Waterloo Community Unit School District #5

Listed by NCES as Waterloo CUSD 5 (district ID 1741070)

Public school district · Monroe County · Illinois · NCES district ID 1741070

Waterloo Community Unit School District #5 spent $12,591 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 95% of the other Illinois districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $18,127). Its 5 schools enrolled 2,767 students in 2024-25; 29.9% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $13,843 per student, up 9.9% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 93% (Illinois: 87.6%).

NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method

Spending per student among Illinois districts of similar size

Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Waterloo Community Unit School District #5 in enrollment (2,661 to 2,851 students) and Waterloo Community Unit School District #5 itself.

Current spending per student, Illinois districts closest in size to Waterloo Community Unit School District #5, FY23Deerfield Public Schools District 109 $26,414; Grayslake Community High School $25,157; Homewood Flossmoor CHSD 233 $24,872; Woodridge SD 68 $22,210; Chicago Heights SD 170 $21,859; Elmwood Park Community Unit School District 401 $17,814; Antioch Community Consolidated School District 34 $16,479; Frankfort CCSD 157C $15,049; Highland CUSD 5 $12,907; Waterloo Community Unit School District #5 $12,591; State median, 1,000+ students $18,127.10k15k20k25k30kDeerfield Public Schools Distr…$26,414Grayslake Community High School$25,157Homewood Flossmoor CHSD 233$24,872Woodridge SD 68$22,210Chicago Heights SD 170$21,859Elmwood Park Community Unit Sc…$17,814Antioch Community Consolidated…$16,479Frankfort CCSD 157C$15,049Highland CUSD 5$12,907Waterloo Community Unit School…$12,591State median, 1,000+ students $18,127
Current spending per student, Illinois districts closest in size to Waterloo Community Unit School District #5, FY23Deerfield Public Schools District 109 $26,414; Grayslake Community High School $25,157; Homewood Flossmoor CHSD 233 $24,872; Woodridge SD 68 $22,210; Chicago Heights SD 170 $21,859; Elmwood Park Community Unit School District 401 $17,814; Antioch Community Consolidated School District 34 $16,479; Frankfort CCSD 157C $15,049; Highland CUSD 5 $12,907; Waterloo Community Unit School District #5 $12,591; State median, 1,000+ students $18,127.10k15k20k25k30kDeerfield Public Schools District 1…$26,414Grayslake Community High School$25,157Homewood Flossmoor CHSD 233$24,872Woodridge SD 68$22,210Chicago Heights SD 170$21,859Elmwood Park Community Unit School …$17,814Antioch Community Consolidated Scho…$16,479Frankfort CCSD 157C$15,049Highland CUSD 5$12,907Waterloo Community Unit School Dist…$12,591State median, 1,000+ students $18,127
Current spending per student, Illinois districts closest in size to Waterloo Community Unit School District #5, FY23Deerfield Public Schools District 109 $26,414; Grayslake Community High School $25,157; Homewood Flossmoor CHSD 233 $24,872; Woodridge SD 68 $22,210; Chicago Heights SD 170 $21,859; Elmwood Park Community Unit School District 401 $17,814; Antioch Community Consolidated School District 34 $16,479; Frankfort CCSD 157C $15,049; Highland CUSD 5 $12,907; Waterloo Community Unit School District #5 $12,591; State median, 1,000+ students $18,127.10k20k30kDeerfield Public Schools District 109$26,414Grayslake Community High School$25,157Homewood Flossmoor CHSD 233$24,872Woodridge SD 68$22,210Chicago Heights SD 170$21,859Elmwood Park Community Unit School District…$17,814Antioch Community Consolidated School Distr…$16,479Frankfort CCSD 157C$15,049Highland CUSD 5$12,907Waterloo Community Unit School District #5$12,591State median, 1,000+ students $18,127
Current spending per student, Illinois districts closest in size to Waterloo Community Unit School District #5, FY23Deerfield Public Schools District 109 $26,414; Grayslake Community High School $25,157; Homewood Flossmoor CHSD 233 $24,872; Woodridge SD 68 $22,210; Chicago Heights SD 170 $21,859; Elmwood Park Community Unit School District 401 $17,814; Antioch Community Consolidated School District 34 $16,479; Frankfort CCSD 157C $15,049; Highland CUSD 5 $12,907; Waterloo Community Unit School District #5 $12,591; State median, 1,000+ students $18,127.10k20k30kDeerfield Public Schools District 109$26,414Grayslake Community High School$25,157Homewood Flossmoor CHSD 233$24,872Woodridge SD 68$22,210Chicago Heights SD 170$21,859Elmwood Park Community Unit School Dist…$17,814Antioch Community Consolidated School D…$16,479Frankfort CCSD 157C$15,049Highland CUSD 5$12,907Waterloo Community Unit School District…$12,591State median, 1,000+ students $18,127

Where the money came from

$44,926,000 in revenue: 29.9% state, 64.1% local and 6.0% federal. Total spending including $1,532,000 of capital outlay was $39,626,000, or $14,316 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

Waterloo Community Unit School District #5 revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $13,455,000; Local $28,789,000; Federal $2,682,000; total $44,926,000.
  • State$13,455,000 30%
  • Local$28,789,000 64%
  • Federal$2,682,000 6%

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 377 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).

Enrollment held steady from 2022-23 to 2024-25

2,768 students in 2022-23, 2,742 students in 2023-24, 2,767 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

Waterloo Community Unit School District #5 enrollment by school year2022-23: 2,768, 2023-24: 2,742, 2024-25: 2,76701k2k3k2022-232,7682023-242,7422024-252,767
Waterloo Community Unit School District #5 enrollment by school year2022-23: 2,768, 2023-24: 2,742, 2024-25: 2,76701k2k3k2022-232,7682023-242,7422024-252,767
Waterloo Community Unit School District #5 enrollment by school year2022-23: 2,768, 2023-24: 2,742, 2024-25: 2,76701k2k3k2022-232,7682023-242,7422024-252,767
Waterloo Community Unit School District #5 enrollment by school year2022-23: 2,768, 2023-24: 2,742, 2024-25: 2,76701k2k3k2022-232,7682023-242,7422024-252,767

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-232,768170.716.2
2023-242,742169.716.2
2024-252,767169.216.4

Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.

State test results, 2021-22

In 2021-22, the students tested in Waterloo Community Unit School District #5 scored proficient or above: 47% in reading, against 29.9% in reading across Illinois. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Illinois, not across states.

Students proficient or above, 2021-22
SubjectThis districtIllinoisStudents tested
Reading and language arts47%29.9%1,444

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.

Graduation rate, class of 2023

93% of the 242 students in Waterloo Community Unit School District #5's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 87.6% across Illinois. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.

Four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rate, class of 2023
This districtIllinois
Four-year graduation rate93%87.6%
Students in the class242149,998

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.

3 elementary schools, 1,278 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
W J Zahnow Elementary School48714.8not reportedTargeted program
Rogers Elementary School41716.0not reportedTargeted program
Gardner Elementary School37416.2not reportedTargeted program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 middle school, 613 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Waterloo Junior High School61317.0not reportedEligible, no program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 high school, 876 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Waterloo High School87617.1not reportedEligible, no program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

Contact Waterloo Community Unit School District #5

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.

What to look at next about Waterloo Community Unit School District #5

  1. Illinois districts by spending per studentWaterloo Community Unit School District #5 ranks 359 of 377 Illinois districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($12,591).#359 of 377
  2. Every school district in IllinoisWaterloo Community Unit School District #5 is the number 143 by size of 865 Illinois districts, with 2,768 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#143 of 865
  3. Highland CUSD 5The next larger Illinois district: 2,796 students in fall 2022, $12,907 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$12,907
  4. Deerfield Public Schools District 109The next smaller Illinois district: 2,729 students in fall 2022, $26,414 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$26,414
  5. Compare Waterloo Community Unit School District #5 with Highland CUSD 5Enrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  6. Waterloo High School, its largest high school876 students in 2024-25, 17.1 per teacher.876
  7. Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.

Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).

Questions about Waterloo Community Unit School District #5

  1. How many schools and students are in Waterloo Community Unit School District #5?
    5 schools were open in 2024-25 (3 elementary, 1 middle, 1 high), enrolling 2,767 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does Waterloo Community Unit School District #5 spend per student?
    $12,591 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Illinois median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $18,127 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $13,843 per student, up 9.9% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
  3. Where does Waterloo Community Unit School District #5's money come from?
    $44,926,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 29.9% state, 64.1% local and 6.0% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How many children in Waterloo Community Unit School District #5 live in poverty?
    The Census Bureau estimates that 120 of the 3,074 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 3.9%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.
  5. How do students in Waterloo Community Unit School District #5 do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in Waterloo Community Unit School District #5 scored proficient or above: 47% in reading, against 29.9% in reading across Illinois. Illinois's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.
  6. What is the graduation rate in Waterloo Community Unit School District #5?
    93% of the 242 students in Waterloo Community Unit School District #5's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 87.6% across Illinois. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.
  7. What is Waterloo Community Unit School District #5's NCES district ID?
    1741070. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.

Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.

Sources

Every federal file behind this record
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
  • Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
  • EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
  • EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25

Compiled from official source data by .