Enrollment
666
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Columbia, MD
Waterloo Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Waterloo Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 240042000758
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 60
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Waterloo Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Maryland schools.
- #7 of 12
- schools in Columbia · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.9:1
- students per teacher
- 29.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Waterloo Elementary has class sizes near the Maryland median. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Waterloo Elementary ranks #7 of 12 schools in Columbia, MD.
School address
District: Howard County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240042000758 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
48.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.9:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
29.9%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-39% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Waterloo Elementary compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Waterloo Elementary
Waterloo Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Columbia, Maryland, enrolling 666 students.
At 13.9:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Maryland median, within a few percentage points of the 14.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 29.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 666 puts it in the larger third of Maryland schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Against 282 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #119.
Its student body is led by White (32%) and African American (30%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 76/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 666 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
15.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Columbia's public schools, it stands alongside Phelps Luck Elementary (681 students): Waterloo Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (13.9:1 vs 11.3:1).
Howard County Public Schools also operates Marriotts Ridge High (1,741 students) and Reservoir High (1,597 students) alongside Waterloo Elementary.
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 Waterloo Elementary compares
Waterloo Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.9:1 | ▼ 4% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 29.9% | ▼ 39% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 666 | top 33% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.9:1
Leaner classes than 58% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
666
Bigger than 78% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
29.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 39% below the Maryland average of 49.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.9:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 42% in Maryland - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
15.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$17,971
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maryland avg of $20,446
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 666 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.6 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 32.3%
African American 30.2%
Asian 14.4%
Hispanic or Latino 14.1%
Two or More 8.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 32.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 75.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 75.7, Waterloo Elementary is more mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Howard County Public Schools, which includes Waterloo Elementary.
$17,971
Per student
-12%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
+8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 62.7%
State 29.5%
Federal 7.7%
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 Waterloo Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marriotts Ridge High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Reservoir High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Atholton High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Howard High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mount Hebron High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Waterloo Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,741
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 1,597
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,540
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,493
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 1,455
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar other schools in Columbia
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Phelps Luck Elementary
Standard public school
681 students 11.3:1 students per teacher
Swansfield Elementary
Standard public school
594 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
Atholton Elementary
Standard public school
516 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Talbott Springs Elementary
Standard public school
461 students 10:1 students per teacher
Cradlerock Elementary
Standard public school
453 students 10.3:1 students per teacher
Longfellow Elementary
Standard public school
446 students 11.7:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Maryland, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~666 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Waterloo Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Waterloo Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Howard County Public Schools'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 Waterloo Elementary
How many students attend Waterloo Elementary?
Waterloo Elementary has 666 students enrolled. It is a public school in Columbia, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Waterloo Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Waterloo Elementary is 13.9:1, which is 4% lower than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 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 Waterloo Elementary?
29.9% of students at Waterloo Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Waterloo Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Waterloo Elementary is White at 32.3% of enrollment, in Columbia, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 75.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Waterloo Elementary?
Waterloo Elementary 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 Waterloo Elementary rank among schools in Columbia?
By Resource Investment Index, Waterloo Elementary ranks #7 of 12 schools in Columbia, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Columbia on the city page.
Is Waterloo Elementary a good school?
Waterloo Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Maryland 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 Howard County Public Schools?
Besides Waterloo Elementary, Howard County Public Schools also operates Marriotts Ridge High (1,741 students), Reservoir High (1,597 students), and Atholton High (1,540 students). See the Howard County Public Schools 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.