Beta You're viewing our redesigned school list. Prefer the classic layout?

Best Middle Schools in Eldon, IA

Coming soon: We're expecting this year's test scores from the Iowa Department of Education any day now — new rankings will be posted the moment they're released!

Coming soon: This year's test scores are expected from the Iowa Department of Education any day now — new rankings will follow the moment they're released!

At a glance

School

314

Students

Top rankedCardinal Junior High205^th of 344 Iowa middle schools

Compare Iowa cities →See the top-ranked Iowa schools →

Summary:

Eldon, Iowa is home to a single middle school, Cardinal Junior High, which serves grades 5-8 and is part of the Cardinal Community School District. While the school has some areas of strength, such as above-average English Language Arts and 8th grade Science proficiency, it also faces challenges, including below-average Mathematics performance and a high chronic absenteeism rate.

Cardinal Junior High's academic performance is mixed compared to state and district averages. The school's proficiency rates on the ISASP exams are above the state average in English Language Arts for most grades, but below the state average in Mathematics for several grades. Science proficiency is above the state average in 8th grade but below in 5th grade. The school's statewide ranking has fluctuated in recent years, ranging from 193 to 233 out of all Iowa middle schools. Additionally, the school has a relatively high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a higher proportion of economically disadvantaged students.

While Cardinal Junior High's per-student spending is slightly higher than the state average, the school's overall performance and ranking suggest that there is room for improvement. Addressing the school's chronic absenteeism rate, which is higher than the state average, and focusing on strengthening Mathematics instruction could be key priorities for the school and the Cardinal Community School District. With only one middle school in Eldon, the performance and success of Cardinal Junior High is crucial for the educational outcomes of the city's students.

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ISASP English Language Arts (2025)				ISASP Mathematics (2025)				ISASP Science (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISASP English Language Arts 5th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 6th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 7th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 8th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	ISASP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Cardinal Junior High	Public	5-8	4045 Ashland Road	Eldon	52554	Wapello County	Cardinal Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 652-7531	314	18	17.8	60.8%	271 (86.3%)	2 (0.6%)	24 (7.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	14 (4.5%)	48.7	205^th of 344 public middle schools	40.4%		50.7	193^rd of 337 public middle schools	42.7%	12	73.8	75.6	73.0	85.1	67.5	74.4	64.4	75.7	66.3	73.0	$11,218	$698	$10,520

Cities Near Eldon

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Douds	8.99 mi	1	306^th
Ottumwa	11.53 mi	12	391^st
Fairfield	14.18 mi	4	260^th
Bloomfield	14.85 mi	4	343^rd
Packwood	16.75 mi	2	232^nd

See the top IA Iowa cities

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.