Enrollment
260
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Maquoketa, IA
Cardinal Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Cardinal Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 191851001061
👥 S:T ratio 55
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 5
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cardinal Elementary School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% of Iowa schools.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Maquoketa · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.3:1
- small classes for Iowa
- 51.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Cardinal Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 85% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cardinal Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Maquoketa, IA.
School address
District: Maquoketa Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 191851001061 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.3:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
51.3%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cardinal Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cardinal Elementary School
Cardinal Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Maquoketa, Iowa, enrolling 260 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.3:1, Cardinal Elementary School is leaner than roughly 85% of Iowa schools and 24% under the state's 14.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 51.3% of students eligible for free meals.
With 260 students, its enrollment sits close to the Iowa median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 212 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #138.
Its student body is predominantly White (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 260 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Maquoketa Comm School District also operates Maquoketa Community High School (477 students) and Maquoketa Middle School (315 students) alongside Cardinal Elementary School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Cardinal Elementary School compares
Cardinal Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Iowa and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.3:1 | ▼ 24% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 51.3% | ▲ 41% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 260 | top 62% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.3:1
Leaner classes than 81% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
260
Bigger than 27% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
51.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% above the Iowa average of 36.4%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.3:1
students per teacher
- 24% below state mean
Top 15% in Iowa - lower ratio than 85% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
38.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,517
per pupil, district-wide
- above Iowa avg of $12,854
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 260 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 81.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 6.9%
Hispanic or Latino 4.2%
Two or More 3.8%
African American 2.3%
Asian 0.8%
Largest group: White at 81.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 32.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 32.1, Cardinal Elementary School is about as mixed as the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Maquoketa Comm School District, which includes Cardinal Elementary School.
$13,517
Per student
+5%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.4%
State 52.5%
Federal 11.0%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Cardinal Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maquoketa Community High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Maquoketa Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Briggs Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cardinal Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 477
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 315
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 207
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Iowa, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~260 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cardinal Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Cardinal Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Maquoketa Comm School District's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Cardinal Elementary School
How many students attend Cardinal Elementary School?
Cardinal Elementary School has 260 students enrolled. It is a public school in Maquoketa, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cardinal Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cardinal Elementary School is 11.3:1, which is 24% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 28% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cardinal Elementary School?
51.3% of students at Cardinal Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cardinal Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Cardinal Elementary School is White at 81.9% of enrollment, in Maquoketa, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cardinal Elementary School?
Cardinal Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Cardinal Elementary School rank among public schools in Maquoketa?
By Resource Investment Index, Cardinal Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Maquoketa, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Maquoketa on the city page.
Is Cardinal Elementary School a good school?
Cardinal Elementary School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% of Iowa schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Maquoketa Comm School District?
Besides Cardinal Elementary School, Maquoketa Comm School District also operates Maquoketa Community High School (477 students), Maquoketa Middle School (315 students), and Briggs Elementary School (207 students). See the Maquoketa Comm School District district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.