Is Waddell School a good school?

Waddell School ranks 348 th of 497 Connecticut elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Waddell School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 461 students attended Waddell School.

What is the racial makeup of Waddell School?

Students at Waddell School are 33% Hispanic, 26% African American, 20% White, 17% Asian, 2% Two or more races, 1% American Indian.

What schools do graduates of Waddell School attend?

Students who attend Waddell School usually go on to attend: Middle : Illing Middle School High : Manchester High School

Waddell School

Summary:

Waddell School is an elementary school in Manchester, Connecticut, serving students from kindergarten to 4th grade. With a diverse student population, the school has faced challenges in academic performance, though it has shown some strengths in the achievements of certain student subgroups.

Waddell School's academic performance, as measured by standardized test scores, is generally below the state and district averages. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 33.7% of 3rd graders and 31.3% of 4th graders were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state averages of 45.9% and 49.4%, respectively. However, the school has seen some notable successes, such as African American students ranking 3rd out of 41 Connecticut elementary schools in English Language Arts in the 2020-2021 school year. Additionally, the school's special education students ranked 107th out of 371 schools in the same year. Despite these bright spots, the overall academic achievement at Waddell School suggests that more work may be needed to address the needs of diverse learners and ensure equitable outcomes.

When comparing Waddell School to other nearby schools in the Manchester School District, some interesting patterns emerge. For instance, Buckley School, which is ranked 138th out of 497 Connecticut elementary schools, significantly outperforms Waddell School in academic achievement. This suggests that there may be opportunities to learn from the practices and strategies employed at higher-performing schools within the same district. Additionally, the high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at Waddell School, ranging from 53.15% to 57.28% over the past few years, indicates that a significant portion of the student population comes from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, which may contribute to the school's relatively lower academic performance.

Detail:

Public K-4

163 Broad Street
Manchester, CT 06042

(860) 647-3392

District: Manchester School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
348^th of 497 Connecticut Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $21,378

Students who attend Waddell School usually attend:

Middle:	Illing Middle School
High:	Manchester High School

Student/teacher ratio: 10.4

Number of students: 461

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

33.4%

African American:

25.6%

White:

20.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 53.1%

See top rated Connecticut elementary schools

Compare Waddell School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Waddell School ranks worse than 70% of elementary schools in Connecticut. It also ranks 3^rd among 7 ranked elementary schools in the Manchester School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 25.7. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Waddell School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Manchester School District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Waddell School is $21,378. 4 elementary schools in the Manchester School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Waddell School:

SchoolDigger ranks Waddell School 348^th of 497 Connecticut public elementary schools. (See Waddell School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Hispanic students:

Manchester School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Manchester School District 141^st of 158 Connecticut school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Waddell School

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Rank History for all students at Waddell School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile
2006	41.74	394^th	570	30.9%
2007	59.19	308^th	568	45.8%
2008	59.19	316^th	565	44.1%
2009	48.73	383^rd	566	32.3%
2010	48.15	382^nd	579	34.0%
2011	41.44	407^th	565	28.0%
2012	57.37	322^nd	564	42.9%
2013	42.25	388^th	557	30.3%
2015	38.61	369^th	551	33.0%
2016	22.89	394^th	518	23.9%
2018	17.99	432^nd	532	18.8%
2019	33.35	350^th	522	33.0%
2021	38.50	314^th	538	41.6%
2022	25.34	345^th	490	29.6%
2023	25.89	340^th	491	30.8%
2024	25.70	348^th	497	30.0%

See the entire list of Connecticut Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Waddell School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	65.51	107^th	371	71.2%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Waddell School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	68.17	72^nd	302	76.2%
2022	46.03	37^th	70	47.1%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Waddell School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile
2019	15.07	214^th	242	11.6%
2021	33.98	286^th	455	37.1%
2022	20.53	195^th	234	16.7%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Waddell School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile
2019	34.40	171^st	247	30.8%
2021	36.11	264^th	445	40.7%
2022	11.85	211^th	232	9.1%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Waddell School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	76.75	3^rd	41	92.7%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Waddell School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	48.37	42^nd	111	62.2%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: Connecticut State Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Connecticut State Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a citizen
Wednesday, April 6, 2016

The best after attending, your child will grow to be the greatest person meant to live in this society. The low ratings it may appear to have is just an idiotic system of the, failed standardized testing, in reality that doesn't matter in elementary, whats does matter is being a kid learn about the strange world which you are just getting to know. So instead of being locked up and taking test for idealistic elitism demonstrations you idiots should find the values of natural life and a child freedom and let them be just that free. Once upon a time i went there and the grand scale of diversity and that fact that we had recess even in cold days allowed me to explore everything about the world i lived in i was able to interact with plants and insects and i was able to develop simple communication skills without prejudice of my fellow child based on the color of their skin because i simple just saw another being attempting to beat the opposite team at kickball but instead this is lost because of so many peoples brilliant idea to throw tests and papers at a child an presume that they will comprehend what could have easily been understood by hands on out side fun. But its better to take their child like sense of wonder at a young age to better integrate them into a mindless conformist society especially with all their lazy idiotic parents who have children just to put an iPad in front of their faces and never truly enjoy their children. What i'm getting at is that waddell is amazing the school system isn't dont trust scores love your children love the world. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Waddell School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	399	23	28	6	4	n/a	n/a	0	460
1989	372	25	30	15	0	n/a	n/a	0	442
1990	394	35	33	14	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	476
1991	399	52	32	21	0	n/a	n/a	0	504
1992	402	62	27	27	0	n/a	n/a	0	518
1993	376	67	26	28	1	n/a	n/a	0	498
1994	391	51	23	35	5	n/a	n/a	0	505
1995	332	61	13	43	2	n/a	n/a	0	451
1996	332	61	13	43	2	n/a	n/a	0	451
1997	333	53	11	45	2	n/a	n/a	0	444
1998	336	55	25	42	4	n/a	n/a	0	462
1999	307	68	26	41	2	n/a	n/a	0	444
2000	272	48	26	35	4	n/a	n/a	0	385
2001	280	52	26	38	3	n/a	n/a	0	399
2002	256	53	29	69	3	n/a	n/a	-1	409
2003	256	53	29	69	3	n/a	n/a	-1	409
2004	238	55	30	67	2	n/a	n/a	0	392
2005	217	71	33	84	2	n/a	n/a	0	407
2006	219	71	32	84	2	n/a	n/a	0	408
2007	192	71	36	71	1	n/a	n/a	0	371
2008	178	68	39	73	2	n/a	n/a	0	360
2009	169	67	39	60	1	n/a	n/a	0	336
2010	159	62	41	49	0	n/a	n/a	0	311
2011	131	56	51	80	0	0	30	0	348
2012	133	55	55	70	1	0	29	0	343
2013	122	64	54	90	0	0	22	0	352
2014	126	67	45	87	0	0	17	0	342
2015	126	58	47	91	0	0	20	0	342
2016	140	83	45	93	0	1	15	0	377
2017	127	74	38	94	0	1	13	0	347
2018	119	90	40	95	1	1	11	0	357
2019	141	110	96	122	1	2	9	0	481
2020	126	120	99	128	0	2	9	0	484
2021	98	91	91	112	1	2	10	0	405
2022	90	118	90	166	1	1	8	0	474
2023	94	118	80	154	5	2	8	0	461

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Waddell School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	460	22.0	20.9	n/a
1989	442	21.7	20.3	n/a
1990	476	22.0	21.6	n/a
1991	504	23.5	21.4	n/a
1992	518	26.2	19.7	11.4
1993	498	24.4	20.4	1.6
1994	505	26.4	19.1	25
1995	451	25.6	17.6	29.9
1996	451	25.6	17.6	29.9
1997	444	25.6	17.3	21.4
1998	462	25.3	18.3	24.5
1999	444	25.7	17.3	32.7
2000	385	25.5	15.1	26.5
2001	399	24.3	16.4	n/a
2002	409	27.1	15.1	36.6
2003	409	27.1	15.1	36.6
2004	392	26.3	14.9	38.3
2005	407	23.6	17.2	n/a
2006	408	24.8	16.5	37.7
2007	371	27.6	13.4	38.3
2008	360	25.9	13.9	42.5
2009	336	28.5	13.3	49.1
2010	311	25.2	12.3	54.3
2011	348	25.0	13.8	56.9
2012	343	25.6	13.3	63.3
2013	352	24.6	14.2	57.4
2014	342	25.6	13.3	56.7
2015	342	25.0	13.6	54.4
2016	377	30.0	12.5	49.3
2017	347	31.2	11.1	57.3
2018	357	31.0	11.5	60.5
2019	481	40.2	11.9	52.6
2020	484	40.5	11.9	56
2021	405	40.5	10.0	57.3
2022	474	38.5	12.3	55.5
2023	461	44.2	10.4	53.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Waddell School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	460	22.0	20.9	n/a
1989	442	21.7	20.3	n/a
1990	476	22.0	21.6	n/a
1991	504	23.5	21.4	n/a
1992	518	26.2	19.7	11.4
1993	498	24.4	20.4	1.6
1994	505	26.4	19.1	25
1995	451	25.6	17.6	29.9
1996	451	25.6	17.6	29.9
1997	444	25.6	17.3	21.4
1998	462	25.3	18.3	24.5
1999	444	25.7	17.3	32.7
2000	385	25.5	15.1	26.5
2001	399	24.3	16.4	n/a
2002	409	27.1	15.1	36.6
2003	409	27.1	15.1	36.6
2004	392	26.3	14.9	38.3
2005	407	23.6	17.2	n/a
2006	408	24.8	16.5	37.7
2007	371	27.6	13.4	38.3
2008	360	25.9	13.9	42.5
2009	336	28.5	13.3	49.1
2010	311	25.2	12.3	54.3
2011	348	25.0	13.8	56.9
2012	343	25.6	13.3	63.3
2013	352	24.6	14.2	57.4
2014	342	25.6	13.3	56.7
2015	342	25.0	13.6	54.4
2016	377	30.0	12.5	49.3
2017	347	31.2	11.1	57.3
2018	357	31.0	11.5	60.5
2019	481	40.2	11.9	52.6
2020	484	40.5	11.9	56
2021	405	40.5	10.0	57.3
2022	474	38.5	12.3	55.5
2023	461	44.2	10.4	53.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Waddell School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$17,809
2019	$18,463
2020	$18,834
2021	$20,665
2022	$22,288
2023	$21,378

Data source: Connecticut Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Waddell School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 350^th of 522 Elementary schools	Ranks 340^th of 491 Elementary schools	2.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Waddell School)	43	27.6	15.4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Manchester School District)	40.3	31.4	8.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)	54.3	45.5	8.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Waddell School)	50.6	31.1	19.5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Manchester School District)	45.1	34.5	10.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Connecticut)	55	49.8	5.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Waddell School)	47.7	46.3	1.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Manchester School District)	39.7	37.4	2.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)	54.6	48.8	5.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Waddell School)	44.3	39.5	4.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Manchester School District)	33.8	34.3	0.5%
4th Grade Mathematics (Connecticut)	52.5	48.3	4.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	481	461	4.2%
African American	110	118	7.3%
American Indian	1	5	400%
Asian	96	80	16.7%
Hispanic	122	154	26.2%
Pacific Islander	2	2
White	141	94	33.3%
Two or More Races	9	8	11.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	52.6%	53.1%	0.5%

Schools Near Waddell School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				NGSS Science (2024)	SBAC English Language Arts (2024)			SBAC Mathematics (2024)					Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NGSS Science 5th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 3rd Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 4th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 5th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 3rd Grade	SBAC Mathematics 4th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 5th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 7th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 8th Grade	Total
Waddell School	Public	K-4	163 Broad Street	Manchester	06042	Hartford County	Manchester School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 647-3392	461	44	10.4	53.1%	94 (20.4%)	118 (25.6%)	154 (33.4%)	80 (17.4%)	5 (1.1%)	2 (0.4%)	8 (1.7%)	25.7	348^th of 497 public elementary schools	30.0%		25.9	340^th of 491 public elementary schools	30.8%	8		33.7	31.3		54.3	27.4				$21,378
Odyssey Community School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	579 Middle Tpke West	Manchester	06040	Hartford County	Odyssey Community School District	Yes	No	No	Yes	(860) 645-1234	374	33	11.3	41.4%	101 (27.0%)	85 (22.7%)	71 (19.0%)	84 (22.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.8%)	63.1	198^th of 497 public elementary schools	60.2%		55.3	230^th of 491 public elementary schools	53.2%	32		70.3	50.0	51.4	70.3		51.4	40.0	56.8	$14,497
Verplanck School	Public	K-4	126 Olcott Street	Manchester	06040	Hartford County	Manchester School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 647-3383	457	45	10.0	64.1%	94 (20.6%)	118 (25.8%)	203 (44.4%)	27 (5.9%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.6%)	6.8	468^th of 497 public elementary schools	5.8%		9.9	431^st of 491 public elementary schools	12.2%	37		13.1	22.3		22.2	17.0				$20,576
Bowers School	Public	K-4	141 Princeton Street	Manchester	06042	Hartford County	Manchester School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 647-3313	323	33	9.8	50.5%	101 (31.3%)	58 (18.0%)	129 (39.9%)	17 (5.3%)	3 (0.9%)	4 (1.2%)	11 (3.4%)	15	396^th of 497 public elementary schools	20.3%		25.2	344^th of 491 public elementary schools	29.9%	52		27.1			28.2	30.5				$22,102
Keeney School	Public	PK, KG-4	65 North School St.	Manchester	06042	Hartford County	Manchester School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 647-3354	327	32	10.1	38.2%	120 (36.7%)	79 (24.2%)	94 (28.7%)	17 (5.2%)	4 (1.2%)	2 (0.6%)	11 (3.4%)	14.5	397^th of 497 public elementary schools	20.1%		18.9	370^th of 491 public elementary schools	24.6%	27		28.6	32.8		20.4					$20,535
Buckley School	Public	K-4	250 Vernon Street	Manchester	06042	Hartford County	Manchester School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 647-3302	288	34	8.5	42.4%	119 (41.3%)	63 (21.9%)	72 (25.0%)	26 (9.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.8%)	76.1	138^th of 497 public elementary schools	72.2%		58.5	209^th of 491 public elementary schools	57.4%	71		61.2	68.9		65.3	71.7				$23,942
Highland Park School	Public	K-4	397 Porter St.	Manchester	06040	Hartford County	Manchester School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 647-3430	318	29	10.8	47.2%	113 (35.5%)	62 (19.5%)	115 (36.2%)	19 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.8%)	29.9	328^th of 497 public elementary schools	34.0%		25.3	342^nd of 491 public elementary schools	30.3%	14		37.9	40.9		43.9	36.4				$21,596
Martin School	Public	PK, KG-4	140 Dartmouth Rd.	Manchester	06040	Hartford County	Manchester School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 647-3367	250	26	9.5	43.2%	85 (34.0%)	52 (20.8%)	77 (30.8%)	27 (10.8%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	7 (2.8%)	18	378^th of 497 public elementary schools	23.9%		20.3	362^nd of 491 public elementary schools	26.3%	16		34.2			28.9	28.6				$24,525
Dr. Franklin H. Mayberry School	Public	K-5	101 Great Hill Rd.	East Hartford	06108	Hartford County	East Hartford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 622-5720	333	28	11.8	78.1%	21 (6.3%)	93 (27.9%)	188 (56.5%)	11 (3.3%)	3 (0.9%)	3 (0.9%)	14 (4.2%)	10.8	434^th of 497 public elementary schools	12.7%		9.4	437^th of 491 public elementary schools	11.0%	3	30.0	14.8			14.8	28.9				$18,343
Orchard Hill School	Public	K-5	380 Foster St.	South Windsor	06074	Hartford County	South Windsor School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 648-5015	627	47	13.4	16.9%	271 (43.2%)	23 (3.7%)	65 (10.4%)	238 (38.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (4.8%)	86.1	59^th of 497 public elementary schools	88.1%		88.2	52^nd of 491 public elementary schools	89.4%	7	80.5	61.9	72.6	85.4	75.0	73.5	77.2			$15,160

Waddell School

Waddell School:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Manchester School District:

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Waddell School

Rank History for all students at Waddell School

Rank History for Special Education students at Waddell School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Waddell School

Rank History for Female students at Waddell School

Rank History for Male students at Waddell School

Rank History for African American students at Waddell School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Waddell School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Waddell School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Waddell School

Student/Teacher Ratio Waddell School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Waddell School

Impact of COVID-19 on Waddell School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Waddell School

Frequently Asked Questions about Waddell School

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