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Public elementary school · So Sioux City Community Schs · So Sioux City, Nebraska

Cardinal Elementary School

Cardinal Elementary School rates 8.3, among the strongest elementary schools in So Sioux City Community Schs, where the rated median is 6.9.

Elementary schools, 1 to 10This campus against public elementary schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
8.3this school

8.3 on a one-to-ten scale; the So Sioux City Community Schs median is 6.9.

#104 of 967 schools in Nebraska · So Sioux City Community Schs: 4 elementary schools rated, median 6.9

The brief

A So Sioux City Community Schs elementary school where students score 16 points above what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 104 of 967 schools in Nebraska and 2 of 8 in So Sioux City Community Schs.

Cardinal Elementary School is listed in So Sioux City Community Schs, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math73%13 points above the Nebraska average of 60%Grades 3–5 · 194 students tested · 2025 NSCAS
Reading55%3 points below the Nebraska average of 58%Grades 3–5 · 194 students tested · 2025 NSCAS
Proficiency has held near 64% across the 2-year record (2024–2025).2025 NSCAS; 40 test records from NE state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
8.8
50% of the rating
Academics
8.3
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
7.1
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2025

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 63% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 58% (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 NSCAS · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 NSCAS · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 68776; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Cardinal Elementary School and the 20 nearest elementary schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$68,686
Median home value
$161,100
Median rent
$1,069/mo
College educated
15.5%
Homeownership
58.2%
Poverty rate
11.6%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 68776; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
23
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
52
Bikeable
County reported crime
1,653/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 county residents, counting every city police department, sheriff's office and county police department that reported a full year to the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program. Shown only where those agencies cover at least 80% of the county's residents. Not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · county context, not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
67.1%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. Cardinal Elementary Schoolthis school
    8.3
  2. 6.4Compare →
  3. 6.3Compare →
  4. 6.0Compare →
  5. 5.4Compare →
  6. 5.2Compare →
  7. 5.1Compare →
  8. 4.7Compare →
  9. not ratedCompare →
Eight grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and none rates higher than Cardinal Elementary School among the rated peers.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Cardinal Elementary School serve?

Cardinal Elementary School serves students in grades Pre-K through 5th.

How many students attend Cardinal Elementary School?

Cardinal Elementary School has an enrollment of approximately 434 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Cardinal Elementary School?

The student-teacher ratio at Cardinal Elementary School is 13.2:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Cardinal Elementary School rank in NE?

Cardinal Elementary School ranks #104 of 967 schools in NE.

What is Cardinal Elementary School's MySchoolScout rating?

Cardinal Elementary School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 8.3 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Cardinal Elementary School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Cardinal Elementary School has 63% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 58% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Cardinal Elementary School a charter school?

No, Cardinal Elementary School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Cardinal Elementary School a Title I school?

No, Cardinal Elementary School is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Cardinal Elementary School?

67.1% of students at Cardinal Elementary School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
Pre-K – 5th
Enrollment
434
Student-teacher ratio
13.2:1
Teachers (FTE)
33
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Midsize Suburb
County
Dakota County
Rank in district
#2 of 8
Schools in district
8
District spending per student
$14,558
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
14.3%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 68776)
15,034
Area median age
31.1

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Nebraska Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.