The top reported proficiency rate is 88% in Math. The lowest is 83% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Ballard Middle School
Ballard Middle School serves sixth through eighth grade in Huxley, a growing residential community situated between Ames and the northern Des Moines suburbs. The town itself is car-dependent, with its civic life organized around parks, a community recreation center, and seasonal events rather than a walkable downtown, and the school sits on a campus within the broader Ballard Community School District. The median household income in Huxley is above the national figure and the homeownership rate is high, with home values rising steadily; the community has seen annexations and steady population growth in recent years.
On state assessments, Ballard Middle School posts results that place it above the midpoint among districts in Story County. A large share of students meet or exceed proficiency standards in math and English language arts, and the share is similarly strong in science. These figures come from the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress and reflect the school’s most recent testing year. Because only one year of data is available in this profile, there is no trend to compare, but the single snapshot points to a school where the large majority of students are performing at a level the state considers proficient.
The school enrolls a moderate number of students for a grades-six-through-eight building. The student body is predominantly white, with smaller shares of Hispanic, Black, and multiracial students, and very small numbers of Asian and American Indian or Alaska Native students. A modest share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is one indicator of the economic composition of the families served. Data on students with disabilities and English learners is not available in the source materials, so a parent wanting to understand those supports should ask the school directly.
Because Ballard Middle School ends at eighth grade, there is no graduation rate to report, and no chronic absenteeism data appears in this profile. The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and its Title I status is not listed. No information on discipline incidents, staffing ratios, or course access such as advanced or career-technical offerings is present in the data provided, so a reader with specific questions about the breadth of the academic program or student support structures would need to look to the school’s website or contact the office.
The community context matters here. Huxley’s economy is shaped by proximity to Iowa State University, federal research facilities, and the Iowa Department of Transportation. Educational services, health care, and professional services are the largest local industries. The housing market has been rising, with property values increasing from one year to the next, and new residential subdivisions and a business park signal continued growth. The area is not dense; residents drive to work, and the average commute is moderate. Families who choose Ballard Middle School are often coming from the surrounding small towns that feed into the district, and the school serves as the shared academic bridge between elementary grades and Ballard High School.
For a family considering this school, the strongest signal is the academic performance: across math, reading, and science, a high proportion of students are meeting the state’s proficiency bar. The school’s size is manageable for a middle school, and the modest poverty rate suggests that most families are not under acute economic stress. The missing pieces include any information about special education caseload, English learner services, and the range of elective or advanced coursework available at the middle level. Those are details a parent would want to pursue directly. The community is growing and housing is becoming more expensive, so families moving into the area should weigh whether the steady expansion and rising home values align with their plans, while knowing that the school itself posts solid academic results.
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