Harding Elementary School

Summary:

Harding Elementary School is a public elementary school in Mason City, Iowa, serving 380 students in grades PK-4. While the school is part of the Mason City Community School District, which is ranked 265 out of 309 districts in the state, Harding Elementary has consistently underperformed compared to the state and district averages in standardized test scores.

Harding Elementary has a higher percentage of minority students (25.26%) compared to the surrounding schools, which tend to have a higher percentage of White students. Additionally, the school has a significantly higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (53.95%), which may be a contributing factor to the lower academic performance. However, the school's relatively low student-teacher ratio of 15.5 students per teacher could be an opportunity to provide more individualized attention and support to students.

Compared to nearby schools like Jefferson Elementary and St Ansgar Elementary, Harding Elementary has consistently lower test scores in English Language Arts and Mathematics. The school has also seen a steady decline in its statewide ranking, dropping from 310 out of 574 Iowa elementary schools in 2021-2022 to 445 out of 557 in 2023-2024. Continued monitoring and targeted interventions may be necessary to help Harding Elementary School improve its performance and ranking within the state.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-4

1239 N. Rhode Island Ave
Mason City, IA 50401-1441

(641) 421-4406

District: Mason City Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
445^th of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,224

Students who attend Harding Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	John Adams Middle School
	Lincoln Intermediate
High:	Mason City High School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.5

Number of students: 380

Racial breakdown:

White:

74.7%

African American:

8.4%

Hispanic:

8.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 53.9%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Harding Elementary School ranks worse than 79.9% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks last among 4 ranked elementary schools in the Mason City Community School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 28.83. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Harding Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Mason City Community School District. Racial makeup is: White (74.7%), African American (8.4%), Hispanic (8.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 53.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Harding Elementary School is 15.5, which is the highest among 4 elementary schools in the Mason City Community School District! (See more...)

Compare Harding Elementary School employs 24.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Harding Elementary School is $16,224. 2 elementary schools in the Mason City Community School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Mason City Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Mason City Community School District 265^th of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Harding Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	37.65	477^th	626	23.8%
2013	33.98	496^th	624	20.5%
2014	15.14	544^th	603	9.8%
2015	14.23	553^rd	616	10.2%
2016	21.32	512^th	599	14.5%
2017	14.04	509^th	574	11.3%
2018	7.43	533^rd	567	6.0%
2019	10.22	565^th	603	6.3%
2021	33.02	421^st	567	25.7%
2022	52.69	310^th	574	46.0%
2023	29.90	437^th	565	22.7%
2024	28.83	445^th	557	20.1%

See the entire list of Iowa Elementary School Rankings!

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

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

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Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Harding Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	400	9	4	15	0	n/a	n/a	0	428
1989	405	9	4	16	0	n/a	n/a	0	434
1990	406	9	5	17	0	n/a	n/a	0	437
1991	370	9	4	20	0	n/a	n/a	0	403
1992	365	9	7	15	0	n/a	n/a	0	396
1993	339	8	8	15	0	n/a	n/a	0	370
1994	328	11	8	17	0	n/a	n/a	0	364
1995	322	16	5	18	0	n/a	n/a	0	361
1996	322	16	5	18	0	n/a	n/a	0	361
1997	364	17	6	25	0	n/a	n/a	0	412
1998	346	15	15	23	0	n/a	n/a	0	399
1999	319	17	8	28	0	n/a	n/a	0	372
2000	442	17	12	32	0	n/a	n/a	-31	472
2001	402	21	12	32	0	n/a	n/a	0	467
2002	353	15	11	46	0	n/a	n/a	0	425
2003	353	15	11	46	0	n/a	n/a	0	425
2004	365	27	10	44	1	n/a	n/a	0	447
2005	376	27	8	37	0	n/a	n/a	0	448
2006	360	38	10	30	0	n/a	n/a	0	438
2007	355	48	6	29	0	n/a	n/a	0	438
2008	315	46	7	34	1	n/a	n/a	0	403
2009	335	42	6	34	2	n/a	n/a	0	419
2010	326	40	4	39	1	0	3	0	413
2011	312	21	3	36	0	0	16	0	388
2012	292	23	4	32	1	0	16	0	368
2013	282	23	2	29	2	0	14	0	352
2014	274	27	5	31	1	0	23	0	361
2015	271	18	7	35	2	3	24	0	360
2016	285	39	8	35	1	0	13	0	381
2017	279	61	8	35	0	0	1	0	384
2018	260	44	8	31	1	0	1	0	345
2019	266	43	6	34	1	2	5	0	357
2020	278	44	2	32	1	0	10	0	367
2021	221	27	4	21	3	2	12	0	290
2022	244	29	3	28	2	2	11	0	319
2023	284	32	2	31	1	15	15	0	380

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 Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	428	21.9	19.5	19.6
1989	434	21.9	19.8	21.9
1990	437	22.9	19.0	22
1991	403	21.9	18.4	21.8
1992	396	22.0	18.0	22
1993	370	25.8	14.3	28.6
1994	364	27.3	13.3	30.2
1995	361	21.8	16.6	30.2
1996	361	21.8	16.6	30.2
1997	412	25.5	16.2	30.8
1998	399	24.1	16.6	33.3
1999	372	23.8	15.6	45.4
2000	472	32.1	14.7	34.2
2001	467	32.5	14.4	46
2002	425	31.0	13.7	40
2003	425	31.0	13.7	40
2004	447	30.8	14.5	39.8
2005	448	36.3	12.3	43.1
2006	438	34.3	12.8	49.8
2007	438	30.4	14.4	56.2
2008	403	32.1	12.6	60.3
2009	419	32.3	13.0	60.9
2010	413	32.9	12.5	64.6
2011	388	29.0	13.3	63.7
2012	368	30.4	12.1	69.8
2013	352	30.9	11.3	70.2
2014	361	29.3	12.2	65.1
2015	360	27.0	13.3	64.7
2016	381	27.0	14.1	61.7
2017	384	28.1	13.6	66.1
2018	345	25.9	13.3	50.7
2019	357	24.9	14.3	56.9
2020	367	26.4	13.9	61.3
2021	290	26.1	11.1	63.1
2022	319	25.3	12.6	58.6
2023	380	24.4	15.5	53.9

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 Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	428	21.9	19.5	19.6
1989	434	21.9	19.8	21.9
1990	437	22.9	19.0	22
1991	403	21.9	18.4	21.8
1992	396	22.0	18.0	22
1993	370	25.8	14.3	28.6
1994	364	27.3	13.3	30.2
1995	361	21.8	16.6	30.2
1996	361	21.8	16.6	30.2
1997	412	25.5	16.2	30.8
1998	399	24.1	16.6	33.3
1999	372	23.8	15.6	45.4
2000	472	32.1	14.7	34.2
2001	467	32.5	14.4	46
2002	425	31.0	13.7	40
2003	425	31.0	13.7	40
2004	447	30.8	14.5	39.8
2005	448	36.3	12.3	43.1
2006	438	34.3	12.8	49.8
2007	438	30.4	14.4	56.2
2008	403	32.1	12.6	60.3
2009	419	32.3	13.0	60.9
2010	413	32.9	12.5	64.6
2011	388	29.0	13.3	63.7
2012	368	30.4	12.1	69.8
2013	352	30.9	11.3	70.2
2014	361	29.3	12.2	65.1
2015	360	27.0	13.3	64.7
2016	381	27.0	14.1	61.7
2017	384	28.1	13.6	66.1
2018	345	25.9	13.3	50.7
2019	357	24.9	14.3	56.9
2020	367	26.4	13.9	61.3
2021	290	26.1	11.1	63.1
2022	319	25.3	12.6	58.6
2023	380	24.4	15.5	53.9

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 Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$857 (5.3%)	$15,366 (94.7%)	$16,224

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Harding Elementary 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 565^th of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 437^th of 565 Elementary schools	16.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Harding Elementary School)	57.4	59.6	2.2%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Mason City Community School District)	68.9	64.8	4.1%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	65.3	66.3	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Harding Elementary School)	37	63.8	26.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Mason City Community School District)	51.2	69	17.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	71.7	75.3	3.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Harding Elementary School)	50	66	16%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Mason City Community School District)	65.9	68.9	3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	70.5	73.1	2.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Harding Elementary School)	32.8	62	29.2%
4th Grade Mathematics (Mason City Community School District)	48.2	65.7	17.5%
4th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	72.5	72.9	0.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	357	380	6.4%
African American	43	32	25.6%
American Indian	1	1
Asian	6	2	66.7%
Hispanic	34	31	8.8%
Pacific Islander	2	15	650%
White	266	284	6.8%
Two or More Races	5	15	200%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	56.9%	53.9%	2.9%

Schools Near Harding Elementary 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 3rd Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 4th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 5th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 3rd Grade	ISASP Mathematics 4th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 6th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Harding Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	1239 N. Rhode Island Ave	Mason City	50401	Cerro Gordo County	Mason City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 421-4406	380	24	15.5	53.9%	284 (74.7%)	32 (8.4%)	31 (8.2%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	15 (3.9%)	15 (3.9%)	28.8	445^th of 557 public elementary schools	20.1%		29.9	437^th of 565 public elementary schools	22.7%	8	56.1	62.2			73.2	55.6				$16,224	$857	$15,366
Jefferson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	1421 4th St. SE	Mason City	50401	Cerro Gordo County	Mason City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 421-4411	317	26	12.1	46.7%	246 (77.6%)	20 (6.3%)	18 (5.7%)	5 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.5%)	20 (6.3%)	75.3	110^th of 557 public elementary schools	80.3%		79.2	84^th of 565 public elementary schools	85.1%	26	70.2	82.1			86.0	86.6				$13,852	$384	$13,468
Hoover Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	1123 8th St. NW	Mason City	50401	Cerro Gordo County	Mason City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 421-4408	375	27	13.6	58.7%	247 (65.9%)	25 (6.7%)	44 (11.7%)	4 (1.1%)	3 (0.8%)	22 (5.9%)	30 (8.0%)	49	340^th of 557 public elementary schools	39.0%		20.9	476^th of 565 public elementary schools	15.8%	136	59.3	79.1			74.1	69.8				$17,471	$971	$16,499
Roosevelt Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	313 15th St. SE	Mason City	50401	Cerro Gordo County	Mason City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 421-4415	357	29	12.3	67.5%	246 (68.9%)	30 (8.4%)	47 (13.2%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.8%)	3 (0.8%)	26 (7.3%)	36.4	405^th of 557 public elementary schools	27.3%		29.2	440^th of 565 public elementary schools	22.1%	35	61.1	63.6			77.8	54.5				$16,656	$1,259	$15,396
Central Springs Elementary Manly Campus	Public	PK, KG-3	105 S East St	Manly	50456	Worth County	Central Springs Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 454-3283	147	9	15.7	48.3%	139 (94.6%)	2 (1.4%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.4%)								(n/a)	73.9				82.6					$15,896	$878	$15,018
Central Springs Elementary School - Nora Springs	Public	PK, KG-3	509 N Iowa Ave	Nora Springs	50458	Floyd County	Central Springs Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 749-5301	163	11	15.2	30.7%	151 (92.6%)	1 (0.6%)	7 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.5%)								(n/a)										$15,709	$1,273	$14,436
Clear Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	901 S 14th St	Clear Lake	50428	Cerro Gordo County	Clear Lake Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 357-5288	688	45	15.4	28.1%	581 (84.4%)	8 (1.2%)	59 (8.6%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.4%)	2 (0.3%)	33 (4.8%)	76	102^nd of 557 public elementary schools	81.7%		71.6	150^th of 565 public elementary schools	73.5%	48	71.9	90.8	83.0		79.2	88.1	79.5		67.0	$13,164	$528	$12,636
West Fork Elementary at Rockwell	Public	PK, KG-5	210 S 2nd St	Rockwell	50469	Cerro Gordo County	West Fork Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 822-3234	415	25	16.6	40.7%	383 (92.3%)	5 (1.2%)	16 (3.9%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.2%)	61.1	238^th of 557 public elementary schools	57.3%		61.6	226^th of 565 public elementary schools	60.0%	12	83.0	82.3	59.5		86.8	74.2	71.4		52.4	$13,507	$518	$12,988
RRMR Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1460 210th Street	Rockford	50468	Floyd County	Rudd-Rockford-Marble Rk Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 756-3508	248	14	17.1	57.3%	225 (90.7%)	8 (3.2%)	8 (3.2%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.4%)	42.5	379^th of 557 public elementary schools	32.0%		39.7	401^st of 565 public elementary schools	29.0%	22	50.0	82.6	47.8	73.1	82.4	91.3	39.1	76.9	39.1	$13,669	$546	$13,123
Northwood-Kensett Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1200 1st Ave North	Northwood	50459	Worth County	Northwood-Kensett Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 324-1127	321	21	15.3	35.2%	289 (90.0%)	4 (1.2%)	22 (6.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.9%)	45.6	359^th of 557 public elementary schools	35.5%		56	276^th of 565 public elementary schools	51.2%	83	56.1	56.8	71.4		68.3	75.7	78.6		59.5	$10,614	$468	$10,147

Frequently Asked Questions about Harding Elementary School

What district is Harding Elementary School in?

Mason City Community School District

What schools do graduates of Harding Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Harding Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : John Adams Middle School
Middle : Lincoln Intermediate
High : Mason City High School

How many students attend Harding Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 380 students attended Harding Elementary School.

Is Harding Elementary School a good school?

Harding Elementary School ranks in the bottom 20.1% of Iowa elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Harding Elementary School?

Students at Harding Elementary School are 75% White, 8% African American, 8% Hispanic, 4% Pacific Islander, 4% Two or more races.

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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.