Middle school (grades 6-8) · Cedar Rapids, IA

Wilson Middle School

Federal NCES profile for Wilson Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.

2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 190654000267
0/100100/10041/100
👥 S:T ratio
38
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
58
📋 Attendance
0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Wilson Middle School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Iowa schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Iowa schools.

#6 of 7
middle schools in Cedar Rapids · Resource Index
41
Resource Index · Typical
15.6:1
large classes for Iowa
60.8%
free-lunch eligible

Wilson Middle School has class sizes larger than 73% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Wilson Middle School ranks #6 of 7 middle schools in Cedar Rapids, IA.

Enrollment

422

Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

27.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

15.6:1

vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg

+5% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

60.8%

vs 36.4% Iowa avg

+67% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How Wilson Middle School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians

Slightly above state median

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

What stands out at Wilson Middle School

Wilson Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, enrolling 422 students.

Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.

Economic need is high: 60.8% of students qualify for free meals, 67% above the Iowa average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.

Enrollment of 422 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by headcount.

Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.

Against 164 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #84.

Its student body is led by White (36%) and African American (32%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 72/100).

Counselor coverage is strong, about 211 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.

Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 51.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).

Discipline events run high: 95 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 422 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.

The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.

Among Cedar Rapids's middle schools, it stands alongside Harding Middle School (710 students): Wilson Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.6:1 vs 15.4:1).

Cedar Rapids Comm School District also operates John F Kennedy High School (1,648 students) and Thomas Jefferson High School (1,501 students) alongside Wilson Middle School.

Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25

How Wilson Middle School compares

Wilson Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Iowa and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs Iowa Iowa avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 15.6:1 ▲ 5% 14.8:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 60.8% ▲ 67% 36.4% 51.7%
Enrollment 422 top 30% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

15.6:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
422
Bigger than 51% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators (what these measure)

Economic need
60.8%
free-lunch eligible - 67% above the Iowa average of 36.4%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.6:1
students per teacher - 5% above state mean
Top 73% in Iowa - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
51.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,962
per pupil, district-wide - above Iowa avg of $12,854
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 211 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
28
in-school suspensions + 67 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 22.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.

Overview

  • Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
  • Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
  • F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.

Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.

Student demographics

White 35.8%
African American 32.0%
Hispanic or Latino 18.5%
Two or More 10.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 2.4%
Asian 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%

Largest group: White at 35.8% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 72.4/100

Simpson diversity index - at 72.4, Wilson Middle School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.

Programs

Gifted & talented Yes

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cedar Rapids Comm School District, which includes Wilson Middle School.

$13,962
Per student
+9%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.7%
State 48.5%
Federal 13.9%

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.

How Wilson Middle School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
John F Kennedy High School Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio
Thomas Jefferson High School Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio
George Washington High School Larger Lower economic need Similar S:T ratio
Harding Middle School Larger Lower economic need Similar S:T ratio
Taft Middle School Larger Lower economic need Similar S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Wilson Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Cedar Rapids Comm School District · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar middle schools in Cedar Rapids

6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.

Similar middle schools statewide

Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Iowa, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.

Next steps

Verify locally before acting on Wilson Middle School's federal record.

Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.

Frequently asked questions about Wilson Middle School

How many students attend Wilson Middle School?

Wilson Middle School has 422 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Cedar Rapids, IA.

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

The student-teacher ratio at Wilson Middle School is 15.6:1, which is 5% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Wilson Middle School?

60.8% of students at Wilson Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wilson Middle School?

The largest demographic group at Wilson Middle School is White at 35.8% of enrollment, in Cedar Rapids, IA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.4/100.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Wilson Middle School?

Wilson Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does Wilson Middle School rank among middle schools in Cedar Rapids?

By Resource Investment Index, Wilson Middle School ranks #6 of 7 middle schools in Cedar Rapids, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Cedar Rapids on the city page.

Is Wilson Middle School a good school?

Wilson Middle School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Iowa schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Iowa schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.

What other schools are in Cedar Rapids Comm School District?

Besides Wilson Middle School, Cedar Rapids Comm School District also operates John F Kennedy High School (1,648 students), Thomas Jefferson High School (1,501 students), and George Washington High School (1,182 students). See the Cedar Rapids Comm School District district page for the complete list.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.