Waterloo School District

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Waterloo, Wisconsin - 4 schools

An equity score of 41/100 ranks Waterloo School District #258 of 403 districts in Wisconsin (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,151 per pupil, Waterloo School District ranks #314 of 422 Wisconsin districts by per-pupil spending (Wisconsin districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

768
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$13,151
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Waterloo School District operates 4 public schools serving 768 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Wisconsin. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 combined, 1 high, 1 middle, 1 elementary schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Jefferson County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,151 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 422 Wisconsin districts by per-pupil spending. See how Wisconsin compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 40.4% local, 49.1% state, and 10.5% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 41/100, ranked #258 of 403 in Wisconsin against a state average of 50, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 4 schools offering Advanced Placement (28 AP courses district-wide), a 440.4:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 41.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 65.9% White, 27.9% Hispanic or Latino, 1.4% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Waterloo Intermediate, with a diversity index of 53.4/100.

Its largest campus is Waterloo Elementary, enrolling 281 students (38% of the district's total enrollment).

Waterloo Elementary accounts for 36.6% of all Waterloo School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Waterloo School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Waterloo School District school enrollment varies 2.5× across entities

Waterloo School District school enrollment ranges from 114 students (lowest) to 281 students (highest), a spread of 167 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Waterloo School District student-counselor ratio is 440:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Waterloo School District chronic absenteeism rate is 41.3% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

10.5%
Federal
49.1%
State
40.4%
Local

Funding Equity

41
Equity Score
258 / 403
State Rank
50
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 4 schools in Waterloo School District.

White 65.9%
Hispanic or Latino 27.9%
African American 1.4%
Asian 0.8%
Multiracial 3.9%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 48.4/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Waterloo School District's schools, above the Wisconsin average of 35.7.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Waterloo Intermediate 53.4
  2. 2 Waterloo Elementary 47.1
  3. 3 Waterloo High 46.7
  4. 4 Waterloo Middle 46.5

Programs & Resources

1 / 4
Schools with AP
28 AP courses total
440.4:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
41.3%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Waterloo School District

School Enrollment
Waterloo Elementary
281
Waterloo High
232
Waterloo Middle
118
Waterloo Intermediate
114

How Waterloo School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Wisconsin districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Whitehall School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Mineral Point Unified School District Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Melrose-Mindoro School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Markesan School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Bristol #1 School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Waterloo School District's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Wisconsin

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Milwaukee School District
67,500 students · 156 schools · $17,847/pupil
Compare vs Waterloo School District →
Madison Metropolitan School District
25,237 students · 54 schools · $17,181/pupil
Compare vs Waterloo School District →
Kenosha School District
19,069 students · 43 schools · $14,309/pupil
Compare vs Waterloo School District →
Racine Unified School District
16,182 students · 26 schools · $15,577/pupil
Compare vs Waterloo School District →

Compare Waterloo School District

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Milwaukee School District →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Waterloo School District?

Waterloo School District has 4 schools, including 1 combined, 1 high, 1 middle, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 768 students.

How much does Waterloo School District spend per student?

Waterloo School District spends $13,151 per student. The district has an equity score of 41/100, ranking #258 in Wisconsin.

What is the demographic composition of Waterloo School District?

Waterloo School District students are 65.9% White, 27.9% Hispanic or Latino, 1.4% African American, 0.8% Asian, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Waterloo School District?

Waterloo School District has an equity score of 41/100, ranking #258 out of 403 districts in Wisconsin.