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Public middle school · Cedar Rapids Comm School District · Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Taft Middle School

Taft Middle School rates 6.7, above the middle of Cedar Rapids Comm School District's middle schools, whose rated median is 4.3.

Middle schools, 1 to 10This campus against public middle schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
6.7this school

6.7 on a one-to-ten scale; the Cedar Rapids Comm School District median is 4.3.

#587 of 1,284 schools in Iowa · Cedar Rapids Comm School District: 7 middle schools rated, median 4.3

The brief

A Cedar Rapids Comm School District middle school serving grades 6th – 8th.

Students at Taft Middle School score 74% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 73%).

It ranks 587 of 1,284 schools in Iowa and 2 of 31 in Cedar Rapids Comm School District.

Math70%3 points below the Iowa average of 73%Grades 6–8 · 549 students tested · 2025 ISASP
Reading79%2 points above the Iowa average of 77%Grades 6–8 · 549 students tested · 2025 ISASP
Proficiency declined earlier in the 17-year record (2009–2025), then recovered 13 points since 2020, reaching 74% in 2025.2025 ISASP; 35 test records from IA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
7.5
40% of the rating
Academics
6.5
35% of the rating
Resources & Environment
5.8
25% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2025

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 74% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 74% (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 ISASP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 ISASP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 ISASP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 ISASP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 52405; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Taft Middle School and the 20 nearest middle schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$65,352
Median home value
$173,600
Median rent
$1,043/mo
College educated
24.6%
Homeownership
73.6%
Poverty rate
12.9%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 52405; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
15
Car-Dependent
Transit Score
19
Minimal Transit
Bike Score
34
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
2,383/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Cedar Rapids. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Cedar Rapids), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
40.1%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. Taft Middle Schoolthis school
    6.7
  2. 4.5Compare →
  3. 4.3Compare →
  4. 4.0Compare →
  5. 3.8Compare →
Four grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and none rates higher than Taft Middle School.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Taft Middle School serve?

Taft Middle School serves students in grades 6th through 8th.

How many students attend Taft Middle School?

Taft Middle School has an enrollment of approximately 596 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Taft Middle School?

The student-teacher ratio at Taft Middle School is 14.9:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Taft Middle School rank in IA?

Taft Middle School ranks #587 of 1,284 schools in IA.

What is Taft Middle School's MySchoolScout rating?

Taft Middle School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 6.7 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Taft Middle School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Taft Middle School has 74% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 74% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Taft Middle School a charter school?

No, Taft Middle School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Taft Middle School a Title I school?

No, Taft Middle School is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Taft Middle School?

40.1% of students at Taft Middle School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
6th – 8th
Enrollment
596
Student-teacher ratio
14.9:1
Teachers (FTE)
40
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Midsize City
County
Linn County
Rank in district
#2 of 31
Schools in district
34
District spending per student
$14,623
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
14.7%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 52405)
25,889
Area average commute
18.5 min
Area median age
40.9

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Iowa Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.