Cedar Rapids Comm School District

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Cedar Rapids, Iowa - 33 schools

An equity score of 77/100 ranks Cedar Rapids Comm School District #30 of 303 districts in Iowa (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,962 per pupil, Cedar Rapids Comm School District ranks #56 of 327 Iowa districts by per-pupil spending (Iowa districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

15,564
Total Enrollment
33
Schools
$13,962
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Cedar Rapids Comm School District operates 33 public schools serving 15,564 students, placing it in the mid-size range in Iowa. The school portfolio breaks down into 12 elementary, 10 combined, 7 middle, 4 high schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Linn County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,962 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 327 Iowa districts by per-pupil spending. See how Iowa compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 37.7% local, 48.5% state, and 13.9% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 77/100, ranked #30 of 303 in Iowa against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 3 of 33 schools offering Advanced Placement (73 AP courses district-wide), a 325.4:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 38.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 50.8% White, 24.6% African American, 10.3% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Wright Elementary School, with a diversity index of 74.7/100.

Its largest campus is John F Kennedy High School, enrolling 1,648 students (11% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Cedar Rapids Virtual Academy Elementary, at 17 students, a 97x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Cedar Rapids Comm School District school enrollment varies 97× across entities

Cedar Rapids Comm School District school enrollment ranges from 17 students (lowest) to 1,648 students (highest), a spread of 1,631 students. That ratio is an extreme outlier spread — among the widest gaps observed anywhere in this dataset. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Cedar Rapids Comm School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 52.0% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch

free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Cedar Rapids Comm School District student-counselor ratio is 325:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Variation between sub-units within Cedar Rapids Comm School District is typically wider than the Cedar Rapids Comm School District-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Cedar Rapids Comm School District chronic absenteeism rate is 38.7% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

13.9%
Federal
48.5%
State
37.7%
Local

Funding Equity

77
Equity Score
30 / 303
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 33 schools in Cedar Rapids Comm School District.

White 50.8%
Hispanic or Latino 10.3%
African American 24.6%
Asian 1.7%
Multiracial 11.3%
Other 1.4%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 61.4/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Cedar Rapids Comm School District's schools, above the Iowa average of 33.8.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Wright Elementary School 74.7
  2. 2 Wilson Middle School 72.4
  3. 3 Cedar River Academy at Taylor 71.2
  4. 4 Harrison Elementary School 70.9
  5. 5 Nixon Elementary School 70.0

Programs & Resources

3 / 33
Schools with AP
73 AP courses total
325.4:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
38.7%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Cedar Rapids Comm School District

School Enrollment
John F Kennedy High School
1,648
Thomas Jefferson High School
1,501
George Washington High School
1,182
Harding Middle School
710
Taft Middle School
593
Viola Gibson Elementary School
565
West Willow Elementary School
555
Maple Grove Elementary
539
Roosevelt Creative Corridor Business Academy
484
Franklin Middle School
469
Van Buren Elementary School
429
Mckinley Steam Academy
426
Wilson Middle School
422
Hoover Elementary School
420
Kenwood Leadership Academy School
386
Grant Wood Elementary School
356
Cedar River Academy at Taylor
355
Hiawatha Elementary School
334
Pierce Elementary School
334
Johnson Steam Academy School
324
Grant Elementary School
312
Erskine Elementary School
308
Nixon Elementary School
289
Metro High School
288
Wright Elementary School
282
Truman Early Learning Center
279
Harrison Elementary School
277
Cleveland Elementary School
254
Arthur Elementary School
242
Garfield Elementary School
214
Madison Elementary School
153
Cedar Rapids Virtual Academy
47
Cedar Rapids Virtual Academy Elementary
17

How Cedar Rapids Comm School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Iowa districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Sioux City Comm School District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Iowa City Comm School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Davenport Comm School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Waukee Comm School District Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Ankeny Comm School District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Cedar Rapids Comm School District's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Iowa

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Compare Cedar Rapids Comm School District

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Des Moines Independent Comm School District →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Cedar Rapids Comm School District?

Cedar Rapids Comm School District has 33 schools, including 4 high, 7 middle, 10 combined, 12 elementary. Total enrollment is 15,564 students.

How much does Cedar Rapids Comm School District spend per student?

Cedar Rapids Comm School District spends $13,962 per student. The district has an equity score of 77/100, ranking #30 in Iowa.

What is the demographic composition of Cedar Rapids Comm School District?

Cedar Rapids Comm School District students are 50.8% White, 24.6% African American, 10.3% Hispanic or Latino, 1.7% Asian, averaged across 33 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Cedar Rapids Comm School District?

Cedar Rapids Comm School District has an equity score of 77/100, ranking #30 out of 303 districts in Iowa.