Pierce Elementary School

4343 Marilyn Drive Northeast

School District

Cedar Rapids Community
Grade

K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:15
Type

public

School Map for Cedar Rapids Community School District

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on February 23, 2024

I am floored to see such low ratings for Pierce. I've had two kids go through here k-5th and we've loved it. There is absolutely no bullying and I've known that each of my kids' teachers was available and willing to work with me/my child when we needed it. I recommend Pierce to everyone I can.
Submitted by parent on September 13, 2017

I went to Pierce in the late 90s early 00s ... I loved it, now my Son Jack is starting there and he seems to love it even more.... nothing but great things to say in my history there or his start... we cherish this place, its a great school
Submitted by parent on October 03, 2016

It took us leaving this school to realize how great we had it! The academics are good, the teachers we had were caring and always open to discussion. The school has a small feel and it wasn't hard to get to know many of the families attending. If you want a school where the staff is welcoming and knows you by name it's here. We miss Pierce and think about moving back to Cedar Rapids for this school often. The leadership has changed since all the previous reviews and we really liked the principal and the staff!
Submitted by parent on August 27, 2012

I do not like giving only 3 stars, but leadership plays a large role in a school and how it runs. I feel the leadership at Pierce could be better. It seems as though the principal is not very concerned about parent concerns, safety of the children, and requests by parents for the well being of the students at Pierce. We have seen this personally and have heard similar feelings from other parents. That is a big problem. However, speaking of parents, those at Pierce are very involved. Many volunteer and the school and the PTA is great. That is a wonderful asset of the school. Also, the teachers that we have worked with have been great. They are very hard-working, involved and concerned about their students. If it were not for the leadership issues, I would be giving 4-5 stars.
Submitted by parent on April 09, 2012

Being new to the area this year we couldn't be happier with our selection of location based, in part, on feeding into Pierce. With a highly active, and organized, parent group, and staff invested in student success you get an engaged learning community. My younger student quickly acclimated socially as well as academically and we have been so pleased with consistent, clear communication at both the classroom and leadership level. I have seen them meet individual needs - by content area - for students at both higher, and lower, ends of the spectrum. We were able to meet the Principal, tour the school and were invited to their end of year Fun Fest before we started in the Fall. Pretty atypical welcome for a public elementary. Pierce has helped make our transition to the area easier for our entire family. Thank you.
Submitted by parent on March 12, 2012

This is school is a very good school. My kids have been there for a year and love it there. My son has a hard time with sittign still long enough to learn and I had some concerns so did his preschool teacher. As he has been at pierce he has learned a lot and is growing fast. The teachers are awesome. They do lots of fundraising, fieldtrips, and plenty of opportunities to volunteer.
Submitted by parent on February 09, 2012

Clearly some of the people that have rated this school are not familiar with the staff or education. I and many others would say that this school is one of the best in Cedar Rapids. It has a wonderful staff that cares about each individual student. They make accommodations daily for students in need. They use their resources well and have wonderful classroom management. Every staff member employed at Pierce gets five stars from me. The principal has a unique caring relationship with EVERY student in that school. She goes above and beyond her duties as a principal. As a principal of around 400 students, she does an awesome job of making every student feel special. When I go in to pick up my children she always has kids talking to her and hugging her. She is a wonderful asset to the CRSD. We specifically bought our home in the Pierce area so our children could get the best education possible. The school has an active PTA that supports the school with volunteers and special projects. Every event i attend at Pierce is packed with enthusiastic parents, students and staff. If you are looking for a good school, visit Pierce. They will not let you or your child down.
Submitted by parent on February 01, 2012

The staff fails to teach students who differ from the norm. Unless a child is failing, accommodations are not provided. The school (primarily principal) in itself executes a wait for the student to fail (at which point my child had given up due to no self esteem being taken away). The easiest of requests made by me so I could teach my son at home in the evenings were denied (copy of lesson plan, example of math problems reviewed in class, extra text book from which to teach). Pierce elementary is a terrible learning environment for a child with a learning disability.
Submitted by parent on August 16, 2010

Pierce appears to be a great school from the outside but inside, the leadership lacks integrity and compassion. We had valid concerns about our children's learning environment that were ignored. We are looking to go to a different school due to this.
Submitted by parent on August 05, 2010

Our experience (4 years) at Pierce was not pleasant. Issues, when brought up, were never handled, but simply covered up. My daughter left feeling like nobody cared about her. I left frustrated and feeling like nobody was willing to work WITH us in creating a better learning environment for my child. All this came to a head the day my daughter was assaulted by another student and my daughter was blamed.
Submitted by other on July 03, 2010

Excellent school with strong acedemic programs. Lots of enrichment opportunities for students. Principal and teachers are caing professionals who are available to partner with parents in providing instruction to support each child. Active PTA.