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Cardinal Elementary

Q: Is Cardinal Elementary a good school?

Cardinal Elementary ranks 419 th of 576 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-4

419^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 576 Iowa Elementary Schools

Better than 27% of Iowa elementary schools

Summary

Cardinal Elementary is a public elementary school located in Eldon, Iowa, serving grades PK-4 with a total enrollment of 529 students. The school is part of the Cardinal Community School District, which is ranked 248 out of 313 school districts in Iowa and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Cardinal Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Iowa elementary schools, with a ranking between 339 and 538 out of 567-616 schools over the past 10 years. The school's performance on the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP) is generally below the state average, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics ranging from 40-76% compared to the state averages of 65-76%. Compared to the nearby Pekin Elementary School and Eisenhower Elementary School, Cardinal Elementary's performance is generally lower, with these schools having higher proficiency rates and better statewide rankings.

Cardinal Elementary has experienced high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 13.3% to 23.4% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state average and the rates observed at the nearby schools. The school also has a high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 42.17% to 65.78% over the past few years, which is higher than the nearby schools. The high percentage of economically disadvantaged students at Cardinal Elementary may contribute to the school's lower academic performance. Additionally, Cardinal Elementary's per-student spending of $10,997 in the 2018-2019 school year is lower than the nearby schools, which range from $12,602 to $14,254 per student, and the school's student-teacher ratio of 14-15.4 is higher than the nearby schools, which have ratios ranging from 11.3 to 13.8.

495

Students ?

12.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,997

Per pupil spending ?

64.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5414 Hwy 16
Eldon, IA 52554

(641) 652-3591

District: Cardinal Community School District

Students who attend Cardinal Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Cardinal Junior High
High:	Cardinal High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

88.7%

Hispanic:

7.7%

Two or more races:

3.2%

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

Compare Cardinal Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 13th percentile in 2015 → 27th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 14 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Iowa average (68% vs 73% meeting standards)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school68%

District avg68%

Iowa avg73%

419^th of 576

Iowa public elementary schools ?

Bottom 27%▲ up 15 pts since 2015

From bottom 13% (2015) to bottom 27% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

248^th of 313Cardinal Community School District among Iowa districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Iowa percentile	Rating
2025	37.5	419 of 576	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.1	439 of 557	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	37.2	418 of 565	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	32.8	430 of 574	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	46.4	339 of 567	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.6	356 of 603	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	45.3	369 of 567	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2017	32.6	445 of 574	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	37.0	455 of 599	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	17.5	538 of 616	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	14.8	545 of 603	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	19.8	559 of 624	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	39.1	464 of 626	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts68%-4 vs state

Mathematics68%-7 vs state

★

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Schools Near Cardinal Elementary

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/Discounted Lunch Recipients	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 3rd Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 4th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 5th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 3rd Grade	ISASP Mathematics 4th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 6th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Cardinal Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	5414 Hwy 16	Eldon	52554	Wapello County	Cardinal Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 652-3591	495	38	12.9	64.4%	439 (88.7%)	1 (0.2%)	38 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (3.2%)	37.5	419^th of 576 public elementary schools	27.3%		31.1	439^th of 557 public elementary schools	21.2%	20	62.2	73.5			66.2	69.9				$10,997	$435	$10,563
Wilson Elementary School	Public	K-5	1102 E. 4th St.	Ottumwa	52501	Wapello County	Ottumwa Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 684-5441	335	27	12.4	59.7%	85 (25.4%)	56 (16.7%)	113 (33.7%)	11 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	62 (18.5%)	8 (2.4%)	14.6	510^th of 576 public elementary schools	11.5%		26.3	453^rd of 557 public elementary schools	18.7%	57	60.0	74.5	25.5		60.0	53.2	34.0		19.1	$13,451	$1,167	$12,284
Douma Elementary School	Public	1-2	307 W. Mary St.	Ottumwa	52501	Wapello County	Ottumwa Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 684-4668	327	29	11.3	50.5%	163 (49.8%)	20 (6.1%)	94 (28.7%)	11 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (10.4%)	5 (1.5%)								(n/a)										$14,254	$1,164	$13,090
Horace Mann Elementary School	Public	K-5	1523 N Court St	Ottumwa	52501	Wapello County	Ottumwa Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 684-4661	250	19	13.1	33.6%	138 (55.2%)	38 (15.2%)	47 (18.8%)	6 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (7.2%)	3 (1.2%)	35.7	430^th of 576 public elementary schools	25.3%		42.9	376^th of 557 public elementary schools	32.5%	54	44.7	79.1	63.9		65.8	67.4	61.1		66.7	$13,776	$1,167	$12,609
Fahrney Elementary	Public	3-5	520 South Milner	Ottumwa	52501	Wapello County	Ottumwa Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(641) 684-6597	490	31	15.8	49.8%	239 (48.8%)	27 (5.5%)	139 (28.4%)	29 (5.9%)	3 (0.6%)	47 (9.6%)	6 (1.2%)								(n/a)
James Elementary School	Public	K-5	1001 N Benton	Ottumwa	52501	Wapello County	Ottumwa Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 684-5411	249	19	13.0	68.3%	85 (34.1%)	40 (16.1%)	57 (22.9%)	3 (1.2%)	1 (0.4%)	55 (22.1%)	8 (3.2%)	4.3	555^th of 576 public elementary schools	3.6%		7	527^th of 557 public elementary schools	5.4%	28	41.2	55.6	38.9		35.3	55.6	41.7		34.3	$13,974	$1,218	$12,755
Pickwick Early Childhood Center	Public	PK-K	1306 W Williams	Ottumwa	52501	Wapello County	Ottumwa Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 684-7179	560	25	22.6	43.4%	282 (50.4%)	63 (11.3%)	148 (26.4%)	20 (3.6%)	4 (0.7%)	29 (5.2%)	14 (2.5%)								(n/a)
Eisenhower Elementary School	Public	K-5	2624 Marilyn Rd	Ottumwa	52501	Wapello County	Ottumwa Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 684-5617	248	18	13.7	29.4%	179 (72.2%)	14 (5.6%)	29 (11.7%)	6 (2.4%)	1 (0.4%)	16 (6.5%)	3 (1.2%)	59.9	262^nd of 576 public elementary schools	54.5%		66.3	188^th of 557 public elementary schools	66.2%	74	66.7	76.2	76.7		76.2	81.0	72.1		74.4	$12,778	$1,167	$11,611
Van Buren County Community School District Douds Center	Public	PK, KG-6	14573 Washington Street	Douds	52551	Van Buren County	Van Buren County Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 936-4321	292	27	10.6	51.0%	277 (94.9%)	2 (0.7%)	10 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	45.7	364^th of 576 public elementary schools	36.8%		44.2	369^th of 557 public elementary schools	33.8%	5	59.5	65.7	75.0	70.6	78.4	68.6	82.1	64.7	82.1	$13,358	$1,032	$12,326
Pekin Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1062 Birch Ave	Packwood	52580	Jefferson County	Pekin Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 661-2351	308	23	13.1	45.1%	282 (91.6%)	4 (1.3%)	17 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.6%)	43	383^rd of 576 public elementary schools	33.5%		71.9	144^th of 557 public elementary schools	74.1%	239	84.2	78.1	62.5	70.4	84.2	62.5	60.0	70.4	50.0	$12,602	$753	$11,850

Frequently Asked Questions about Cardinal Elementary

How many students attend Cardinal Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 495 students attended Cardinal Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Cardinal Elementary?

Students at Cardinal Elementary are 89% White, 8% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

What district is Cardinal Elementary in?

Cardinal Community School District

What schools do graduates of Cardinal Elementary attend?

Students who attend Cardinal Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Cardinal Junior High
High : Cardinal High School

Is Cardinal Elementary a good school?

Cardinal Elementary ranks 419^th of 576 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Rate 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.