The top reported proficiency rate is 56% in Math. The lowest is 45% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Harrison Elementary School
Harrison Elementary School is a regular public school in the Cedar Rapids Community School District, serving kindergarten through fifth grade. It sits in the northwest part of the city, a mid-sized industrial and commercial hub in Eastern Iowa that is one of the largest corn-processing centers in the world. The school’s neighborhood falls within a part of Cedar Rapids shaped by the district’s recent multi-year elementary facilities master plan, which has opened three new schools elsewhere while closing and consolidating older buildings and redrawing attendance boundaries. That plan directly determines which children attend Harrison and how the building compares to newer alternatives in the district.
Enrollment at Harrison is on the smaller side for an elementary school of its grade band. The student body is racially and ethnically diverse, with the largest group being white students, followed by a substantial share of Black students, and then students of Hispanic background, along with smaller groups identifying as two or more races, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and American Indian or Alaska Native. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a community with significant economic need. Data on the share of students with Individualized Education Programs and the share who are English learners was not available in the record, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the availability and depth of special education and English language support.
The most recent state testing results, from the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress, show that Harrison’s performance overall falls in the bottom quartile when compared with other districts in Linn County. In math, just over half of students scored at a proficient level or above. In English language arts, roughly half of students met that benchmark. In science, the rate was lower than in both math and ELA. The school’s participation rates on all three assessments were high, which means the results represent nearly all enrolled students, not a selective subset. Because only one year of testing data was available in the record, there is no trend to show whether these numbers are improving, declining, or holding steady.
Academically, Harrison is a school where a majority of students are not yet reaching state proficiency benchmarks in the core subjects, particularly in science and English language arts. A parent considering this school will want to understand what academic interventions, tutoring, or enrichment programs are in place for students who are below grade level, and what the school offers for students who are already meeting standards. The district has been making budget reductions for the 2024-25 school year, including staff cuts and program adjustments, driven by declining enrollment district-wide and state per-pupil aid that has not kept up with inflation. That context may affect class sizes and program availability at Harrison as well.
The city of Cedar Rapids provides a backdrop of steady metropolitan growth, a diverse economy anchored by major employers like Collins Aerospace, CRST, and large grain-processing facilities, and a downtown with museums, a theater, and a symphony. The school sits in a residential neighborhood on the west side, and while specific walkability data was not available, the area is within a short drive of downtown and the city’s cultural and civic anchors. Housing in the zip code is priced somewhat below the state-average home value, with rents that have risen notably in recent years. For a family weighing this school against other elementary options in the district, the key differentiators are its mixed proficiency picture, the high level of economic need among its families, and the fact that the building itself is part of a district-wide facilities transition that has shifted enrollment patterns across Cedar Rapids.
See more original research from School Decision →