Enrollment
518
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Waterloo, IA
Orange Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Orange Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 193048001734
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 63
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Orange Elementary School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- #3 of 8
- schools in Waterloo · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14:1
- students per teacher
- 40.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Orange Elementary School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Orange Elementary School ranks #3 of 8 schools in Waterloo, IA.
School address
District: Waterloo Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 193048001734 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
40.3%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Orange Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Orange Elementary School
Orange Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Waterloo, Iowa, enrolling 518 students.
At 14:1, 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 runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 40.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 518 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 300 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #152.
Its student body is led by White (70%) and African American (11%) (diversity index 48/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 518 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
14.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 20.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Waterloo's public schools, it stands alongside Kittrell Elementary School (576 students): Orange Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14:1 vs 12.3:1).
Waterloo Comm School District also operates West High School (1,696 students) and East High School (1,016 students) alongside Orange Elementary 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 Orange Elementary School compares
Orange Elementary 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 | 14:1 | ▼ 5% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 40.3% | ▲ 11% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 518 | top 18% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14:1
Leaner classes than 57% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
518
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
40.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 11% above the Iowa average of 36.4%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 50% in Iowa - lower ratio than 50% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
14.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
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 518 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 23 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.4 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
White 70.3%
African American 10.8%
Two or More 9.3%
Hispanic or Latino 7.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.2%
Asian 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 70.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.0, Orange Elementary 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 Orange Elementary 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 Orange Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hoover Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kittrell Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Expo Alternative Learning Center | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Orange Elementary 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
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
Highland Elementary School
Standard public school
448 students 12.4:1 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 (~518 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Orange Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Orange Elementary 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 Orange Elementary School
How many students attend Orange Elementary School?
Orange Elementary School has 518 students enrolled. It is a public school in Waterloo, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Orange Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Orange Elementary School is 14:1, which is 5% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 11% 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 Orange Elementary School?
40.3% of students at Orange Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Orange Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Orange Elementary School is White at 70.3% of enrollment, in Waterloo, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Orange Elementary School?
Orange Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Orange Elementary School rank among schools in Waterloo?
By Resource Investment Index, Orange Elementary School ranks #3 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 Orange Elementary School a good school?
Orange Elementary School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. 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 Orange Elementary 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.