The top reported proficiency rate is 87% in Math. The lowest is 71% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on North Cedar Lowden Elementary Center
North Cedar Lowden Elementary Center serves students from preschool through sixth grade in the town of Lowden, Iowa, a small rural community in Cedar County. The school is part of the North Cedar Community School District, a system that formed through mergers of several earlier districts. Lowden itself is a close-knit town with a modest cluster of local businesses, a library, a park, and a volunteer fire and EMS service. The town’s population has been declining in recent years, and no major new housing developments were identified. Many residents likely commute to larger employment centers such as Davenport or Cedar Rapids. The housing market in the area is notably more affordable than the national median, with homes priced well below the typical national figure, though the district’s own data on the local housing market is not broken out separately.
The elementary center is the only school located within Lowden itself; secondary students in the district attend schools in other small towns. Lowden Memorial Park serves as a major community gathering space and is used for the district’s high school baseball and softball games, which points to some integration between the schools and the town’s civic life. The school’s enrollment is relatively small for its grade span, and the student body is predominantly white. More than a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a measure that signals a notable share of families with lower household incomes. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not reported, which is worth noting for families who rely on those figures to assess special education or language support.
On state assessments in math, English language arts, and science, North Cedar Lowden Elementary Center posted results that place its overall proficiency well above the median among districts in Cedar County, landing in the top quarter of that comparison set. Math proficiency was particularly strong, with a large majority of students meeting the state’s standard. English language arts scores were also solid, falling at a high level. Science scores, while lower than math and ELA, were still above the county median. These results reflect a single year of testing, so no trend across multiple years is available. Participation rates on all tests were full, meaning nearly every enrolled student took the assessments.
A family considering this school will find a setting that is small, rural, and predominantly white, with a strong academic record relative to other schools in the same county. The school itself serves only elementary grades within Lowden, so middle and high school years mean a move to a campus in another district town. The town has limited commercial amenities, a declining population, and no public transit. For families who value a close-knit community with a proven academic track record and more affordable housing, this may be a solid fit. Families who want a wider range of local services, a growing population center, or detailed data on special education and English learner programs may want to reach out to the school directly to fill in those gaps.
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