Lou Henry Elementary School

Q: Is Lou Henry Elementary School a good school?

Lou Henry Elementary School ranks 356 th of 557 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Lou Henry Elementary School is a public elementary school in Waterloo, Iowa, serving 465 students from kindergarten to 5th grade. The school is part of the Waterloo Community School District, which is ranked 293 out of 309 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Lou Henry Elementary School has a diverse student population, with 47.53% White, 29.89% African American, 5.16% Hispanic, 7.74% Asian, and 7.96% two or more races. The school's test scores are generally higher than the Waterloo Community School District average, but lower than the state average. In the 2023-2024 school year, 64.2% of 3rd graders, 56.9% of 4th graders, and 76.5% of 5th graders were proficient or better in English Language Arts, while in Mathematics, 76.1% of 3rd graders, 60% of 4th graders, and 74.1% of 5th graders were proficient or better. The school has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at 58.49% in the 2022-2023 school year, and a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 13 students per teacher.

Compared to nearby schools in the Waterloo Community School District, Lou Henry Elementary School generally performs better in terms of test scores, with higher percentages of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and Mathematics. However, the school's performance is still below the state average. The school's spending per student ($13,402 in 2018-2019) is higher than the state average, but it is unclear how this translates to student outcomes. Lou Henry Elementary School has a more diverse student population compared to the nearby schools, which tend to have higher percentages of either White or African American students.

Detail:

Public K-5

312 Rachael St
Waterloo, IA 50701

(319) 433-2860

District: Waterloo Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
356^th of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,402

Students who attend Lou Henry Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Hoover Middle School
High:	West High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.0

Number of students: 456

Racial breakdown:

White:

44.1%

African American:

33.1%

Two or more races:

7.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 65.8%

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

Compare Lou Henry Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Lou Henry Elementary School ranks worse than 63.9% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks 3^rd among 11 ranked elementary schools in the Waterloo Community School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 45.93. (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 Racial makeup is: White (44.1%), African American (33.1%), two or more races (7.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 65.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Lou Henry Elementary School is 13. 5 elementary schools in the Waterloo Community School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Lou Henry Elementary School employs 34.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Lou Henry Elementary School is $13,402, which is the 5^th highest among 11 elementary schools in the Waterloo Community School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Lou Henry Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Waterloo Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Waterloo Community School District 293^rd of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Lou Henry Elementary School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	32.74	510^th	626	18.5%
2013	41.52	445^th	624	28.7%
2014	23.60	512^th	603	15.1%
2015	37.46	460^th	616	25.3%
2016	40.57	432^nd	599	27.9%
2017	38.47	420^th	574	26.8%
2018	30.27	447^th	567	21.2%
2019	22.24	509^th	603	15.6%
2021	27.90	455^th	567	19.8%
2022	49.06	337^th	574	41.3%
2023	41.50	386^th	565	31.7%
2024	45.93	356^th	557	36.1%

See the entire list of Iowa Elementary School Rankings!

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

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Lou Henry Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2006	318	72	13	10	0	n/a	n/a	413
2007	355	90	16	28	2	n/a	n/a	491
2008	353	95	17	18	1	n/a	n/a	484
2009	355	103	28	15	3	n/a	n/a	504
2010	333	110	19	25	4	7	41	539
2011	348	98	21	29	1	4	26	527
2012	338	128	19	32	0	2	32	551
2013	340	127	22	36	0	3	32	560
2014	323	114	24	34	2	5	37	539
2015	301	110	27	27	1	1	37	504
2016	282	111	24	24	0	6	34	481
2017	249	124	18	30	0	3	24	448
2018	265	135	18	31	0	8	24	481
2019	248	156	21	27	1	8	30	491
2020	239	170	23	16	1	12	41	502
2021	235	171	24	16	0	7	33	486
2022	217	118	26	24	0	11	30	426
2023	221	139	36	24	0	8	37	465
2024	201	151	33	26	1	8	36	456

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 Lou Henry Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2006	413	30.6	13.5	23.2
2007	491	30.8	15.9	40.7
2008	484	35.0	13.8	39.7
2009	504	37.8	13.3	41.7
2010	539	37.8	14.2	52.7
2011	527	36.0	14.6	52.8
2012	551	35.5	15.4	56.1
2013	560	36.5	15.3	57.5
2014	539	34.7	15.5	57.7
2015	504	36.0	14.0	59.1
2016	481	34.0	14.1	57
2017	448	34.0	13.1	59.2
2018	481	37.1	12.9	55.3
2019	491	38.6	12.7	60.5
2020	502	40.0	12.5	66.3
2021	486	40.0	12.1	65.2
2022	426	36.9	11.5	59.6
2023	465	35.6	13.0	58.5
2024	456	34.9	13.0	65.8

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 Lou Henry Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2006	413	30.6	13.5	23.2
2007	491	30.8	15.9	40.7
2008	484	35.0	13.8	39.7
2009	504	37.8	13.3	41.7
2010	539	37.8	14.2	52.7
2011	527	36.0	14.6	52.8
2012	551	35.5	15.4	56.1
2013	560	36.5	15.3	57.5
2014	539	34.7	15.5	57.7
2015	504	36.0	14.0	59.1
2016	481	34.0	14.1	57
2017	448	34.0	13.1	59.2
2018	481	37.1	12.9	55.3
2019	491	38.6	12.7	60.5
2020	502	40.0	12.5	66.3
2021	486	40.0	12.1	65.2
2022	426	36.9	11.5	59.6
2023	465	35.6	13.0	58.5
2024	456	34.9	13.0	65.8

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 Lou Henry Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,114 (8.3%)	$12,288 (91.7%)	$13,402

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Lou Henry Elementary 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 509^th of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 386^th of 565 Elementary schools	16.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Lou Henry Elementary School)	52.3	63.9	11.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Waterloo Community School District)	50.3	54.6	4.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	65.3	66.3	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Lou Henry Elementary School)	53.4	75.4	22%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Waterloo Community School District)	49.5	67.5	18%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	71.7	75.3	3.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Lou Henry Elementary School)	63.9	71.4	7.5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Waterloo Community School District)	54.7	59.6	4.9%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	70.5	73.1	2.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Lou Henry Elementary School)	54.2	70.2	16%
4th Grade Mathematics (Waterloo Community School District)	53.5	61.9	8.4%
4th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	72.5	72.9	0.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Lou Henry Elementary School)	66.7	62.2	4.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Waterloo Community School District)	56	60.2	4.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	67.3	68.3	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Lou Henry Elementary School)	49.3	70.7	21.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Waterloo Community School District)	55.7	70	14.3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	69.4	71.3	1.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	491	465	5.3%
African American	156	139	10.9%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	21	36	71.4%
Hispanic	27	24	11.1%
Pacific Islander	8	8
White	248	221	10.9%
Two or More Races	30	37	23.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	60.5%	58.5%	2%

Schools Near Lou Henry Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ISASP English Language Arts (2024)			ISASP Mathematics (2024)			ISASP Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
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	ISASP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 4th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 5th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 3rd Grade	ISASP Mathematics 4th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Lou Henry Elementary School	Public	K-5	312 Rachael St	Waterloo	50701	Black Hawk County	Waterloo Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 433-2860	456	35	13.0	65.8%	201 (44.1%)	151 (33.1%)	26 (5.7%)	33 (7.2%)	1 (0.2%)	8 (1.8%)	36 (7.9%)	45.9	356^th of 557 public elementary schools	36.1%		41.5	386^th of 565 public elementary schools	31.7%	30	64.2	56.9	76.5	76.1	60.0	74.1	55.6	$13,402	$1,114	$12,288
Kingsley Elementary School	Public	K-5	201 Sunset Rd	Waterloo	50701	Black Hawk County	Waterloo Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 433-2210	355	27	13.3	55.5%	198 (55.8%)	46 (13.0%)	31 (8.7%)	16 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.1%)	53 (14.9%)	61.6	232^nd of 557 public elementary schools	58.3%		73.4	130^th of 565 public elementary schools	77.0%	102	72.5	73.8	70.8	88.2	85.2	66.7	56.3	$12,606	$882	$11,722
Kittrell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1304 Oregon St	Waterloo	50702	Black Hawk County	Waterloo Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 433-2910	613	45	13.6	75.5%	232 (37.8%)	158 (25.8%)	91 (14.8%)	54 (8.8%)	2 (0.3%)	28 (4.6%)	48 (7.8%)	26.9	451^st of 557 public elementary schools	19.0%		24.5	464^th of 565 public elementary schools	17.9%	13	63.5	57.3	50.0	74.3	64.6	61.7	40.4	$12,433	$1,211	$11,221
Irving Elementary School	Public	K-5	1115 W. 5th Street	Waterloo	50702	Black Hawk County	Waterloo Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 433-2800	388	33	11.9	90.2%	89 (22.9%)	139 (35.8%)	54 (13.9%)	13 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (9.5%)	56 (14.4%)	32.3	436^th of 557 public elementary schools	21.7%		26.5	456^th of 565 public elementary schools	19.3%	20	67.9	50.9	55.2	75.5	58.5	70.7	44.8	$13,386	$1,643	$11,742
Lowell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1628 Washington St	Waterloo	50702	Black Hawk County	Waterloo Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 433-1900	480	39	12.2	77.3%	152 (31.7%)	149 (31.0%)	96 (20.0%)	18 (3.8%)	1 (0.2%)	21 (4.4%)	43 (9.0%)	14	492^nd of 557 public elementary schools	11.7%		15.5	503^rd of 565 public elementary schools	11.0%	11	50.0	56.7	60.0	44.7	46.7	52.0	42.0	$14,090	$1,974	$12,115
Orange Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5805 Kimball Ave	Waterloo	50701	Black Hawk County	Waterloo Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 433-2880	507	37	13.7	56.6%	371 (73.2%)	41 (8.1%)	36 (7.1%)	5 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.8%)	49 (9.7%)	63.8	214^th of 557 public elementary schools	61.6%		60.6	241^st of 565 public elementary schools	57.3%	27	68.0	65.9	78.9	86.7	79.5	77.6	65.8	$12,067	$769	$11,297
Fred Becker Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1239 Sheldon St	Waterloo	50701	Black Hawk County	Waterloo Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 433-2180	457	35	13.0	78.6%	186 (40.7%)	123 (26.9%)	57 (12.5%)	10 (2.2%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (4.8%)	58 (12.7%)	15.1	489^th of 557 public elementary schools	12.2%		14.6	506^th of 565 public elementary schools	10.4%	17	44.4	52.7	48.5	61.9	58.2	54.5	47.0	$13,341	$1,146	$12,194
Highland Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	812 Idaho St	Waterloo	50703	Black Hawk County	Waterloo Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 433-2630	462	37	12.3	87.2%	124 (26.8%)	141 (30.5%)	120 (26.0%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	14 (3.0%)	58 (12.6%)	12	502^nd of 557 public elementary schools	9.9%		31.3	435^th of 565 public elementary schools	23.0%	67	41.3	50.9	43.3	54.0	63.2	61.2	22.4	$12,711	$1,327	$11,383
Cunningham School	Public	PK, KG-5	1224 Mobile St	Waterloo	50703	Black Hawk County	Waterloo Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 433-2600	401	33	12.1	91.5%	39 (9.7%)	231 (57.6%)	49 (12.2%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	28 (7.0%)	51 (12.7%)	3.2	545^th of 557 public elementary schools	2.2%		9.8	526^th of 565 public elementary schools	6.9%	19	35.0	40.3	38.5	50.0	38.8	48.1	25.0	$14,512	$2,793	$11,718
Lincoln Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	302 Cedar Bend St	Waterloo	50703	Black Hawk County	Waterloo Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 433-1990	492	33	14.8	87.8%	104 (21.1%)	226 (45.9%)	54 (11.0%)	6 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (5.9%)	73 (14.8%)	15.4	486^th of 557 public elementary schools	12.7%		15.5	502^nd of 565 public elementary schools	11.2%	16	51.0	56.9	33.3	71.4	60.0	53.0	27.3	$14,309	$1,947	$12,361

Frequently Asked Questions about Lou Henry Elementary School

What district is Lou Henry Elementary School in?

Waterloo Community School District

Is Lou Henry Elementary School a good school?

Lou Henry Elementary School ranks 356^th of 557 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Lou Henry Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 456 students attended Lou Henry Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Lou Henry Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Lou Henry Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Hoover Middle School
High : West High School

What is the racial makeup of Lou Henry Elementary School?

Students at Lou Henry Elementary School are 44% White, 33% African American, 8% Two or more races, 7% Asian, 6% Hispanic, 2% Pacific Islander.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Iowa Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.