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Harlan Community Middle School

Public Grades 6-8
75th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 344 Iowa Middle Schools
Better than 78% of Iowa middle schools
Summary

Harlan Community Middle School is a public middle school in Harlan, Iowa, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 343 students. The school is part of the Harlan Community School District, which is ranked 125 out of 313 school districts in Iowa and is rated 3 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Harlan Community Middle School consistently ranks among the top middle schools in Iowa, with a ranking between 15 and 81 out of 318-349 middle schools over the past 10 years. The school's students consistently outperform the state average in ISASP (Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress) tests across all grade levels and subject areas, with proficiency rates often exceeding 80% in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. However, the school has experienced a relatively high chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 18.4% to 23.4% over the past few years, which is higher than the state average. Additionally, the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at Harlan Community Middle School has been increasing, from 32.37% in 2021-2022 to 39.94% in 2023-2024, indicating a growing population of economically disadvantaged students.

Compared to the nearby Tri-Center Middle School and AHSTW Intermediate School, Harlan Community Middle School has a higher academic performance, as evidenced by its higher rankings and test scores. However, Tri-Center Middle School and AHSTW Intermediate School have lower chronic absenteeism rates, which may be an area of focus for Harlan Community Middle School. The school may need to address the increasing chronic absenteeism rate and the growing population of economically disadvantaged students to maintain its excellence and ensure equitable opportunities for all students.

335
Students ?
15.4
Student/teacher ratio ?
$12,934
Per pupil spending ?
38.2%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 2108 Durant Street
       Harlan, IA  51537

(712) 755-3196

District: Harlan Community School District


Students who attend Harlan Community Middle School usually attend:

High:    Harlan High School

Feeder schools for Harlan Community Middle School:

Elementary:    Harlan Intermediate School
    Harlan Primary
Racial breakdown:

White:
88.7%
Hispanic:
6.6%
Two or more races:
2.7%
more
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At a glance
▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 74th percentile in 2015 → 78th in 2025
Strengths
✓Test scores above the Iowa average (83% vs 74% meeting standards)
✓Ranks in the top 22% of Iowa middle schools
Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?
This school83%
District avg83%
Iowa avg74%
75th of 344
Iowa public middle schools ?
Top 22%▲ up 4 pts since 2015
From top 26% (2015) to top 22% (2025)
See the entire ranking list of Iowa Middle Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
125th of 313Harlan 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIowa percentileRating
202571.575 of 34478.2%★★★★☆
202475.858 of 33782.8%★★★★☆
202377.450 of 33485.0%★★★★☆
202276.858 of 33782.8%★★★★☆
202169.181 of 32475.0%★★★★☆
201982.727 of 34292.1%★★★★★
201884.715 of 31895.3%★★★★★
201779.831 of 32790.5%★★★★★
201665.4108 of 34368.5%★★★☆☆
201569.289 of 34974.5%★★★★☆
201471.573 of 33778.3%★★★★☆
201377.438 of 35089.1%★★★★☆
201279.029 of 34991.7%★★★★★
By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?
Mathematics86%+13 vs state
English Language Arts83%+7 vs state
Science74%+4 vs state

★
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Frequently Asked Questions about Harlan Community Middle School

Students at Harlan Community Middle School are 89% White, 7% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% African American.

Harlan Community Middle School ranks 75th of 344 Iowa middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students who attend Harlan Community Middle School usually go on to attend Harlan High School

In the 2024-25 school year, 335 students attended Harlan Community Middle School.

Rate Harlan Community Middle School!



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IAIowa Middle School Rankings

IAIowa District Rankings

Schools in Harlan, IA

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Latest Iowa data All new data »
2024–25 graduation ratesJun 13, 2026
2024–25 ISASP test scoresAug 20, 2025
2023–24 graduation ratesApr 1, 2025
2017–18 through 2023–24 attendance dataNov 15, 2024


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.

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