North Central Junior High School

Q: Is North Central Junior High School a good school?

North Central Junior High School ranks 145 th of 337 Iowa middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

North Central Junior High School is a public middle school located in North Liberty, Iowa, serving grades 7-8 with a total enrollment of 622 students. The school is part of the Iowa City Community School District, which is ranked 221 out of 309 districts in Iowa and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

North Central Junior High School consistently outperforms the Iowa City Community School District and the state of Iowa in academic proficiency across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 86.1% of 7th-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 81.5% for the district and 77.3% for the state. Similarly, in Mathematics, 76.6% of 7th-grade students were proficient or better, compared to 70.8% for the district and 69.9% for the state. The school has maintained a strong statewide ranking, consistently placing in the top 20% of Iowa middle schools, with a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger in the 2023-2024 school year.

Compared to some nearby schools, such as Wilson Middle School and Southeast Junior High School, North Central Junior High School has a lower percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (23.47% in 2022-2023), suggesting it may serve a more affluent student population. However, the school's student body is more racially diverse than some nearby schools, with 68.81% White, 12.86% African American, 7.4% Hispanic, and 3.7% Asian students in the 2022-2023 school year.

Detail:

Public 7-8

180 E. Forevergreen Rd
North Liberty, IA 52317

(319) 688-1210

District: Iowa City Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
145^th of 337 Iowa Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,555

Students who attend North Central Junior High School usually attend:

High:

Liberty High School

Feeder schools for North Central Junior High School:

Elementary:	Buford Garner Elementary
	Christine Grant Elementary
	James Van Allen Elementary School
	Kirkwood Elementary School
	More...
	Penn Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.6

Number of students: 622

Racial breakdown:

White:

68.8%

African American:

12.9%

Hispanic:

7.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 23.5%

See top rated Iowa middle schools

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Performance Trends

Compare Details North Central Junior High School ranks better than 57% of middle schools in Iowa. It also ranks first among 3 ranked middle schools in the Iowa City Community School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 60.31. (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 North Central Junior High School has the largest middle school student body size in the Iowa City Community School District. (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at North Central Junior High School is $13,555, which is the lowest among 3 middle schools in the Iowa City Community School District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

North Central Junior High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks North Central Junior High School 145^th of 337 Iowa public middle schools. (See North Central Junior High School in the ranking list.)

Iowa City Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Iowa City Community School District 221^st of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for North Central Junior High School.

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Rank History for North Central Junior High School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	73.03	60^th	349	82.8%
2013	80.76	22^nd	350	93.7%
2014	78.35	34^th	337	89.9%
2015	74.51	55^th	349	84.2%
2016	82.66	30^th	343	91.3%
2017	77.42	42^nd	327	87.2%
2018	74.84	53^rd	318	83.3%
2019	71.95	69^th	342	79.8%
2021	72.41	67^th	324	79.3%
2022	77.01	57^th	337	83.1%
2023	73.63	69^th	334	79.3%
2024	60.31	145^th	337	57.0%

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%

by a teacher
Friday, September 20, 2024

The administration at North Central Junior High is deeply concerning. Once ranked among the top 30 junior high schools in Iowa, it has now fallen to 135th under the current leadership. The administration seems to prioritize its own interests over those of teachers, students and public education as a whole.
There is a troubling undercurrent of misogyny and white supremacy that cannot be ignored.
The current leadership shows little commitment to academic improvement. The principal has hired many coaches as teachers who lack fundamental knowledge in their subject areas. Moreover, the administration promotes teachers to leadership roles, even when they fail to meet minimum performance standards and criteria and do not teach any essential core curriculum.
The approach of the NCJH administration is reminiscent of the Trump administration, where loyal to the prinicpal takes precedence over classroom performance and student success.
Ethical standards are lax and there is a disregard for district, state and federal policies. Since the current principal took over, the school's ranking has steadily declined from top 91 to 57.
Test scores averages have dropped from 83 to 60 in 8 years under his leadership.
Sadly, this principal appears to be protected by a network of senior administrators where accountability seems to be lacking for certain individuals, particularly white males. Close Quote

Enrollment information for North Central Junior High School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2007	253	30	11	13	2	n/a	n/a	309
2008	286	38	13	9	4	n/a	n/a	350
2009	299	36	15	9	1	n/a	n/a	360
2010	312	47	22	14	1	0	0	396
2011	312	48	20	14	2	0	0	396
2012	302	51	20	21	4	0	19	417
2013	367	35	16	20	1	0	21	460
2014	381	39	12	28	0	0	11	471
2015	358	45	15	32	2	0	19	471
2016	396	35	18	29	5	0	16	499
2017	441	31	17	39	5	0	14	547
2018	418	56	13	41	4	0	18	550
2019	401	61	17	46	2	0	30	557
2020	413	52	19	48	3	0	46	581
2021	402	62	18	40	0	0	41	563
2022	398	59	14	38	0	0	36	545
2023	428	80	23	46	0	0	45	622

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 North Central Junior High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	309	19.0	16.3	11.7
2008	350	18.2	19.2	16.3
2009	360	21.2	17.0	17.2
2010	396	22.2	17.8	17.4
2011	396	23.1	17.1	18.7
2012	417	25.2	16.4	18.7
2013	460	27.2	16.8	16.7
2014	471	28.4	16.5	20.6
2015	471	26.0	18.1	19.7
2016	499	25.0	19.9	18
2017	547	27.8	19.6	17.4
2018	550	28.8	19.0	20
2019	557	30.7	18.0	24.1
2020	581	33.7	17.1	23.8
2021	563	34.5	16.2	25.8
2022	545	36.3	14.9	24.4
2023	622	39.7	15.6	23.5

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 North Central Junior High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	309	19.0	16.3	11.7
2008	350	18.2	19.2	16.3
2009	360	21.2	17.0	17.2
2010	396	22.2	17.8	17.4
2011	396	23.1	17.1	18.7
2012	417	25.2	16.4	18.7
2013	460	27.2	16.8	16.7
2014	471	28.4	16.5	20.6
2015	471	26.0	18.1	19.7
2016	499	25.0	19.9	18
2017	547	27.8	19.6	17.4
2018	550	28.8	19.0	20
2019	557	30.7	18.0	24.1
2020	581	33.7	17.1	23.8
2021	563	34.5	16.2	25.8
2022	545	36.3	14.9	24.4
2023	622	39.7	15.6	23.5

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 North Central Junior High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$302 (2.2%)	$13,252 (97.8%)	$13,555

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on North Central Junior High 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 69^th of 342 Middle schools	Ranks 69^th of 334 Middle schools	0.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
7th Grade English Language Arts (North Central Junior High School)	81.1	83.3	2.2%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa City Community School District)	69.9	75.6	5.7%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	69.9	74.2	4.3%
7th Grade Mathematics (North Central Junior High School)	80.8	77.9	2.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Iowa City Community School District)	69.4	66.8	2.6%
7th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	70.1	68.9	1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (North Central Junior High School)	76.2	85.3	9.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa City Community School District)	72.7	77.6	4.9%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	69.5	76	6.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (North Central Junior High School)	74.4	79	4.6%
8th Grade Mathematics (Iowa City Community School District)	70.8	70	0.8%
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	557	622	11.7%
African American	61	80	31.1%
American Indian	2	0	100%
Asian	17	23	35.3%
Hispanic	46	46
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	401	428	6.7%
Two or More Races	30	45	50%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	24.1%	23.5%	0.6%

Schools Near North Central Junior High 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
North Central Junior High School	Public	7-8	180 E. Forevergreen Rd	North Liberty	52317	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 688-1210	622	40	15.6	23.5%	428 (68.8%)	80 (12.9%)	46 (7.4%)	23 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (7.2%)	60.3	145^th of 337 public middle schools	57.0%		73.6	69^th of 334 public middle schools	79.3%	76			86.1	77.9				76.6	75.2			69.5	$13,555	$302	$13,252
Northwest Junior High School	Public	7-8	1507 8th St	Coralville	52241	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 688-1060	730	54	13.4	42.7%	335 (45.9%)	204 (27.9%)	71 (9.7%)	73 (10.0%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	41 (5.6%)	52.6	186^th of 337 public middle schools	44.8%		56.7	167^th of 334 public middle schools	50.0%	19			80.5	77.7				72.0	69.5			72.0	$14,464	$430	$14,034
Clear Creek Amana Middle School	Public	6-8	311 W Marengo Rd	Tiffin	52340	Johnson County	Clear Creek Amana Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 545-4490	640	43	14.8	28.6%	491 (76.7%)	52 (8.1%)	52 (8.1%)	10 (1.6%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (5.2%)	59.3	151^st of 337 public middle schools	55.2%		63.1	117^th of 334 public middle schools	65.0%	34		77.0	85.8	79.3			70.0	81.7	77.5			67.1	$27,866	$261	$27,605
Solon Middle School	Public	6-8	1775 Racine Ave.	Solon	52333	Johnson County	Solon Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 624-2381	345	23	14.9	6.7%	325 (94.2%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.7%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.2%)	86.8	14^th of 337 public middle schools	95.8%		84.2	20^th of 334 public middle schools	94.0%	6		86.9	90.5	95.7			85.0	90.5	91.3			82.6	$12,824	$214	$12,609
Southeast Junior High School	Public	7-8	2501 Bradford Dr	Iowa City	52240	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 688-1070	812	55	14.7	49.6%	410 (50.5%)	164 (20.2%)	156 (19.2%)	15 (1.8%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	60 (7.4%)	36.9	248^th of 337 public middle schools	26.4%		25.4	280^th of 334 public middle schools	16.2%	32			79.5	73.1				66.8	61.4			62.4	$13,848	$402	$13,446
West Branch Middle School	Public	5-8	900 W. Main St.	West Branch	52358	Cedar County	West Branch Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 643-5324	257	17	15.5	26.5%	233 (90.7%)	3 (1.2%)	17 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.6%)	50.3	194^th of 337 public middle schools	42.4%		55.5	172^nd of 334 public middle schools	48.5%	22	87.5	79.1	75.9	83.6		90.0	79.1	65.5	67.2		65.0	63.9	$14,753	$580	$14,171
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
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
Mount Vernon Middle School	Public	5-8	525 Palisades Road SW	Mount Vernon	52314	Linn County	Mount Vernon Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 895-6254	397	26	15.2	17.4%	354 (89.2%)	4 (1.0%)	11 (2.8%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.3%)	89.6	9^th of 337 public middle schools	97.3%		88.4	7^th of 334 public middle schools	97.9%	2	82.2	92.2	91.4	91.8		85.0	92.2	85.7	93.9		82.2	91.8	$12,017	$516	$11,501
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

Frequently Asked Questions about North Central Junior High School

Is North Central Junior High School a good school?

North Central Junior High School ranks 145^th of 337 Iowa middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is North Central Junior High School in?

Iowa City Community School District

What is the racial makeup of North Central Junior High School?

Students at North Central Junior High School are 69% White, 13% African American, 7% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 4% Asian.

How many students attend North Central Junior High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 622 students attended North Central Junior High School.

What high school do graduates of North Central Junior High School attend?

Students who attend North Central Junior High School usually go on to attend Liberty 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.