Enrollment
424
Nebraska · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · So Sioux City, NE
Cardinal Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Cardinal Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 317686000236
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 15
📋 Attendance 59
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cardinal Elementary School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Nebraska median.
- #3 of 5
- schools in So Sioux City · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.8:1
- students per teacher
- 44.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Cardinal Elementary School has class sizes near the Nebraska median. Computed live against every Nebraska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cardinal Elementary School ranks #3 of 5 schools in So Sioux City, NE.
School address
District: So Sioux City Community Schs · Nebraska
NCES ID 317686000236 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.8:1
vs 13.5:1 Nebraska avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
44.9%
vs 30.9% Nebraska avg
+45% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cardinal Elementary School compares with Nebraska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cardinal Elementary School
Cardinal Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in So Sioux City, Nebraska, enrolling 424 students.
At 12.8:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Nebraska median, within a few percentage points of the 13.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 44.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 424 puts it in the larger third of Nebraska schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,003 scored Nebraska schools.
Against 113 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #59.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (70%) and White (15%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 424 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
16.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding So Sioux City Community Schs spends $13,919 per pupil, 21% below the Nebraska average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
So Sioux City Community Schs also operates South Sioux High School (1,193 students) and South Sioux City Middle School (781 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 Nebraska and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Nebraska | Nebraska avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.8:1 | ▼ 5% | 13.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.9% | ▲ 45% | 30.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 424 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.8:1
Leaner classes than 68% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
424
Bigger than 51% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
44.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 45% above the Nebraska average of 30.9%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.8:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 49% in Nebraska - lower ratio than 51% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
16.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,919
per pupil, district-wide
- below Nebraska avg of $17,680
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 424 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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
Hispanic or Latino 69.6%
White 15.3%
African American 7.1%
Asian 2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 2.1%
Two or More 1.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 69.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.5, Cardinal Elementary School is more mixed than the Nebraska school average of 34.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for So Sioux City Community Schs, which includes Cardinal Elementary School.
$13,919
Per student
-21%
vs Nebraska
Avg $17,680
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.0%
State 60.0%
Federal 12.0%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Sioux High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Sioux City Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Covington Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Harney Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lewis & Clark Elementary Sch | Smaller | Higher 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
- 1,193
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 781
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 408
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 328
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 253
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Nebraska, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~424 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cardinal Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Cardinal Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- So Sioux City Community Schs'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 424 students enrolled. It is a public school in So Sioux City, NE.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cardinal Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cardinal Elementary School is 12.8:1, which is 5% lower than the Nebraska average of 13.5:1 and 18% 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?
44.9% of students at Cardinal Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Nebraska average of 30.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cardinal Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Cardinal Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 69.6% of enrollment, in So Sioux City, NE.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cardinal Elementary School?
Cardinal Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 schools in So Sioux City?
By Resource Investment Index, Cardinal Elementary School ranks #3 of 5 schools in So Sioux City, NE. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in So Sioux City on the city page.
Is Cardinal Elementary School a good school?
Cardinal Elementary School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Nebraska median. 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 So Sioux City Community Schs?
Besides Cardinal Elementary School, So Sioux City Community Schs also operates South Sioux High School (1,193 students), South Sioux City Middle School (781 students), and Covington Elementary School (408 students). See the So Sioux City Community Schs 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.