Taft Middle School

Taft Middle School is a junior high of mid-tier scale in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, operated by Cedar Rapids Comm School District, enrolling 593 students in grades 6 through 8. By comparison, Iowa's public schools average about 400 students each, so Taft Middle School sits 48% larger than that benchmark.

Across the 35 schools in Cedar Rapids Comm School District (15,494 students total), Taft Middle School accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

In terms of who attends, Taft Middle School lists that White students make up the majority at 67%. Beyond that, the school lists 14% Black, 11% multiracial, 6% Hispanic, 2% Asian. The wider county runs roughly 84% White, putting the school's mix visibly less White than the area baseline.

Looking at the economic backdrop, The school employs 38 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 15.4:1. That tracks the state average closely. Roughly 47% of students at Taft Middle School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal.

With demographic context factored in, Taft Middle School performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 68.7%, the actual is 71.0%, a residual of +2.3 points.

Around the school, Linn County reports that median household income runs about $77,649, 35% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 6%. In all, Linn County runs 83 public schools (combined enrollment of about 36,480 students), of which Taft Middle School is one.

The closest other public school is Truman Early Learning Center, roughly 0.2 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Taft Middle School. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Taft Middle School at 3rd of 6; the average score across the group is 61.2%.

Geographically, the school is in a downtown area.

Over the past 7-year window. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Taft Middle School has remained close to its prior level, going from 592 students in 2018 to 593 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share ticked down from 76% to 67%. Class-load math has fell: from 16.7:1 in 2018 to 15.4:1 in 2025.

On allk12, posts here usually surface around school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.