The Best School Districts in Cedar Rapids, IA

Are you moving to Cedar Rapids or the surrounding area? Not sure where to start your search for the best school district? With so many great choices, the process can be overwhelming. As an Iowa native, I’m here to simplify your search! Let’s dive into the top 3 school districts in Cedar Rapids, where I’ll share insights about their locations, facilities, and academics. With this quick overview, you’ll be one step closer to making an informed choice for your family. Let’s make this big decision a little easier!

Cedar Rapids Community School District

Cedar Rapids Community School District is the largest school district in Cedar Rapids, IA. This district was founded in 1972 with the merger of the four township high schools (and the schools that fed into them). Along with K-12 education, this district includes a preschool, alternative kindergarten, and other nontraditional education options.

Location

Location is arguably one of the most important factors when choosing a school district. The Cedar Rapids Community School District is located in the heart of the City of Five Seasons. This district has four high schools, six middle schools, and twenty-one elementary schools sprinkled throughout the city, so there is sure to be one close to your new Cedar Rapids neighborhood. This district has no strict school zoning rules, so open enrollment is an option.

Buildings

Cedar Rapids Community School District is the second largest district in the state. To accommodate a large and growing student population, the district is expanding its infrastructure, with a three-tier plan to modify all the buildings. Most of the buildings in this district are dated; however, renovations are in progress.

Academics

As far as academics go, this school district has an average of 49% of students proficient in mathematics and 65% of students proficient in reading at the high school level. The overall four-year graduation rate from the high schools (Jefferson, Washington, Kennedy, and Metro) is 83.73%. They also offer band and orchestra to students ranging from freshmen to seniors, as well as world language options like French, German, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish.

College Community School District

Founded in 1954, this district gets its name from the unique layout of the schools. The schools are all within walking distance on a four-block grid located just southwest of Cedar Rapids. Because of this, many elements of the schools are intertwined, like the bus system. In this district, the high school contains tenth, eleventh, and twelfth graders, while the middle school features seventh, eighth, and ninth graders. There is also an intermediate school that has fifth and sixth graders, separate from the elementary schools.

Location

Located in the southwest region of Cedar Rapids, this district contains a total of nine schools. This includes one high school, one middle school, one intermediate school, and six elementary schools. Because of their location, smaller towns like Ely, Swisher, Fairfax, and Walford are all included in this district, along with southwest Cedar Rapids. If you are living outside the city, this would be the best school district for you.

Buildings

The district recently renovated its high school and they’re planning for more construction. They also recently opened a new intermediate school for fifth and sixth graders. Much like the Cedar Rapids Community School District, the buildings are a couple of decades old but are in the process of updating.

Academics

In this district, 61% of students are proficient in mathematics, and 69% are proficient in reading. The graduation rate is much higher than the national average, sitting at 91% of students. They also offer band and choir classes for all students starting in the fifth grade. For languages, the district offers Spanish and German. There are also out-of-classroom opportunities, such as Iowa BIG, a unique, student-centered program. This district used standards-based grading, which they adopted in 2017 to help bring centralized learning goals to students. Standards-based grading is a big change from the regular grading system, so it is worth researching more before deciding on a district.

Linn Mar School District

Linn Mar School District, composed of 12 schools total, was founded in 1948. It includes seven elementary schools, two intermediate schools, two middle schools, and one high school. Much like the College Community School District, this district has its own building for fifth and sixth graders in the intermediate school. The middle school houses seventh and eighth graders, and the high school has the traditional grades nine through twelve.

Location

This district is located in the northeastern part of Cedar Rapids near surrounding cities like Marion. Their boundaries also include more towns outside of northern Cedar Rapids and near Robins. As their name suggests, the district is partly in Linn County and partly in the city of Marion. If you are looking to be closer to the northern edge of the city or want a smaller district while living in Cedar Rapids, this would be the best district. They also have a boundaries map you can use to see which schools your child would attend.

Buildings

This district is the oldest of the three mentioned, but almost all of its buildings are newly renovated or in the process of renovation. Since the addition of the intermediate schools, a lot of the grades have been shuffled around to different buildings. The good news is that they have finally landed on where each grade is being taught, and there probably won’t be any more switching buildings for a while. They also have an amazing new aquatics facility, where they offer a lap swim for adults in the community.

Academics

Linn Mar is well-known by people in the Cedar Rapids area for its academics. The proficiency rate is 74% for math and 75% for reading. In addition to this, the graduation rate is 96%—the highest rate of all the school districts in Cedar Rapids, IA. They offer a unique program called REACH, which offers extracurricular clubs, athletics, and fine arts for students. Thus, along with offering many opportunities to expand learning outside of the classroom, this district is hands-down the best in terms of academics.

Conclusion

To conclude, Cedar Rapids has a variety of great school districts for your kids. It mostly boils down to whether you want to live in Cedar Rapids versus the surrounding areas, and if you are looking for a larger district versus a smaller one. The Cedar Rapids Community School District is the biggest in the area. The College Community School District is innovative, with standards-based grading, and the Linn Mar School District has the most highly regarded academics.

If you have other questions about moving to Cedar Rapids or moving in general, you’re not alone. Check out our blogs on things to do in Cedar Rapids, the other highlights of living there, and more, as well as UniMovers’ affordable moving services!

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