Enrollment
443
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Waterloo, IA
Cunningham School
Federal NCES profile for Cunningham School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 193048001719
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 11
📋 Attendance 14
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cunningham School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Iowa schools.
- #7 of 8
- schools in Waterloo · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.8:1
- students per teacher
- 81.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Cunningham School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cunningham School ranks #7 of 8 schools in Waterloo, IA.
School address
District: Waterloo Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 193048001719 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.8:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
81.6%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+124% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cunningham School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cunningham School
Cunningham School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Waterloo, Iowa, enrolling 443 students.
At 13.8:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Iowa median, within a few percentage points of the 14.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need is high: 81.6% of students qualify for free meals, 124% above the Iowa average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 443 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Among 56 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #45, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (58%) and Two or More (14%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 443 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 20.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 92 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 443 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Waterloo's public schools, it stands alongside Kittrell Elementary School (576 students): Cunningham School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (13.8:1 vs 12.3:1).
Waterloo Comm School District also operates West High School (1,696 students) and East High School (1,016 students) alongside Cunningham School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Cunningham School compares
Cunningham School on the metrics families compare, against Iowa and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.8:1 | ▼ 7% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 81.6% | ▲ 124% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 443 | top 26% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.8:1
Leaner classes than 59% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
443
Bigger than 54% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
81.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 124% above the Iowa average of 36.4%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.8:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 47% in Iowa - lower ratio than 53% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
34.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,803
per pupil, district-wide
- above Iowa avg of $12,854
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 443 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
26
in-school suspensions + 66 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 20.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
African American 58.2%
Two or More 13.5%
Hispanic or Latino 11.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 8.8%
White 7.2%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 58.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.7, Cunningham School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Waterloo Comm School District, which includes Cunningham School.
$13,803
Per student
+7%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.0%
State 56.9%
Federal 20.1%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Cunningham School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hoover Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kittrell Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Expo Alternative Learning Center | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cunningham School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,696
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,016
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 848
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 576
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 561
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
Similar other schools in Waterloo
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Kittrell Elementary School
Standard public school
576 students 12.3:1 students per teacher
Expo Alternative Learning Center
Alternative education program
561 students 17:1 students per teacher
Lowell Elementary School
Standard public school
538 students 12.8:1 students per teacher
Orange Elementary School
Standard public school
518 students 14:1 students per teacher
Fred Becker Elementary School
Standard public school
501 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Lincoln Elementary School
Standard public school
463 students 12.2:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Iowa, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~443 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cunningham School's federal record.
- Compare Cunningham School against another school. Compare schools
- Waterloo Comm School District's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Cunningham School
How many students attend Cunningham School?
Cunningham School has 443 students enrolled. It is a public school in Waterloo, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cunningham School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cunningham School is 13.8:1, which is 7% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 12% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cunningham School?
81.6% of students at Cunningham School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cunningham School?
The largest demographic group at Cunningham School is African American at 58.2% of enrollment, in Waterloo, IA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cunningham School?
Cunningham School has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Cunningham School rank among schools in Waterloo?
By Resource Investment Index, Cunningham School ranks #7 of 8 schools in Waterloo, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Waterloo on the city page.
Is Cunningham School a good school?
Cunningham School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Iowa schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Waterloo Comm School District?
Besides Cunningham School, Waterloo Comm School District also operates West High School (1,696 students), East High School (1,016 students), and Hoover Middle School (848 students). See the Waterloo Comm School District district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.