Enrollment
247
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Waterloo, IN
Waterloo Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Waterloo Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 180159000226
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 51
📋 Attendance 68
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Waterloo Elementary School earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana median.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Waterloo · Resource Index
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.5:1
- students per teacher
- 59.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Waterloo Elementary School has class sizes near the Indiana median. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Waterloo Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Waterloo, IN.
School address
District: Dekalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist · Indiana
NCES ID 180159000226 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.5:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
59.5%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Waterloo Elementary School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Waterloo Elementary School
Waterloo Elementary School is a higher-need, small combined-grade school in Waterloo, Indiana, enrolling 247 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Indiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 59.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 247 puts it in the smaller third of Indiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Against 221 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #41.
Its student body is predominantly White (92% of enrollment) (diversity index 16/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 247 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
13.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Dekalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist also operates Dekalb High School (1,007 students) and Dekalb Middle School (759 students) alongside Waterloo 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 Waterloo Elementary School compares
Waterloo Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Indiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Indiana | Indiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.5:1 | ▲ 4% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 59.5% | ▲ 20% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 247 | top 86% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.5:1
Leaner classes than 34% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
247
Bigger than 25% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
59.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 20% above the Indiana average of 49.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.5:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 65% in Indiana - lower ratio than 35% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
13.0%
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
$11,502
per pupil, district-wide
- below Indiana avg of $12,079
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 247 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.6 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 91.5%
Two or More 4.0%
Hispanic or Latino 3.6%
African American 0.8%
Largest group: White at 91.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.0, Waterloo Elementary School is less mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dekalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist, which includes Waterloo Elementary School.
$11,502
Per student
-5%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.8%
State 59.1%
Federal 10.1%
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 Waterloo Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dekalb High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dekalb Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mckenney-Harrison Elementary Sch | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| James R Watson Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Country Meadow Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Waterloo Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,007
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 759
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 620
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 590
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 314
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Indiana, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~247 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Waterloo Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Waterloo Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Dekalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist'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 School
How many students attend Waterloo Elementary School?
Waterloo Elementary School has 247 students enrolled. It is a public school in Waterloo, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Waterloo Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Waterloo Elementary School is 16.5:1, which is 4% higher than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 5% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Waterloo Elementary School?
59.5% of students at Waterloo Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Waterloo Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Waterloo Elementary School is White at 91.5% of enrollment, in Waterloo, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Waterloo Elementary School?
Waterloo Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (higher 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 School rank among public schools in Waterloo?
By Resource Investment Index, Waterloo Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Waterloo, IN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Waterloo on the city page.
Is Waterloo Elementary School a good school?
Waterloo Elementary School earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana 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 Dekalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist?
Besides Waterloo Elementary School, Dekalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist also operates Dekalb High School (1,007 students), Dekalb Middle School (759 students), and Mckenney-Harrison Elementary Sch (620 students). See the Dekalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist 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.