The top reported proficiency rate is 82% in Math. The lowest is 68% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Center Point-urbana Intermediate School
CenterPoint-Urbana Intermediate School serves third through fifth graders in the small Benton County town of Urbana, part of the Center Point‑Urbana Community School District. It is a regular public school with no charter or magnet designation, and it is the only intermediate building in a district that splits elementary and middle‑school grades across two communities. The school occupies a modest facility on Main Street in Urbana, a predominantly residential city that functions as a bedroom community within the Cedar Rapids metropolitan area.
Academically, the school’s 2024‑25 state assessment results show strong performance in reading and mathematics. The large majority of students met or exceeded the state proficiency benchmark on the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress. Science proficiency, while still solid for most students, came in at a somewhat lower level. Participation rates on all three tests were near universal, meaning the results reflect nearly every enrolled student. Because this is only the first year of data available under the current assessment structure, there is no multi‑year trend to show whether these results represent an improvement or a decline. A parent interested in year‑over‑year change would need to ask the school for prior local measures.
The student body is relatively small for a school spanning three grades, and it is overwhelmingly white, with small shares of Hispanic students and students who identify as two or more races. About a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced‑price meals, a figure that places the school in a moderate‑income context compared with many Iowa districts. Data on students receiving special education services or English learner support was not available in the public record, so a parent whose child has an Individualized Education Program or is learning English would want to confirm directly with the school what services are offered and how well they are staffed.
Urbana itself is a small, family‑oriented town that saw modest population growth through the last decade. Housing values in the area sit above the state average, and the housing stock is dominated by owner‑occupied single‑family homes. The town offers a public library and sits at a highway junction that provides quick access to Cedar Rapids and Waterloo. The district passed a bond investment, publicly reported, that funds facility improvements including a new auditorium, secure entrances, and updated athletic spaces. That suggests ongoing physical investment in the school environment.
When placed against other districts in Benton County, the school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects falls slightly below the midpoint of the small cohort of three districts. That is a relative position, not an absolute verdict; the proficiency rates themselves indicate that most students are meeting state standards. The difference between this school and the top‑performing district in the county is narrow, and families moving into the area may find that local context more meaningful than a county ranking.
Because the school serves only grades three through five, there is no graduation rate, no college‑readiness data, and no course access information to report. Discipline and chronic absenteeism data were also absent from the available records. For parents weighing a move into the district or evaluating this specific building, the central questions will revolve around what supports exist for students who need extra help—particularly in science, where proficiency is weakest—and how the school’s academic approach compares with the elementary and middle school buildings that feed into and out of it. The school’s solid core results and the district’s recent facility investment point to a stable, if not flashy, environment that fits families who value small‑town community life and consistent instruction.
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