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Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 52554

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

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Summary:

The zip code 52554 is home to a single middle school, Cardinal Junior High, which serves students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Cardinal Community School District, which is ranked 248 out of 313 districts in Iowa and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Cardinal Junior High has seen its statewide ranking fluctuate in recent years, ranging from 193 out of 337 Iowa middle schools in 2023-2024 to 233 out of 334 in 2022-2023, with a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's performance is generally above the state average in English Language Arts and Science, but below the state average in Mathematics across most grade levels. However, the school faces challenges, including a high chronic absenteeism rate of 21.6% and a relatively low-income student population, with 53.16% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.

While Cardinal Junior High has some strengths, there are areas for improvement, particularly in addressing chronic absenteeism and boosting academic performance across all subject areas. The school's demographics and performance metrics suggest that it serves a disadvantaged population, which may require additional resources and support to help students succeed. Further investigation into the school's specific challenges and strategies for improvement would be valuable in understanding how to best support the educational needs of the community.

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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/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	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 Zip Code 52554

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Eldon	3.17 mi	3	324^th
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

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.