Enrollment
270
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Eldon, IA
Cardinal High School
Federal NCES profile for Cardinal High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 190624000211
👥 S:T ratio 48
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 57
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cardinal High School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Eldon · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.9:1
- students per teacher
- 42.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Cardinal High School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cardinal High School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Eldon, IA.
School address
District: Cardinal Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190624000211 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.9:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.8%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cardinal High School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cardinal High School
Cardinal High School is a mid-sized high school in Eldon, Iowa, enrolling 270 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 42.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 270 students, its enrollment sits close to the Iowa median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 90% of the 1,322 Iowa schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 357 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #28, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (92% of enrollment) (diversity index 16/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
17.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Cardinal Comm School District also operates Cardinal Elementary (495 students) and Cardinal Junior High (314 students) alongside Cardinal High 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 High School compares
Cardinal High 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 | 12.9:1 | ▼ 13% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.8% | ▲ 18% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 270 | top 60% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.9:1
Leaner classes than 68% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
270
Bigger than 28% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% 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
12.9:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 34% in Iowa - lower ratio than 66% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
17.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,378
per pupil, district-wide
- below Iowa avg of $12,854
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.0 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
White 91.5%
Hispanic or Latino 5.6%
Two or More 2.2%
African American 0.4%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: White at 91.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 15.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 15.9, Cardinal High School is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cardinal Comm School District, which includes Cardinal High School.
$11,378
Per student
-11%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 48.9%
State 39.0%
Federal 12.1%
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 High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinal Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cardinal Junior High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cardinal High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 495
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 314
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
Similar high 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 (~270 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cardinal High School's federal record.
- Compare Cardinal High School against another school. Compare schools
- Cardinal 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 High School
How many students attend Cardinal High School?
Cardinal High School has 270 students enrolled. It is a high school in Eldon, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cardinal High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cardinal High School is 12.9:1, which is 13% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 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 High School?
42.8% of students at Cardinal High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cardinal High School?
The largest demographic group at Cardinal High School is White at 91.5% of enrollment, in Eldon, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cardinal High School?
Cardinal High School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Cardinal High School rank among public schools in Eldon?
By Resource Investment Index, Cardinal High School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Eldon, 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 Eldon on the city page.
Is Cardinal High School a good school?
Cardinal High School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa 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 Cardinal Comm School District?
Besides Cardinal High School, Cardinal Comm School District also operates Cardinal Elementary (495 students) and Cardinal Junior High (314 students). See the Cardinal 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.