Skip to content
Open Enrollment Update

posted September 2, 2022

The Cardinal Community School District Board of Directors has voted to pause open enrollment into the district. The board’s decision comes after consideration of Iowa’s new law, allowing open enrollment any time during the school year. Students who are already open enrolled and are currently attending Cardinal will not be affected.

“Cardinal enrollment continues to grow exponentially, and we simply need time to put a plan in place to allow students to open enroll throughout the school year,” Cardinal CSD Superintendent Joel Pedersen said.

The district plans to accept open enrollment applications starting January 1, 2023, for the 2023-2024 school year. We anticipate capping some grade levels and programs if demand exceeds district space and resources. 

“We will communicate all guidelines and options within the next few months,” Pedersen said. “We encourage families not to hesitate if they are interested in open enrollment opportunities at Cardinal once the open enrollment window opens.”

From 1992 to 2010, Cardinal experienced negative open enrollment numbers and declining overall enrollment. That changed in 2010, and now we have seen an increase of 54.9% since then — the sixth largest increase in the state.

“Our enrollment change over the past 10 years is unprecedented in rural Iowa,” Pedersen said. “We are proud to be a positive outlier and truly believe the best is yet to come.”

As more students have enrolled in the district, Cardinal has worked diligently to grow its staff and program offerings to meet the needs of both new and current students. Temporarily pausing open enrollment will provide time for the administration and school board to develop a plan for continuing to grow district resources for the growing student population.

“The bottom line is parents want their kids to attend Cardinal, and we are proud of that,” Pedersen said. “Open enrollment is very important to the district and will continue to be a part of our growth into the future.”

From our first interaction with the staff at Cardinal schools, we felt at home. The entire staff is amazing and we feel that we have a trusted partner in our children’s education. The greatest testament to their success is that our kids love going to school. There is nothing more welcoming as a parent than to have a school that you trust to take care of the most precious thing in your life. Cardinal School District does just that.
Ellis and Barbara Codjoe · Cardinal Parents
Cardinal School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age (for employment), socioeconomic status (for programs), religion, disability, creed, national origin, marital status (for programs), sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity in its educational programs and employment practices. There is a grievance procedure for processing complaints of discrimination. If you have questions or grievance related to this policy, please contact the district’s equity coordinator, Cindy Green.

The Cardinal Community School District offers career and technical  programs in the following service areas:
Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
Health Science
Human Services
Business, Finance, Marketing, and Management

Cindy Green - cindy.green@cardinalcomet.com
Middle School Principal/Director of Curriculum & Instruction, Equity Coordinator
4045 Ashland Rd.
Eldon, IA 52554
(641) 652-7531

Website Accessibility Statement | Annual Notices to the Public | Library Compliance Information