The top reported proficiency rate is 68% in English language arts. The lowest is 50% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Franklin Middle School
Franklin Middle School is a regular public school in the Cedar Rapids Community School District, serving sixth through eighth grade. It sits in a mid-sized city that functions as the economic hub of Eastern Iowa, shaped by major grain-processing facilities and employers like Collins Aerospace. The district itself has been in motion: it recently opened three new elementary schools as part of a facilities master plan, opened a new experiential high school called City View Community High School, and approved budget reductions for the 2024-25 school year due to declining enrollment and state funding that has not kept pace with inflation. These district-level changes affect resource allocation and program availability across all schools, Franklin included.
Academically, Franklin’s state testing results from the 2024-25 school year provide a single snapshot, so there is no trend line to examine. In English language arts, a majority of students scored at the proficient level, and in math the share was somewhat lower. Science proficiency was lower still. Participation rates on the assessments were high. Compared with the districts in Linn County, Franklin’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades fell in the bottom quarter. Because this is a middle school, there is no graduation rate to report, and chronic absenteeism data were not available. A parent may want to ask the school for more detail on how student groups performed and how the school supports students who are not yet at the proficient level.
The student body of just over five hundred is majority white, with a substantial Black population and smaller shares of Hispanic students and students identifying as two or more races. A majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a lower-income peer environment that aligns with the district’s overall demographic pattern. Data on students with individualized education plans and English learners were not provided, so a parent interested in special education or language supports would need to follow up directly with the school.
The neighborhood around the school is part of Cedar Rapids’ residential fabric, located on the city’s northeast side. Housing values in the area are below the state average, and rents have risen notably in recent years, mirroring national trends. The city is divided by the Cedar River, with downtown cultural anchors such as the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art and the Paramount Theatre. The district’s consolidation and boundary changes from its elementary plan may mean that some students attending Franklin come from varied attendance areas, and the recent budget cuts could influence class sizes and extracurricular offerings at the middle school level.
Franklin Middle School serves a specific role within a larger district that is adapting to enrollment decline and shifting resources. Its academic results place it at the lower end compared with other Linn County districts, and the economic circumstances of its student population add context to those numbers. For a family weighing options within the Cedar Rapids district, Franklin offers a conventional middle school experience in a city with a stable, industry-driven economy and a district that is actively reshaping its physical footprint and program offerings.
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