Harding Elementary School vs Jefferson Elementary School

Harding Elementary School and Jefferson Elementary School sit 1.3 miles apart in Mason City, Iowa, and both rank among the very top elementary schools in the state. Harding holds the marginal overall edge at 9.3/10 versus Jefferson's 9.2/10 — a gap of 0.1 points. The state rankings tell a similar story: Harding ranks #4 of 1,280 Iowa elementary schools while Jefferson lands at #10 of 1,280, meaning both schools place in the top 1% statewide.

The academic and growth scores split in opposite directions. Jefferson Elementary School leads on academic proficiency with an 8.8/10 versus Harding's 8.2/10 — a 0.6-point advantage. Harding Elementary School, however, dominates on growth, scoring a perfect 10.0/10 compared to Jefferson's 9.1/10. That 0.9-point growth gap is meaningful: Harding is pushing students further from wherever they start, while Jefferson's higher academic score reflects stronger baseline attainment. Families weighing raw achievement against momentum will find these two scores point in different directions.

Harding enrolls 357 students versus Jefferson's 307, and its higher enrollment comes alongside a slightly larger student-teacher ratio — 13.2:1 at Harding compared to 12.3:1 at Jefferson. Jefferson's tighter ratio means roughly one fewer student per teacher. The economic profiles also differ: 61% of Harding students qualify for free or reduced lunch versus 47% at Jefferson. Harding's perfect growth score in a higher-poverty, larger-classroom environment is notable — it suggests the school is doing exceptional work with a more economically diverse population.

Both schools serve the same grade span, PK through 4th grade, so families with children in that range face no structural difference in continuity. The distinction comes down entirely to what the numbers reveal about each school's strengths rather than any difference in program structure or grade configuration.