301 Grand Ave	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8448	634	36	17.5	44.6%	375 (59.1%)	101 (15.9%)	79 (12.5%)	21 (3.3%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (8.5%)	42.5	224^th of 337 public middle schools	33.5%		42.4	220^th of 334 public middle schools	34.1%	4		73.4	73.4	77.3		70.3	67.1	69.0		65.9	$12,938	$599	$12,340
Weeks Middle School	Public	6-8	901 East Park Avenue	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8449	684	39	17.5	85.7%	135 (19.7%)	121 (17.7%)	278 (40.6%)	102 (14.9%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (6.6%)	1.3	333^rd of 337 public middle schools	1.2%		1.4	327^th of 334 public middle schools	2.1%	6		47.7	41.5	49.7		42.0	28.4	35.2		40.8	$14,586	$1,091	$13,495
Brody Middle School	Public	6-8	2501 Park Ave	Des Moines	50321	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8443	603	30	19.9	73.6%	288 (47.8%)	78 (12.9%)	171 (28.4%)	23 (3.8%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (6.3%)	6.6	320^th of 337 public middle schools	5.0%		2.3	325^th of 334 public middle schools	2.7%	5		52.8	52.2	59.9		46.7	42.3	63.4		45.1	$14,143	$628	$13,515

Frequently Asked Questions about Harding Middle School

Is Harding Middle School a good school?

Harding Middle School ranks in the bottom 0.9% of Iowa middle schools.

What is the racial makeup of Harding Middle School?

Students at Harding Middle School are 35% Hispanic, 28% African American, 17% White, 13% Asian, 7% Two or more races.

How many students attend Harding Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 655 students attended Harding Middle School.

What district is Harding Middle School in?

Des Moines Independent Community School District

What high school do graduates of Harding Middle School attend?

Students who attend Harding Middle School usually go on to attend North 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.