The top reported proficiency rate is 63% in Math. The lowest is 46% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Arthur Elementary School
Arthur Elementary School is a regular public school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, part of the Cedar Rapids Community School District. It occupies a spot in the district’s northeast side, and its enrollment of just over two hundred students is distributed fairly evenly across the elementary grades. The school does not offer middle or high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report and no data on college readiness or career pathways.
On state assessments administered through the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress, most students met or exceeded proficiency benchmarks in both math and English language arts in the most recent testing year. The share of students scoring proficient or above in those two subjects was identical. Science results were lower, with fewer than half of the tested students reaching the proficient level. Participation rates on the assessments were very high, meaning the results reflect nearly the entire tested student body. When measured against other districts in Linn County, the school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades placed it in the bottom quartile of the county. That positioning gives a parent a clear area to explore with the school, especially around whether the school’s academic programming matches their child’s needs.
About seven in ten students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, a share that indicates a student body with significant economic need. The racial and ethnic composition is predominantly white, with Black students making up the next largest group, followed by students who are two or more races, Hispanic students, and small numbers of Asian, American Indian, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. The data does not include counts of students receiving special education services or English learner support, so the school’s approach to those populations is not visible here. That gap is worth noting, as it limits a full picture of the student support environment.
Cedar Rapids is a mid-sized city that functions as the economic hub of Eastern Iowa, with a strong industrial base centered on grain processing and major employers like Collins Aerospace and CRST. Housing values for the zip code serving the school are below the state median and well below the national median, which aligns with the city’s affordability relative to other parts of the country. Rents have risen noticeably in recent years, but the area remains a comparatively attainable market for families. The city has seen steady metro-area growth and recent large-scale investment, such as a major data center announcement, though the overall texture remains that of a working industrial city rather than a fast-growing suburban area.
The district itself is in a period of significant transition. A multi-year elementary facilities master plan has opened three new elementary schools since 2022 and closed or consolidated older buildings, leading to attendance boundary adjustments across the district. That means Arthur Elementary’s attendance zone may have shifted recently, and families should confirm current boundaries. At the same time, the district has faced budget shortfalls driven by declining enrollment and state funding that has not kept pace with inflation, resulting in staff cuts and program adjustments for the most recent school year. These district-level pressures could affect class sizes and resource availability at Arthur.
The school does not report offerings such as specialized magnet programs or after-school enrichment in the available data, so it is not possible to assess the breadth of opportunities beyond the core academic program. For a family considering Arthur Elementary, the key takeaway is that it is a neighborhood elementary school in a district undergoing physical and financial change. Its academic proficiency results are below the county median, particularly in science, and a parent would want to ask about instructional supports and how the school addresses its students’ economic needs. It is a school worth visiting and talking with the principal about.
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