Cardinal Local School District

Cardinal enrolled 664 students in 2025-26. Enrollment peaked at 1,528 in 2006-07. Since 2006-07 it has changed −56.5%, against −28.4% for the regional peer median and −19.5% for the median Ohio district.

Students

Districts that serve free meals to every student report every student as economically disadvantaged. For the 123 Ohio districts where that raised the share by 25 points or more to 95% or above in one year, this briefing uses the district’s last share before the rise.

Where resident students go

Since 2021-22 the state pays community schools, EdChoice private schools and open-enrollment districts directly, so these students no longer appear as deductions in Cardinal’s budget, but the district still receives no state aid for them and, for most private and charter students in grades K–8, must provide or pay for transportation.

Community

Home values against nearby districts

Across the five most recent Census releases (2016–20 to 2020–24), the median owner-occupied home in Cardinal averaged $195,460, 12% above the median of the 12 districts within 25 miles ($175,040). That ranks 5th of 13 in the area and at the 70th percentile of Ohio districts (state median $167,900).

U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, median value of owner-occupied homes (table B25077), in nominal dollars. Consecutive releases share four of their five survey years, so the average is a smoothed level rather than five independent years. Nearby districts are those whose NCES office address lies within 25 miles of Cardinal's: Kirtland (18 mi, $371,580); West Geauga (14 mi, $287,980); Berkshire (4 mi, $225,200); Perry Local (Lake) (21 mi, $213,360); Crestwood (15 mi, $187,880); James A Garfield (13 mi, $180,040); Richmond Heights (23 mi, $170,040); Geneva Area (25 mi, $162,740); Grand Valley (12 mi, $159,480); Wickliffe (23 mi, $144,820); Champion (15 mi, $142,700); Newton Falls (20 mi, $116,540).

Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Report Card and District Profile (Cupp) Report; U.S. Census ACS 5-year. Student characteristics compare with the peers; enrollment, school choice and community figures with the regional peers: Perry Local (Lake), Wickliffe, Grand Valley, Richmond Heights, James A Garfield, Champion, Kirtland, Newton Falls, Berkshire, Crestwood, West Geauga and Geneva Area.

Cardinal’s performance index — a weighted average of state test results on a 0–120 scale — was 84.6 in 2025-26, against 88.5 for the peer median and 88.3 for the median Ohio district (34th percentile).

Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Report Card. No state tests in 2019-20; star ratings began in 2022-23.

Cardinal spent $19,283 per pupil on operations in 2024-25, against $18,776 for the peer median and $16,580 for the median Ohio district. Ohio’s formula assumes each district can raise a local share based on its property values and residents’ incomes; the state supplied 21% of Cardinal’s revenue. At the end of FY2026 the district held $7.55 million in general-fund cash, an unreserved balance of 50.2% of a year’s spending.

ODEW District Profile (Cupp) Report; five-year forecast actuals (general operating funds, cash basis) as filed with ODEW.

Ohio’s H.B. 920 reduction factors cut the effective rate of voted levies as property values rise, so most levies raise a fixed number of dollars and districts must return to voters to keep pace; no district’s effective current-expense rate can fall below 20 mills. Cardinal’s effective residential rate was 22.26 mills (Ohio median 24.39). Since January 2026, districts can no longer place new emergency, substitute or replacement levies on the ballot.

Past school tax issues

Cardinal has put 5 school tax issues to voters since 2016; 3 passed and 2 failed. Statewide, the Ohio School Boards Association records 2,342 school tax issues from 2016 through May 2026; 66% passed, and 39% of new-money issues.

Ohio School Boards Association school election results (unofficial), 2016–2026.

Ohio Department of Taxation and ODEW District Profile Report (effective millage); U.S. Census ACS 5-year; Ohio School Boards Association election results.

Wherever this briefing sets Cardinal beside other districts, it uses the groups below. A group figure is the middle value across its members, each counted equally, so one large member cannot dominate it.

Peers 12 districts

The 12 Ohio districts (city, local and exempted-village districts) most like Cardinal on four equally weighted factors: total enrollment (compared as a ratio), operating spending per pupil, students per teacher and the share of economically disadvantaged students, each difference scaled by how much the factor varies across districts, and none more than two standard deviations away on any one. The group starts with nearby districts that match closely (within half a standard deviation on average) and fills the rest from anywhere in the state. Peers carry the achievement, spending and staffing comparisons.

Regional peers 12 districts

The 12 districts (city, local and exempted-village districts) within 25 miles of Cardinal, straight line between district offices, whose profile on the same four factors is comparable: on average within one standard deviation. They carry enrollment, property taxes and home values, and their median sits beneath the peer median elsewhere. A district in both groups appears in both lists.

“Ohio median” is the middle value across Ohio’s city, local and exempted-village school districts; career centers and community schools are left out.