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Harding Middle School

Q: Is Harding Middle School a good school?

Harding Middle School ranks 163 rd of 344 Iowa middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

163^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 344 Iowa Middle Schools

Better than 53% of Iowa middle schools

Summary

Harding Middle School is a public middle school located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 695 students. The school is part of the Cedar Rapids Community School District, which is ranked 279 out of 313 districts in Iowa and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Harding Middle School consistently outperforms the Cedar Rapids Community School District and the state of Iowa in standardized test scores across all grade levels and subjects. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, Harding's 8th-grade students scored 83.2% proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 73.5% for the district and 80.2% for the state. However, the school has experienced relatively high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 21.6% to 35.7% in recent years, which is significantly higher than the state average and the rates of some nearby schools, such as Wilson Middle School and Roosevelt Creative Corridor Business Academy.

Harding Middle School also has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 37.7% to 47.89% in recent years, which is higher than the rates of some nearby schools, such as Excelsior Middle School and Oak Ridge Middle School. Despite these challenges, Harding Middle School's spending per student was $14,559 in the 2018-2019 school year, which is higher than the spending at some nearby schools, such as Vernon Middle School ($11,914 per student).

710

Students ?

15.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,559

Per pupil spending ?

43.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4801 Golf ST NE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52405

(319) 558-2254

District: Cedar Rapids Community School District

Students who attend Harding Middle School usually attend:

High:

John F Kennedy High School

Feeder schools for Harding Middle School:

Elementary:	Hiawatha Elementary School
	Nixon Elementary School
	Viola Gibson Elementary School
	Wright Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

66.5%

Hispanic:

11.8%

Two or more races:

9.7%

See top rated Iowa middle schools

Compare Harding Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 42nd percentile in 2015 → 53rd in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 11 percentile points since 2015

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Cedar Rapids Community School District

✓Above the Iowa median (53rd percentile)

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (35% vs 22% Iowa)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school77%

District avg63%

Iowa avg74%

163^rd of 344

Iowa public middle schools ?

Top 47%▲ up 10 pts since 2015

From bottom 42% (2015) to top 47% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 6Middle Schools in the Cedar Rapids Community School District

279^th of 313Cedar Rapids Community School District among Iowa districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Iowa percentile	Rating
2025	56.3	163 of 344	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.8	178 of 337	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	60.6	140 of 334	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.6	157 of 337	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	43.7	209 of 324	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	61.6	131 of 342	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	38.4	228 of 318	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	34.2	253 of 327	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	49.6	196 of 343	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2015	50.4	202 of 349	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2014	52.4	179 of 337	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2013	64.8	104 of 350	70.3%	★★★★☆
2012	68.3	92 of 349	73.6%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

Science82%+11 vs state

Mathematics77%+4 vs state

English Language Arts76%~ state avg

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a student
Tuesday, January 22, 2019

This hell hole is bad from beginning to end. The scheduling for the breaks are horrible, all the food is horrible, the teachers themselves are not half bad but the classes and the stuff you learn makes it the most pointless 3 years of your life. Close Quote

Schools Near Harding Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ISASP English Language Arts (2025)				ISASP Mathematics (2025)				ISASP Science (2025)		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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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	4801 Golf ST NE	Cedar Rapids	52405	Linn County	Cedar Rapids Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 558-2254	710	44	15.9	43.8%	472 (66.5%)	48 (6.8%)	84 (11.8%)	28 (3.9%)	1 (0.1%)	8 (1.1%)	69 (9.7%)	56.3	163^rd of 344 public middle schools	52.6%		53.8	178^th of 337 public middle schools	47.2%	15		67.7	77.8	83.2		72.9	76.4	81.5		81.5	$14,559	$562	$13,997
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	469	34	13.8	58.6%	271 (57.8%)	93 (19.8%)	39 (8.3%)	5 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.6%)	56 (11.9%)	17.3	301^st of 344 public middle schools	12.5%		18	298^th of 337 public middle schools	11.6%	3		65.7	66.2	75.0		55.5	52.5	64.1		50.6	$15,204	$665	$14,539
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	587	46	12.8	37.8%	470 (80.1%)	31 (5.3%)	38 (6.5%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	5 (0.9%)	40 (6.8%)	55.2	170^th of 344 public middle schools	50.6%		54.2	177^th of 337 public middle schools	47.5%	7	73.7	69.5	81.4	80.4	82.7	78.6	76.4	79.1	66.2	71.4	$11,914	$388	$11,527
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	426	32	13.4	60.6%	216 (50.7%)	117 (27.5%)	34 (8.0%)	3 (0.7%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	50 (11.7%)	12.6	312^th of 344 public middle schools	9.3%		14.6	308^th of 337 public middle schools	8.6%	4		64.2	67.8	61.8		52.6	59.0	54.2		52.7	$16,456	$251	$16,204
Excelsior Middle School	Public	7-8	3555 N 10th St	Marion	52302	Linn County	Linn-Mar Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 447-3130	594	45	13.2	28.5%	469 (79.0%)	35 (5.9%)	35 (5.9%)	17 (2.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (6.1%)	65.9	111^th of 344 public middle schools	67.7%		75.4	62^nd of 337 public middle schools	81.6%	49			83.2	88.8			82.1	76.8		72.6	$13,096	$300	$12,796
Oak Ridge Middle School	Public	7-8	4901 Alburnett Road	Marion	52302	Linn County	Linn-Mar Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 447-3410	534	37	14.4	21.3%	367 (68.7%)	28 (5.2%)	35 (6.6%)	75 (14.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	27 (5.1%)	72.6	68^th of 344 public middle schools	80.2%		72.9	72^nd of 337 public middle schools	78.6%	4			91.4	86.8			82.0	79.6		78.5	$12,711	$282	$12,430
Hazel Point Intermediate School	Public	5-6	453 Echo Hill Road	Marion	52302	Linn County	Linn-Mar Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 200-1600	563	40	14.1	20.4%	393 (69.8%)	28 (5.0%)	31 (5.5%)	75 (13.3%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	32 (5.7%)								(n/a)	85.0	87.8			86.6	85.5			79.8
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	484	34	14.2	71.1%	166 (34.3%)	196 (40.5%)	50 (10.3%)	7 (1.4%)	3 (0.6%)	12 (2.5%)	50 (10.3%)	6.1	324^th of 344 public middle schools	5.8%		11.7	315^th of 337 public middle schools	6.5%	9		51.5	60.2	67.5		43.8	50.0	53.3		45.0	$15,027	$360	$14,667
Boulder Peak Intermediate School	Public	5-6	3920 35th Avenue	Marion	52302	Linn County	Linn-Mar Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 200-1700	613	45	13.6	31.5%	481 (78.5%)	31 (5.1%)	30 (4.9%)	17 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (8.6%)								(n/a)	70.3	79.5			66.7	78.3			61.4
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	422	31	13.6	78.0%	151 (35.8%)	135 (32.0%)	78 (18.5%)	5 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	10 (2.4%)	42 (10.0%)	0.7	339^th of 344 public middle schools	1.5%		3.2	326^th of 337 public middle schools	3.3%	13		41.1	47.6	53.2		36.3	39.7	40.5		36.0	$17,810	$271	$17,539

Frequently Asked Questions about Harding Middle School

What high school do graduates of Harding Middle School attend?

Students who attend Harding Middle School usually go on to attend John F Kennedy High School

What district is Harding Middle School in?

Cedar Rapids Community School District

What is the racial makeup of Harding Middle School?

Students at Harding Middle School are 66% White, 12% Hispanic, 10% Two or more races, 7% African American, 4% Asian, 1% Pacific Islander.

How many students attend Harding Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 710 students attended Harding Middle School.

Is Harding Middle School a good school?

Harding Middle School ranks 163^rd of 344 Iowa middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Harding 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.