Cardinal Elementary

Summary:

Cardinal Elementary is a public elementary school located in Eldon, Iowa, serving grades PK-4 with a total enrollment of 514 students. The school is part of the Cardinal Community School District, which is ranked 255 out of 309 districts in Iowa and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Academically, Cardinal Elementary's performance, as measured by the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP), is generally below the state average. In 2023-2024, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics for 3rd and 4th grades were significantly lower than the state averages. For example, in 4th grade Mathematics, Cardinal Elementary had a 70.4% proficiency rate, compared to the state average of 72.7%. In contrast, nearby schools like Pekin Elementary and Eisenhower Elementary in Ottumwa performed better, with higher proficiency rates in both subjects.

Additionally, Cardinal Elementary has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, with 64.59% of students qualifying in the 2022-2023 school year. This is significantly higher than the nearby schools, such as Pekin Elementary (31.71%) and Eisenhower Elementary in Ottumwa (27.31%). The school's spending per student for the 2018-2019 school year was $10,997, which is lower than the nearby schools, such as Pekin Elementary ($12,602) and Pence Elementary ($13,433).


Detail:

Public PK, KG-4

 5414 Hwy 16
       Eldon, IA  52554


(641) 652-3591

District: Cardinal Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
439th of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $10,997 Help


Students who attend Cardinal Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Cardinal Junior High
High:    Cardinal High School

Student/teacher ratio:  15.4 Help
Number of students:  529

Racial breakdown:

White:
87.3%
Hispanic:
8.5%
Two or more races:
3.6%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  65.8% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Cardinal Elementary ranks worse than 78.8% of elementary schools in Iowa. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 31.12. (See more...)
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Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (87.3%), Hispanic (8.5%), two or more races (3.6%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 65.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Cardinal Elementary is 15.4. (See more...)
Help
Compare Cardinal Elementary employs 34.2 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Cardinal Elementary is $10,997.
Schooldigger Rankings:

Cardinal Elementary was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Cardinal Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Cardinal Community School District 255th of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Cardinal Elementary

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Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools IA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2012 39.11 464th 626 25.9%
2013 19.85 559th 624 10.4%
2014 14.83 545th 603 9.6%
2015 17.50 538th 616 12.7%
2016 36.97 455th 599 24.0%
2017 32.57 445th 574 22.5%
2018 45.25 369th 567 34.9%
2019 47.59 356th 603 41.0%
2021 46.36 339th 567 40.2%
2022 32.77 430th 574 25.1%
2023 37.15 418th 565 26.0%
2024 31.12 439th 557 21.2%
See the entire list of Iowa Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Iowa Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Cardinal Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    




Data source: Iowa Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Cardinal Elementary

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 350 1 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 351
1989 344 1 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 345
1990 342 2 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 344
1991 318 2 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 320
1992 330 2 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 332
1993 313 2 1 0 0 n/a n/a 0 316
1994 362 2 0 2 0 n/a n/a 0 366
1995 331 1 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 332
1996 331 1 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 332
1997 378 0 3 0 0 n/a n/a 0 381
1998 336 0 3 1 0 n/a n/a 0 340
1999 369 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 369
2000 370 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a -29 341
2001 355 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 355
2002 267 4 3 5 0 n/a n/a 0 279
2003 267 4 3 5 0 n/a n/a 0 279
2004 304 2 2 2 0 n/a n/a 0 310
2005 280 2 5 4 0 n/a n/a 0 291
2006 277 0 6 11 0 n/a n/a 0 294
2007 282 0 6 8 0 n/a n/a 0 296
2008 274 0 4 7 0 n/a n/a 0 285
2009 255 0 3 10 0 n/a n/a 0 268
2010 252 0 2 11 0 0 0 0 265
2011 255 1 2 15 0 0 2 0 275
2012 273 0 1 11 0 0 1 0 286
2013 273 0 1 15 0 1 0 0 290
2014 322 5 1 7 0 0 3 0 338
2015 362 7 2 10 1 0 10 0 392
2016 395 9 1 12 0 0 20 0 437
2017 446 8 1 22 0 0 23 0 500
2018 427 7 2 23 0 0 17 0 476
2019 448 6 3 26 0 1 16 0 500
2020 454 8 0 32 0 4 22 0 520
2021 461 5 0 39 0 4 18 0 527
2022 460 1 0 38 0 5 13 0 517
2023 453 1 0 41 0 2 17 0 514
2024 462 1 0 45 0 2 19 0 529

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Cardinal Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 351 23.0 15.2 33.3
1989 345 23.9 14.4 31.9
1990 344 23.5 14.6 35.2
1991 320 23.5 13.6 31.3
1992 332 23.0 14.4 31.3
1993 316 22.8 13.9 31
1994 366 28.2 13.0 30.1
1995 332 19.0 17.5 32.5
1996 332 19.0 17.5 32.5
1997 381 22.2 17.2 28.3
1998 340 23.2 14.7 37.1
1999 369 24.5 15.1 41.7
2000 341 17.0 20.1 37.6
2001 355 27.9 12.7 44.2
2002 279 27.0 10.3 47
2003 279 27.0 10.3 47
2004 310 25.5 12.2 48.7
2005 291 27.1 10.7 52.6
2006 294 26.5 11.1 51
2007 296 18.0 16.4 54.1
2008 285 17.9 15.9 56.5
2009 268 22.0 12.2 57.5
2010 265 18.8 14.0 64.5
2011 275 18.5 14.8 68
2012 286 18.9 15.1 67.1
2013 290 22.3 12.9 73.4
2014 338 21.5 15.7 69.2
2015 392 23.0 17.0 66.8
2016 437 25.0 17.4 65.4
2017 500 27.7 18.0 69
2018 476 28.9 16.4 63
2019 500 30.0 16.6 67.2
2020 520 35.8 14.5 70.4
2021 527 32.7 16.0 65.1
2022 517 36.7 14.0 42.2
2023 514 36.6 14.0 64.6
2024 529 34.2 15.4 65.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Cardinal Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 351 23.0 15.2 33.3
1989 345 23.9 14.4 31.9
1990 344 23.5 14.6 35.2
1991 320 23.5 13.6 31.3
1992 332 23.0 14.4 31.3
1993 316 22.8 13.9 31
1994 366 28.2 13.0 30.1
1995 332 19.0 17.5 32.5
1996 332 19.0 17.5 32.5
1997 381 22.2 17.2 28.3
1998 340 23.2 14.7 37.1
1999 369 24.5 15.1 41.7
2000 341 17.0 20.1 37.6
2001 355 27.9 12.7 44.2
2002 279 27.0 10.3 47
2003 279 27.0 10.3 47
2004 310 25.5 12.2 48.7
2005 291 27.1 10.7 52.6
2006 294 26.5 11.1 51
2007 296 18.0 16.4 54.1
2008 285 17.9 15.9 56.5
2009 268 22.0 12.2 57.5
2010 265 18.8 14.0 64.5
2011 275 18.5 14.8 68
2012 286 18.9 15.1 67.1
2013 290 22.3 12.9 73.4
2014 338 21.5 15.7 69.2
2015 392 23.0 17.0 66.8
2016 437 25.0 17.4 65.4
2017 500 27.7 18.0 69
2018 476 28.9 16.4 63
2019 500 30.0 16.6 67.2
2020 520 35.8 14.5 70.4
2021 527 32.7 16.0 65.1
2022 517 36.7 14.0 42.2
2023 514 36.6 14.0 64.6
2024 529 34.2 15.4 65.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Cardinal Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $435 (4.0%) $10,563 (96.1%) $10,997

Data source: Iowa Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Cardinal Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 356th of 603 Elementary schoolsRanks 418th of 565 Elementary schools
 14.9%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Cardinal Elementary)66.761.3
 5.4%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Cardinal Community School District)66.761.3
 5.4%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)65.366.3
 1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Cardinal Elementary)62.170
 7.9%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Cardinal Community School District)62.170
 7.9%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Iowa)71.775.3
 3.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Cardinal Elementary)72.459.7
 12.7%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Cardinal Community School District)72.459.7
 12.7%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)70.573.1
 2.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Cardinal Elementary)74.672.2
 2.4%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Cardinal Community School District)74.672.2
 2.4%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)72.572.9
 0.4%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students500514
 2.8%
African American61
 83.3%
American Indian00
Asian30
 100%
Hispanic2641
 57.7%
Pacific Islander12
 100%
White448453
 1.1%
Two or More Races1617
 6.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients67.2%64.6%
 2.6%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Cardinal Elementary

Students at Cardinal Elementary are 87% White, 9% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races.

Cardinal Elementary ranks in the bottom 21.2% of Iowa elementary schools.

Students who attend Cardinal Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Cardinal Junior High
High : Cardinal High School

In the 2023-24 school year, 529 students attended Cardinal Elementary.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Iowa Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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