Enrollment
281
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Waterloo, WI
Waterloo Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Waterloo Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 21/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 551572001994
👥 S:T ratio 51
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 5
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Waterloo Elementary earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wisconsin median.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Waterloo · Resource Index
- 21
- Resource Index · Lower
- 12.2:1
- students per teacher
- 35.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Waterloo Elementary has class sizes near the Wisconsin median. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Waterloo Elementary ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Waterloo, WI.
School address
District: Waterloo School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 551572001994 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.2:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
-15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
35.8%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
-7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Waterloo Elementary compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at Waterloo Elementary
Waterloo Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Waterloo, Wisconsin, enrolling 281 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of Wisconsin schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 35.8% lands close to the Wisconsin typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 281 students, its enrollment sits close to the Wisconsin median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 2,202 Wisconsin schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 461 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Wisconsin schools statewide, it ranks #457, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and Hispanic or Latino (27%) (diversity index 47/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 827 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Waterloo School District also operates Waterloo High (232 students) and Waterloo Middle (118 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 Wisconsin and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Wisconsin | Wisconsin avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.2:1 | ▼ 15% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 35.8% | ▼ 7% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 281 | top 54% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.2:1
Leaner classes than 74% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
281
Bigger than 30% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
35.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% below the Wisconsin average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
12.2:1
students per teacher
- 15% below state mean
Top 35% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 65% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
38.1%
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
$13,151
per pupil, district-wide
- below Wisconsin avg of $14,919
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.3 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.2 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 67.3%
Hispanic or Latino 27.4%
Two or More 3.6%
African American 1.1%
Asian 0.7%
Largest group: White at 67.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.1, Waterloo Elementary is more mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Waterloo School District, which includes Waterloo Elementary.
$13,151
Per student
-12%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.4%
State 49.1%
Federal 10.5%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waterloo High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Waterloo Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Waterloo Intermediate | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher 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
- 232
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 118
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 114
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Wisconsin, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~281 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Waterloo Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Waterloo Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Waterloo 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 Waterloo Elementary
How many students attend Waterloo Elementary?
Waterloo Elementary has 281 students enrolled. It is a public school in Waterloo, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Waterloo Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Waterloo Elementary is 12.2:1, which is 15% lower than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 22% 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?
35.8% of students at Waterloo Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Waterloo Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Waterloo Elementary is White at 67.3% of enrollment, in Waterloo, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Waterloo Elementary?
Waterloo Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (lower 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 public schools in Waterloo?
By Resource Investment Index, Waterloo Elementary ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Waterloo, WI. 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 a good school?
Waterloo Elementary earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wisconsin 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 School District?
Besides Waterloo Elementary, Waterloo School District also operates Waterloo High (232 students), Waterloo Middle (118 students), and Waterloo Intermediate (114 students). See the Waterloo 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.