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Waterloo Comm School District

1516 Washington St
Waterloo, IA 50702
(District boundaries shown in map)
1/
10
Bottom 50%

Top Rankings

Waterloo Comm School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in Iowa for:

Category
Attribute
Diversity
Most diverse schools (Top 1%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025-26 school year, there are 9 public preschools serving 3,903 students in Waterloo Comm School District. This district's average pre testing ranking is 1/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public pre schools in Iowa.
Public Preschools in Waterloo Comm School District have an average math proficiency score of 61% (versus the Iowa public pre school average of 73%), and reading proficiency score of 52% (versus the 69% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 61% of the student body (majority Black), which is more than the Iowa public preschool average of 27% (majority Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (IA)
# Schools
19 Schools
474 Schools
# Students
10,619 Students
151,894 Students
# Teachers
716 Teachers
11,053 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
15:1
15:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Waterloo Comm School District, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 325 school districts in Iowa (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2022-2023 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 71% has decreased from 84% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (IA)
#307 out of 327 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
57%
68%
57%
70%
50%
63%
71%
90%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.73
0.45
% American Indian
n/a
n/a
% Asian
3%
2%
% Hispanic
14%
13%
% Black
28%
6%
% White
40%
73%
% Hawaiian
4%
1%
% Two or more races
11%
5%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $16,536 is higher than the state median of $16,468. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $15,469 is less than the state median of $16,042. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
This School District
This State (IA)
Total Revenue
$176 MM
$8,262 MM
Spending
$164 MM
$8,048 MM
Revenue / Student
$16,536
$16,468
Spending / Student
$15,469
$16,042

Best Waterloo Comm School District Public Preschools (2025-26)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Orange Elementary School
(Math: 76% | Reading: 65%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
5805 Kimball Ave
Waterloo, IA 50701
(319) 433-2880
Gr: PK-5 | 507 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 27%
Rank: #22.
Poyner Elementary School
(Math: 65-69% | Reading: 60-64%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
1138 Central Ave
Evansdale, IA 50707
(319) 433-1534
Gr: PK-5 | 360 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 37%
Rank: #33.
Highland Elementary School
(Math: 67% | Reading: 55%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
812 Idaho St
Waterloo, IA 50703
(319) 433-2630
Gr: PK-5 | 462 students Student-teacher ratio: 12:1 Minority enrollment: 73%
Rank: #44.
Kittrell Elementary School
(Math: 62% | Reading: 56%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
1304 Oregon St
Waterloo, IA 50702
(319) 433-2910
Gr: PK-5 | 613 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 62%
Rank: #55.
Lincoln Elementary School
(Math: 55-59% | Reading: 45-49%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
302 Cedar Bend St
Waterloo, IA 50703
(319) 433-1990
Gr: PK-5 | 492 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 79%
Rank: #66.
Lowell Elementary School
(Math: 50-54% | Reading: 45-49%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
1628 Washington St
Waterloo, IA 50702
(319) 433-1900
Gr: PK-5 | 480 students Student-teacher ratio: 12:1 Minority enrollment: 68%
Rank: #77.
Fred Becker Elementary School
(Math: 52% | Reading: 46%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
1239 Sheldon St
Waterloo, IA 50701
(319) 433-2180
Gr: PK-5 | 457 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 59%
Rank: #88.
Cunningham School
(Math: 50-54% | Reading: 30-34%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
1224 Mobile St
Waterloo, IA 50703
(319) 433-2600
Gr: PK-5 | 401 students Student-teacher ratio: 12:1 Minority enrollment: 90%
Rank: n/an/a
316 Mc Coy Rd
Evansdale, IA 50707
(319) 433-2660
Gr: PK | 131 students Minority enrollment: 43%

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Quick Facts (2025-26)

  • District size: 19 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 10,619 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 15:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 60%
  • : 71% (Top 50% in IA)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 57% (Btm 50%)
  • : 57% (Btm 50%)
  • : 50% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), IA Dept. of Education

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