Enrollment
314
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Eldon, IA
Cardinal Junior High
Federal NCES profile for Cardinal Junior High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 59/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 190624002246
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 78
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cardinal Junior High earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Iowa schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Eldon · Resource Index
- 59
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17.4:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 42.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Cardinal Junior High has class sizes larger than 87% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cardinal Junior High ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Eldon, IA.
School address
District: Cardinal Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190624002246 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.4:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.6%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cardinal Junior High compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cardinal Junior High
Cardinal Junior High is a mid-sized elementary school in Eldon, Iowa, enrolling 314 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.4:1 is larger than about 87% of Iowa schools and 18% above the 14.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 42.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 314 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 387 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 (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 25/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.9% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Cardinal Comm School District also operates Cardinal Elementary (495 students) and Cardinal High School (270 students) alongside Cardinal Junior High.
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 Junior High compares
Cardinal Junior High on the metrics families compare, against Iowa and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.4:1 | ▲ 18% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.6% | ▲ 17% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 314 | top 48% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.4:1
Leaner classes than 28% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
314
Bigger than 34% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% 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
17.4:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 87% in Iowa - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
8.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
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
15
in-school suspensions + 13 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.9 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 86.3%
Hispanic or Latino 7.6%
Two or More 4.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.0%
African American 0.6%
Largest group: White at 86.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 24.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 24.7, Cardinal Junior High is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cardinal Comm School District, which includes Cardinal Junior High.
$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 Junior High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinal Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cardinal High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cardinal Junior High'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
- 270
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
Similar elementary 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 (~314 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cardinal Junior High's federal record.
- Compare Cardinal Junior High 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 Junior High
How many students attend Cardinal Junior High?
Cardinal Junior High has 314 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Eldon, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cardinal Junior High?
The student-teacher ratio at Cardinal Junior High is 17.4:1, which is 18% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cardinal Junior High?
42.6% of students at Cardinal Junior High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cardinal Junior High?
The largest demographic group at Cardinal Junior High is White at 86.3% of enrollment, in Eldon, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cardinal Junior High?
Cardinal Junior High has a Resource Investment Index of 59/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Cardinal Junior High rank among public schools in Eldon?
By Resource Investment Index, Cardinal Junior High 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 Junior High a good school?
Cardinal Junior High earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% 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 Cardinal Comm School District?
Besides Cardinal Junior High, Cardinal Comm School District also operates Cardinal Elementary (495 students) and Cardinal High School (270 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.