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School district · Iowa · LEAID 1906240

Cardinal Comm School District

Cardinal Comm School District sits in the lowest third of Iowa districts on estimated teacher pay at $50,651 (above only 2% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Cardinal Comm School District come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$50,651
Est. avg teacher salary

Well below benchmark

$16,548
Per-pupil spending
1,074
Students enrolled
2nd
Pct. in IA
$50,651

Cardinal Comm School District sits in the lowest third of Iowa districts on estimated teacher pay at $50,651 (above only 2% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Estimated average teacher salary is $50,651, below the national average of $70,245, serving 1,074 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Lower-third pay in state: Cardinal Comm School District sits in the lowest third of Iowa districts on estimated teacher pay at $50,651 (above only 2% of in-state peers with reliable estimates).
  • 2nd percentile for Iowa
  • 16th percentile nationally
  • 30% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • Iowa ranks #30 of 49 on the salary estimate and #29 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • Cardinal Comm School District ranks #296 of 303 Iowa districts by estimated teacher salary and #125 of 303 by per-pupil spending. Linn-Mar Comm School District pay #1 at $82,552 is not Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn Comm School District spending #1 at $59,531 per pupil
  • +22.7% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)

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Instructional payroll mix vs Iowa median

Among 327 Iowa districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Cardinal Comm School District's instructional payroll puts 17.3% into special education , 4.7 points above the state median of 12.6%. That heavier special-education share usually means more of the teacher-salary pool is tied to IEP-driven staffing than at a typical Iowa peer.

Program Cardinal Comm IA median Gap
Regular program 64.1% 68.8% -4.6 pp
Special education 17.3% 12.6% +4.7 pp
Vocational programs 3.8% 4.7% -0.9 pp
Other programs 14.7% 13.9% +0.9 pp

Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 327 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 1906240 · FY2023.

LEAID 1906240 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Cardinal Comm F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-LOW -20% vs state RANK-ST-LOW P2 in state RANK-NAT-LOW P16 national PPE-MID $17K/pupil ENR-SMALL 1,074 students INSTR-LOW 30% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Keota FY-2023-LIGHT FY2023 book

FY2023: $50,651 estimated average teacher salary · P2 in Iowa · P16 nationally · 30% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Bondurant-Farrar (+$10,426est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Cardinal Comm

Salary neighbourhood · Cardinal Comm

Cardinal Comm trails most of its in-state peer set; the chart plots it against the top and bottom pay poles for context (NCES F-33 FY2023, not a full state reprint).

est. salary
Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey As of FY2023
Appropriate use & corrections
National salary distribution for Cardinal Comm

Cardinal Comm School District's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$50,651 16th percentile higher than 16% of 10,684 US districts

Show national distribution $30,000–$40,000: 155 US districts (1%). Below this entry. $40,000–$50,000: 1,360 US districts (13%). Below this entry. $50,000–$60,000: 2,382 US districts (22%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$70,000: 2,402 US districts (22%). Above this entry. $70,000–$80,000: 1,633 US districts (15%). Above this entry. $80,000–$90,000: 1,097 US districts (10%). Above this entry. $90,000–$100,000: 662 US districts (6%). Above this entry. $100,000–$110,000: 371 US districts (3%). Above this entry. $110,000–$120,000: 249 US districts (2%). Above this entry. $120,000–$130,000: 156 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $130,000–$140,000: 112 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $140,000–$150,000: 57 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $150,000–$160,000: 25 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $160,000–$170,000: 13 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $170,000–$180,000: 10 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $180,000–$190,000: 0 US districts (0%). Above this entry. This district $30,000 $190,000 every reliable-salary US district, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $10K-wide band; taller bars hold more US districts. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 · FY2023

Cardinal Comm in Iowa's lower-third pay band

Same 303 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)

est. avg salary

What this shows Cardinal Comm School District ranks #296 of 303 Iowa districts by estimated teacher salary and #125 of 303 by per-pupil spending. Linn-Mar Comm School District pay #1 at $82,552 is not Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn Comm School District spending #1 at $59,531 per pupil

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 As of FY2023

The same districts by per-pupil spending

Cardinal Comm School District is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar

per pupil

What this shows Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn Comm School District leads spending at $59,531 per pupil; Linn-Mar Comm School District leads pay.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 As of FY2023

What stands out about Cardinal Comm School District

  • Estimated teacher pay here rose +22.7% between FY2019 and FY2023, outpacing Iowa's statewide +9.0% by 13.7 points, a growth rate faster than 91% of the 324 Iowa districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.
  • Enrolment grew 7.4% here, from 1,000 students in FY2019 to 1,074 in FY2023, against a national picture where far more districts shrank than grew over the same period. Growth of this kind typically arrives before the funding that follows it, so per-pupil figures often dip while a district absorbs it.

This pay stretches further than the headline figure suggests

Nominal district estimate
$50,650.814

The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.

Iowa price level
88.8 / 100

BEA all-items regional price parity; 100 is the U.S. average.

National-price equivalent
$57,059

+13% versus the nominal figure.

Prices in Iowa run below the national average, so this salary has roughly the buying power of the national-price equivalent above. A district in a costlier state can advertise a larger nominal salary and still leave a teacher with less.

Regional price parity: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2023 all-items RPP by state. The adjustment applies a statewide index to a district figure, so it captures how Iowa compares nationally, not how this district compares with others in its own state. Compare every state on this basis.

How this salary figure is calculated
Full NCES reading for Cardinal Comm School District

What the Numbers Say About Cardinal Comm School District

Cardinal Comm School District is a small school district in Iowa, serving 1,074 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $16,548. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $50,651, placing the district in the moderately funded tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 1906240 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Iowa statewide average of $63,660, teacher pay in Cardinal Comm School District runs materially below the state benchmark, a 20.4% gap, and below the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (27.9% differential). Among enrolling districts in Iowa, it pays more than 2% of them. Iowa itself ranks #30 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.

On the budget side, Cardinal Comm School District reports $17.8M in total expenditure against $16.1M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 30% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $2.6M, special-education teacher pay is $0.7M.

How does Cardinal Comm School District compare?

Estimated average teacher salary versus a peer district, the Iowa average, and the national average. Pick any in-state district to compare.

Cardinal Comm School District $50,651
Des Moines Independent Comm School District $69,203
Iowa avg $63,660
National avg $70,245

Cardinal Comm School District pays -26.8% less than Des Moines Independent Comm School District · per-pupil $16,548 vs $18,580

Derived from NCES F-33 teacher salary expenditure (Z35-Z38) and CCD Staff Universe teacher FTE (FY2023); a small minority use the documented fallback. Unreliable service entities are excluded.

Data-derived comparison paths

Find comparable Iowa districts

On pay, Cardinal Comm School District sits closest to Keota Comm School District; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Emmetsburg Comm School District. These are not simply nearby districts: each group is selected from the same NCES FY2023 dataset using a matching salary or per-pupil-investment signal and a comparable enrollment range.

Closest on estimated pay
  1. Keota Comm School District
  2. CAM Comm School District
  3. Waco Comm School District
  4. Lone Tree Comm School District
  5. Gladbrook-Reinbeck Comm School District
  6. Guthrie Center Comm School District
  7. Murray Comm School District
  8. Dunkerton Comm School District
  9. United Comm School District
  10. Easton Valley Comm School District
  11. Springville Comm School District
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Emmetsburg Comm School District
  2. Interstate 35 Comm School District
  3. Central Springs Comm School District
  4. Clear Creek Amana Comm School District
  5. Fairfield Comm School District
  6. Panorama Comm School District
  7. Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Comm School District
  8. Charles City Comm School District
  9. Maquoketa Comm School District
  10. Fremont-Mills Comm School District
  11. West Central Valley Comm School District

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Cardinal Comm School District's smaller enrollment

Two out-of-state peer sets for Cardinal Comm School District: closest on enrollment (1,074 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($50,651 here). Rows stay link-disjoint so each axis is a distinct neighborhood.

Similar enrollment

Nearest other districts by NCES student count (floored at ≥200).

Similar estimated salary

Nearest other districts by F-33-derived average teacher salary, distinct from the enrollment row.

Enrollment and salaries from NCES CCD F-33; estimated teacher pay can diverge widely at the same student count because of state funding, cost of living, and local bargaining.

Revenue & Expenditure

$16.1M
Total Revenue
$17.8M
Total Expenditure
$5.4M
Instruction Salaries
30% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$2.6M
Regular Program
$0.7M
Special Education
$0.2M
Vocational
$0.6M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in Cardinal Comm School District: the regular program, special education, vocational programs and other programs. Every program category NCES breaks out separately carries a figure here. Together they are 75% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 25% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.

Iowa Teacher Pay Overview

The highest average among comparably sized Iowa districts belongs to Linn-Mar Comm School District at $82,552. At the other end, Cardinal Comm School District anchors the bottom of the 237-district field, so the gap between it and the state's ceiling is close to the full spread the state average is drawn from. Louisiana and Oklahoma are the states closest to Iowa on BEA's price parity, which makes them the fair comparison; against a costlier state this salary goes further than its number suggests.

View all Iowa districts →

Other Iowa Districts

Smaller-district sample from 302 Iowa peers; bar length shows pay magnitude within this enrollment band.

Forest City Comm School District
$58,610
1,141 students
Sheldon Comm School District
$63,156
1,143 students
Monticello Comm School District
$61,557
1,005 students
Eagle Grove Comm School District
$55,142
1,000 students
West Lyon Comm School District
$65,487
996 students
Denver Comm School District
$63,456
995 students

This is a sample of 6 from 302 Iowa districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.

Frequently Asked Questions about Cardinal Comm School District
What is the average teacher salary in Cardinal Comm School District?

The average teacher salary in Cardinal Comm School District is $50,651 (NCES CCD FY2023), from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by the district's reported teacher headcount (NCES CCD Staff Universe Survey).

How does Cardinal Comm School District teacher pay compare to the Iowa average?

Cardinal Comm School District pays 20.4% less than the Iowa state average of $63,660. The district's average is $50,651.

How does Cardinal Comm School District teacher pay compare to the national average?

Cardinal Comm School District pays 27.9% below the national average of $70,245. The district average is $50,651.

What is the per-pupil spending in Cardinal Comm School District?

Cardinal Comm School District spends approximately $16,548 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Cardinal Comm School District's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 30% of Cardinal Comm School District's total expenditure of $17.8M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Cardinal Comm School District
Disclaimer & data sources

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainTeacher

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Editorial standards & source notes

According to the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) F-33 Local Education Agency Finance Survey, PlainTeacher's figures are computed directly, no number is typed in by an editor. Cardinal Comm School District's salary and finance figures are computed directly from its FY2023 F-33 submission, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Data current as of FY2023.