An equity score of 39/100 ranks Cardinal Comm School District #208 of 303 districts in Iowa (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $12,118 per pupil, Cardinal Comm School District ranks #255 of 327 Iowa districts by per-pupil spending (Iowa districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
1,074
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$12,118
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Elementary
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Cardinal Comm School District operates 3 public schools serving 1,074 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Iowa. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 combined, 1 elementary, 1 high schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Wapello County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,118 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 327 Iowa districts by per-pupil spending. See how Iowa compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 48.9% local, 39.0% state, and 12.1% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 39/100, ranked #208 of 303 in Iowa against a state average of 50, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
a 495:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 11.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 88.8% White, 7.0% Hispanic or Latino, 0.4% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Cardinal Junior High, with a diversity index of 24.7/100.
Its largest campus is Cardinal Elementary, enrolling 495 students (46% of the district's total enrollment).
Cardinal Elementary accounts for 45.9% of all Cardinal Comm School District student enrollment
That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Cardinal Comm School District a distant remainder — means Cardinal Comm School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: combined. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Enrollment-weighted aggregates give this entity more weight than any smaller peer, while an unweighted entity average treats every record equally.
Cardinal Comm School District reports 50.1% free-lunch eligibility
The reported share clears the 50% majority mark. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.
Cardinal Comm School District student-counselor ratio is 495:1 — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.
Cardinal Comm School District chronic absenteeism rate is 11.9% — low (typically associated with lower-than-average attendance disruption; districts in this range often have attendance interventions, robust transportation, or smaller catchments that reduce barriers)
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.
Comparisons are relative to Cardinal Comm School District's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.
Nearby Districts in Iowa
Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.
How many schools are in Cardinal Comm School District?
Cardinal Comm School District has 3 schools, including 1 combined, 1 elementary, 1 high. Total enrollment is 1,074 students.
How much does Cardinal Comm School District spend per student?
Cardinal Comm School District spends $12,118 per student. The district has an equity score of 39/100, ranking #208 in Iowa.
What is the demographic composition of Cardinal Comm School District?
Cardinal Comm School District students are 88.8% White, 7.0% Hispanic or Latino, 0.4% African American, 0.1% Asian, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Cardinal Comm School District?
Cardinal Comm School District has an equity score of 39/100, ranking #208 out of 303 districts in Iowa.