Moving to Cedar Falls, Iowa comes with a lot of new opportunities. The town is full of small businesses, cute parks, local restaurants, and places to explore. If you are moving with children, this is the perfect town for you. Cedar Falls has multiple school districts nearby for you to choose from. Black Hawk County, where Cedar Falls is located, has 13 different public school districts. We’re here to help you find the best school districts in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Table of Contents
Cedar Falls Community School District
The Cedar Falls Community School District is the main district for Cedar Falls residents. It’s a public school district in the heart of the town. The district is home to over 5,000 students.
Location
All Cedar Falls Community School District schools are located in town. This makes this district perfect for people who live directly in Cedar Falls. It also makes commuting or walking to school an easy option.
The district has a total of 10 schools. There are seven elementary schools, two junior high schools, and one high school in Cedar Falls. This smaller district size allows students to make strong connections with their classmates.
Academics
The Cedar Falls Community School District has high academic test scores. This is especially seen in their state test results. 79% of students scored at or above proficiency for reading. 76% of students were at or above the proficiency level for math.
The school district has a graduation rate of 93%. High school students also do well on their ACTs. The average score is 27, which is well above the state average. This sets students up well if they’re applying to colleges. Some of the most common colleges for students in this district to attend are the University of Northern Iowa, the University of Iowa, and Iowa State.
Unique Feature
Students in the Cedar Falls Community School District are always finding ways to help one another. One way they do this is by joining a community program called Tiger Pals. This program is made up of juniors and seniors who volunteer their time. They spend time in elementary classrooms and afterschool programs, working with the younger students.
In the program, they help to mentor the elementary students. They help them with homework and talk to them about school. This is a great way for students to help out within their own school districts.
Waterloo Community School District
The Waterloo Community School District is a larger district outside the Cedar Falls community. The district has over 10,000 students from Waterloo, Iowa, and surrounding towns.
Location
This school district is located in Waterloo, which is right next to Cedar Falls. Waterloo is a slightly bigger town and requires more schools. The district has 11 elementary schools, four middle schools, and four high schools all right outside of Cedar Falls.
These schools are spread throughout the town, making commuting easy no matter where you live.
Looking to move soon?
Check out UniMovers and save 30-50% on your move as compared with traditional moving!
Academics
The Waterloo Community School District has fairly average academic standings. On state testing, they scored around 50% of students above or at proficiency levels for both reading and math.
High school students in the district receive good scores on the ACT. The district averages an ACT score of 23, which is right near the state average. Students in high school can also take classes where they earn college credits. The district offers both AP classes and dual-enrollment opportunities with Hawkey Community College and the University of Northern Iowa.
Unique Feature
The Waterloo Community School District helps with more than just academics and learning. They help to make students and parents aware of opportunities outside the classroom. One way they do this is by promoting sporting clubs and teams for younger students.
Students don’t have much of an opportunity to get into school athletics until middle school. The school instead helps by giving parents a list of different community sporting teams that younger students can join. This helps students get a chance to try different sports at a young age. It helps them decide which sports they enjoy before they even get to middle school.
Hudson Community School District
The Hudson Community School District is a small district with around 900 students. They’re not directly in the Cedar Falls community, but all their schools offer open enrollment options. This school is perfect if you want a small-town atmosphere for your child.
Location
This school district is 63 square miles and located just south of Cedar Falls. Since they’re a smaller district, they only have one elementary school, one junior high school, and one high school. All of these schools are within a 20-minute drive from Cedar Falls.
The elementary school and junior high school are located in the same building. The high school is also right across the street. This makes busing and commuting to school easier.
Academics
The Hudson High School performs very well on academic tests. For state testing, 80% of students scored at or above proficiency in reading. Their math scores were even better with 82% of students scoring at or above proficiency. Students also have an average ACT score of 25, which is above the state average.
This may be a smaller school district, but they still offer AP classes for high schoolers to take. At this time the school offers 3 in-person AP classes. The district has an AP exam pass rate of 47%. They also offer classes through concurrent enrollment programs with Hawkeye Community College and the University of Northern Iowa.
Unique Feature
As a small town school district, people in the community love to take part in school events. This is especially true during football season. The Hudson Pirates create many different events to bring the community together. They do Friday night tailgates before home games. You could also join the Touchdown Club where you could win prizes if the Pirates score from your yard line.
There is also a school store where you can buy Pirate merchandise to wear at games. This school district is all about community support during football season.
Dunkerton Community School District
The Dunkerton Community School District is a small district less than 30 minutes away from Cedar Falls. A little over 400 students are enrolled within the district.
Location
Located right outside of Cedar Falls, this district is a consolidated campus. This means the elementary school, middle school, and high school are all in one building. The building is right in the middle of town, making it a nice location for people who live in Dunkerton.
Since it’s only 30 minutes away from Cedar Falls, this district gets quite a few students through open enrollment. This district is perfect if your kid will do well in a small school. They will easily know all their classmates and be a part of a small-town environment.
Academics
The Dunkerton Community School District has a fairly average academic standing. On state testing, 67% of students are at or exceed the reading expectations while 60% are at or above the math expectations.
The district has a graduation rate of 90%. High school students do well on the ACT, with their scores averaging 22. This is right near the state average.
Unique Feature
The music department is a big part of what makes the Dunkerton Community School District so special. The district may be small, but students still have many opportunities to express their creative talents.
Both band and choir start in 6th grade and go until 12th grade. Here are some of the music opportunities students can be a part of.
- Concert Band
- Jazz Band
- Marching Band
- Concert Choir
- Show Choir
- Honors Band and Choir
School Districts Comparison
| Cedar Falls Community School District | Waterloo Community School District | Hudson Community School District | Dunkerton Community School District | |
| Distance From Cedar Falls, IA | In Cedar Falls | 15 Minutes East of Cedar Falls | 20 Minutes South of Cedar Falls | 30 Minutes East of Cedar Falls |
| Rural or Suburban | Suburban | Suburban | Rural | Rural |
| Student Population | 5,000+ | 10,000+ | 900+ | 400+ |
| Graduation Rate | 93% | 81% | 90% | 90% |
| College Credits Offered | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Average ACT Score | 27 | 23 | 25 | 22 |
Conclusion
There are many great school districts in and near the Cedar Falls community. The area has a wide variety of different districts you can choose from.
The Cedar Falls and Waterloo Community School districts are perfect if you want a bigger school in town. These two districts offer a lot of academic and extracurricular options.
Hudson and Dunkerton Community School Districts are good choices if you want a small school atmosphere. You and your children will feel a strong community presence in these school districts.
Moving to Cedar Falls doesn’t have to be a struggle. There are so many different school districts in the area for your kids to attend. No matter what type of school you’re looking for, Cedar Falls has options for you.
Jessica is a students at the University of Northern Iowa. She is majoring in English Education with a creative writing minor. In her free time she loves to read books of every genre, write short stories, and spend time with friends. In the future she hopes to share her love for reading and writing with her future students.
