Enrollment
462
Ohio · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Atwater, OH
Waterloo Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Waterloo Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 390492403544
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 8
📋 Attendance 62
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Waterloo Elementary School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Ohio median.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Atwater · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.9:1
- students per teacher
- 53.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Waterloo Elementary School has class sizes near the Ohio median. Computed live against every Ohio school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Waterloo Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Atwater, OH.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 18.2:1 Ohio avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.9%
vs 31.6% Ohio avg
+71% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Waterloo Elementary School compares with Ohio and U.S. medians
What stands out at Waterloo Elementary School
Waterloo Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Atwater, Ohio, enrolling 462 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Ohio schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 53.9% of students qualify for free meals, 71% above the Ohio average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 462 students, its enrollment sits close to the Ohio median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,574 scored Ohio schools.
Against 303 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #160.
Its student body is predominantly White (92% of enrollment) (diversity index 15/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 462 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
15.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Waterloo Local spends $11,686 per pupil, 20% below the Ohio average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 17 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Waterloo Local also operates Waterloo High School (203 students) and Waterloo Middle School (131 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 Ohio and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Ohio | Ohio avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.9:1 | ▼ 13% | 18.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.9% | ▲ 71% | 31.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 462 | top 38% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.9:1
Leaner classes than 39% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
462
Bigger than 57% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
53.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 71% above the Ohio average of 31.6%
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
15.9:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 36% in Ohio - lower ratio than 64% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
15.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,686
per pupil, district-wide
- below Ohio avg of $14,655
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 462 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 17 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 17 expulsions.
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 92.0%
Two or More 3.0%
Hispanic or Latino 2.8%
African American 1.1%
Asian 1.1%
Largest group: White at 92.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 15.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 15.2, Waterloo Elementary School is less mixed than the Ohio school average of 35.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Waterloo Local, which includes Waterloo Elementary School.
$11,686
Per student
-20%
vs Ohio
Avg $14,655
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 43.3%
State 43.1%
Federal 13.6%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waterloo High School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Waterloo Middle School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower 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
- 203
- Students per teacher
- 6.8:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 131
- Students per teacher
- 5.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Ohio, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~462 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Waterloo Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Waterloo Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Waterloo Local'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 462 students enrolled. It is a public school in Atwater, OH.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Waterloo Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Waterloo Elementary School is 15.9:1, which is 13% lower than the Ohio average of 18.2:1 and 1% higher 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 School?
53.9% of students at Waterloo Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Ohio average of 31.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Waterloo Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Waterloo Elementary School is White at 92.0% of enrollment, in Atwater, OH.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Waterloo Elementary School?
Waterloo Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 School rank among public schools in Atwater?
By Resource Investment Index, Waterloo Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Atwater, OH. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Atwater on the city page.
Is Waterloo Elementary School a good school?
Waterloo Elementary School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Ohio 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 Local?
Besides Waterloo Elementary School, Waterloo Local also operates Waterloo High School (203 students) and Waterloo Middle School (131 students). See the Waterloo Local 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.