Is Waterloo Elementary School a good school?

Waterloo Elementary School ranks 748 th of 1010 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend Waterloo Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 224 students attended Waterloo Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Waterloo Elementary School?

Students at Waterloo Elementary School are 91% White, 5% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 1% African American.

What schools do graduates of Waterloo Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Waterloo Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : DeKalb Middle School High : DeKalb High School

Waterloo Elementary School

Summary:

Waterloo Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 220 students in grades PK-5 in Waterloo, Indiana, which is part of the DeKalb County Ctl United School District. Despite spending more per student than the state average, Waterloo Elementary consistently underperforms academically compared to the district and state, with low proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Math on state assessments.

Waterloo Elementary faces significant challenges, including high rates of chronic absenteeism (14.7% to 21.9%) and a high percentage of students (over 60%) qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage. In contrast, nearby schools like McKenney-Harrison Elementary, Country Meadow Elementary, and James R Watson Elementary have significantly higher proficiency rates, 10-20 percentage points above Waterloo in both English Language Arts and Math. Schools with higher percentages of White students, such as Hamilton Community Elementary (100% White) and Pleasant Lake Elementary (93.7% White), also tend to have stronger academic performance compared to Waterloo.

Despite Waterloo's relatively low student-teacher ratio of 14.4, which is lower than nearby schools, this has not translated into better academic outcomes, suggesting that other factors, such as the high rates of economic disadvantage and chronic absenteeism, may be more influential in the school's performance. Addressing these underlying issues could be key to improving Waterloo Elementary's academic outcomes and providing a better educational experience for its students.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

300 E Douglas St
Waterloo, IN 46793

(260) 920-1011

District: DeKalb County Ctl United School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
748^th of 1,010 Indiana Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,844

Students who attend Waterloo Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	DeKalb Middle School
High:	DeKalb High School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.5

Number of students: 224

Racial breakdown:

White:

90.6%

Hispanic:

5.4%

Two or more races:

2.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 72.3%

See top rated Indiana elementary schools

Compare Waterloo Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Waterloo Elementary School ranks worse than 74.1% of elementary schools in Indiana. It also ranks last among 4 ranked elementary schools in the DeKalb County Ctl United School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 27.7. (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 Waterloo Elementary School has the smallest elementary school student body size in the DeKalb County Ctl United School District. Racial makeup is: White (90.6%), Hispanic (5.4%), two or more races (2.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 72.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the DeKalb County Ctl United School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Waterloo Elementary School is 15.5, which is the lowest among 4 elementary schools in the DeKalb County Ctl United School District! (See more...)

Compare Waterloo Elementary School employs 14.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Waterloo Elementary School is $13,844, which is the highest among 4 elementary schools in the DeKalb County Ctl United School District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

DeKalb County Ctl United School District:

SchoolDigger ranks DeKalb County Ctl United School District 146^th of 381 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Waterloo Elementary School.

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Rank History for Waterloo Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IN State Percentile
2005	23.40	821^st	959	14.4%
2006	20.85	837^th	961	12.9%
2007	15.17	892^nd	985	9.4%
2008	5.39	967^th	996	2.9%
2009	34.88	749^th	1003	25.3%
2010	25.13	838^th	1009	16.9%
2011	37.39	762^nd	1025	25.7%
2012	39.01	734^th	1015	27.7%
2013	46.82	663^rd	1035	35.9%
2014	57.10	509^th	1036	50.9%
2015	24.41	870^th	1040	16.3%
2016	42.06	712^th	1046	31.9%
2017	35.01	754^th	1033	27.0%
2018	40.11	701^st	1027	31.7%
2019	38.78	685^th	1031	33.6%
2021	25.91	777^th	1016	23.5%
2022	29.69	743^rd	1020	27.2%
2023	27.17	757^th	1016	25.5%
2024	27.70	748^th	1010	25.9%

See the entire list of Indiana Elementary School Rankings!

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

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent on FaceBook
Thursday, October 25, 2012

I love this school! My daughter is in 1st grade and I have 2 other girls that have gone here as well (they are both grown). Waterloo School puts emphasis on math and reading as early as Kindergarten. My daughter was reading me books in Kindergarten as early as 1 month after starting. My child loves this school and I have not heard anything negative from any of my girls about their experience here. The staff knows each child by name and teaching is personalized. As soon as my child's first grade teacher realized she was ahead of the other students in math she gave her different homework from the other kids to challenge her. The school also has many other extra curricular programs as well, including art, computers and music among others. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Waterloo Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	303	0	1	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	307
1989	306	0	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	307
1990	270	0	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	274
1991	287	0	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	289
1992	253	1	3	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	259
1993	254	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	254
1994	263	1	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	266
1995	251	0	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	255
1996	251	0	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	255
1997	263	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	263
1998	282	0	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	285
1999	264	0	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	266
2000	282	3	0	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	291
2001	285	0	1	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	294
2002	275	0	2	15	0	n/a	n/a	0	292
2003	275	0	2	15	0	n/a	n/a	0	292
2004	292	1	2	19	0	n/a	n/a	0	314
2005	294	2	1	26	1	n/a	n/a	0	324
2006	283	1	2	15	3	n/a	n/a	0	304
2007	282	1	3	18	3	n/a	n/a	9	316
2008	244	1	3	10	1	n/a	n/a	12	271
2009	219	1	2	8	0	n/a	n/a	18	248
2010	227	1	1	8	0	n/a	n/a	17	254
2011	237	0	1	7	0	0	17	0	262
2012	244	0	1	7	1	2	12	0	267
2013	239	0	2	7	0	0	14	0	262
2014	240	0	1	5	0	0	16	0	262
2015	222	1	1	7	0	0	14	0	245
2016	270	0	1	9	0	0	19	0	299
2017	295	0	1	7	0	0	17	0	320
2018	181	0	0	11	0	1	7	0	200
2019	200	3	0	13	0	0	8	0	224
2020	207	2	0	6	0	0	6	0	221
2021	178	3	0	3	0	0	7	0	191
2022	179	2	0	3	0	0	10	0	194
2023	200	3	0	6	0	0	11	0	220
2024	203	3	0	12	0	0	6	0	224

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 Waterloo Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	307	15.6	19.6	12.7
1989	307	17.0	18.0	28
1990	274	16.5	16.6	23.7
1991	289	16.0	18.0	17
1992	259	16.3	15.8	13.1
1993	254	14.8	17.2	14.6
1994	266	15.8	16.8	18.4
1995	255	15.8	16.1	16.5
1996	255	15.8	16.1	16.5
1997	263	15.8	16.6	13.3
1998	285	16.2	17.6	14.4
1999	266	15.0	17.7	18.8
2000	291	13.5	21.6	24.4
2001	294	16.9	17.4	31.3
2002	292	17.3	16.9	42.8
2003	292	17.3	16.9	42.8
2004	314	18.3	17.2	46.8
2005	324	18.4	17.6	52.2
2006	304	16.9	18.0	47.7
2007	316	n/a	n/a	46.9
2008	271	14.4	18.8	51.7
2009	248	15.4	16.1	63.9
2010	254	15.3	16.5	68.4
2011	262	16.4	15.9	61.8
2012	267	18.0	14.8	67.4
2013	262	17.0	15.4	68.3
2014	262	14.0	18.7	69.1
2015	245	14.0	17.5	72.2
2016	299	17.0	17.5	67.9
2017	320	16.0	19.9	66.9
2018	200	14.0	14.2	75.5
2019	224	15.0	14.9	71
2020	221	16.0	13.8	65.2
2021	191	15.0	12.7	62.3
2022	194	15.2	12.7	63.9
2023	220	15.2	14.4	66.4
2024	224	14.4	15.5	72.3

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 Waterloo Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	307	15.6	19.6	12.7
1989	307	17.0	18.0	28
1990	274	16.5	16.6	23.7
1991	289	16.0	18.0	17
1992	259	16.3	15.8	13.1
1993	254	14.8	17.2	14.6
1994	266	15.8	16.8	18.4
1995	255	15.8	16.1	16.5
1996	255	15.8	16.1	16.5
1997	263	15.8	16.6	13.3
1998	285	16.2	17.6	14.4
1999	266	15.0	17.7	18.8
2000	291	13.5	21.6	24.4
2001	294	16.9	17.4	31.3
2002	292	17.3	16.9	42.8
2003	292	17.3	16.9	42.8
2004	314	18.3	17.2	46.8
2005	324	18.4	17.6	52.2
2006	304	16.9	18.0	47.7
2007	316	n/a	n/a	46.9
2008	271	14.4	18.8	51.7
2009	248	15.4	16.1	63.9
2010	254	15.3	16.5	68.4
2011	262	16.4	15.9	61.8
2012	267	18.0	14.8	67.4
2013	262	17.0	15.4	68.3
2014	262	14.0	18.7	69.1
2015	245	14.0	17.5	72.2
2016	299	17.0	17.5	67.9
2017	320	16.0	19.9	66.9
2018	200	14.0	14.2	75.5
2019	224	15.0	14.9	71
2020	221	16.0	13.8	65.2
2021	191	15.0	12.7	62.3
2022	194	15.2	12.7	63.9
2023	220	15.2	14.4	66.4
2024	224	14.4	15.5	72.3

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 Waterloo Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$499 (4.5%)	$10,521 (95.5%)	$11,020
2020	$799 (7.1%)	$10,471 (92.9%)	$11,270
2021	$848 (6.4%)	$12,399 (93.6%)	$13,246
2022	$1,503 (10.9%)	$12,341 (89.1%)	$13,844

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Waterloo 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 685^th of 1031 Elementary schools	Ranks 757^th of 1016 Elementary schools	8.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Waterloo Elementary School)	21.4	27	5.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (DeKalb County Ctl United School District)	52.8	29.5	23.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	46.3	39.7	6.6%
3rd Grade Math (Waterloo Elementary School)	39.3	56.8	17.5%
3rd Grade Math (DeKalb County Ctl United School District)	63.3	54.6	8.7%
3rd Grade Math (Indiana)	58.7	53.1	5.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Waterloo Elementary School)	52	22.7	29.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (DeKalb County Ctl United School District)	47.2	37.3	9.9%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	45.8	40.3	5.5%
4th Grade Math (Waterloo Elementary School)	60	27.3	32.7%
4th Grade Math (DeKalb County Ctl United School District)	62.2	56.2	6%
4th Grade Math (Indiana)	54	48.8	5.2%
4th Grade Science (Waterloo Elementary School)	44	13.6	30.4%
4th Grade Science (DeKalb County Ctl United School District)	45.7	37.3	8.4%
4th Grade Science (Indiana)	46.3	37	9.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Waterloo Elementary School)	45.8	19.4	26.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (DeKalb County Ctl United School District)	46.4	42.3	4.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	47.5	40.2	7.3%
5th Grade Math (Waterloo Elementary School)	37.5	22.6	14.9%
5th Grade Math (DeKalb County Ctl United School District)	46.4	43.9	2.5%
5th Grade Math (Indiana)	47.8	41.1	6.7%
5th Grade Social Studies (Waterloo Elementary School)	25	16.1	8.9%
5th Grade Social Studies (DeKalb County Ctl United School District)	46	41.9	4.1%
5th Grade Social Studies (Indiana)	46	39.1	6.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	224	220	1.8%
African American	3	3
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	13	6	53.8%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	200	200
Two or More Races	8	11	37.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	71%	66.4%	4.6%

Schools Near Waterloo Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ILEARN English Language Arts (2024)					ILEARN Math (2024)					ILEARN Social Studies (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
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	ILEARN English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 4th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 5th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 6th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts All Grades	ILEARN Math 3rd Grade	ILEARN Math 4th Grade	ILEARN Math 5th Grade	ILEARN Math 6th Grade	ILEARN Math All Grades	ILEARN Social Studies 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Waterloo Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	300 E Douglas St	Waterloo	46793	DeKalb County	DeKalb County Ctl United School District	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 920-1011	224	14	15.5	72.3%	203 (90.6%)	3 (1.3%)	12 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.7%)	27.7	748^th of 1010 public elementary schools	25.9%		27.2	757^th of 1016 public elementary schools	25.5%	9	26.7	25.0	7.7		20.8	40.0	52.5	19.2		39.6	0.0	$13,844	$1,503	$12,341
James R Watson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	901 Eckhart Ave	Auburn	46706	DeKalb County	DeKalb County Ctl United School District	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 920-1014	579	30	19.0	38.7%	523 (90.3%)	2 (0.3%)	38 (6.6%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	12 (2.1%)	71.9	272^nd of 1010 public elementary schools	73.1%		77.8	202^nd of 1016 public elementary schools	80.1%	70	39.4	41.5	60.3		46.2	55.8	61.0	61.0		58.9	51.3	$9,399	$747	$8,652
McKenney-Harrison Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	400 South Indiana Ave	Auburn	46706	DeKalb County	DeKalb County Ctl United School District	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 920-1015	647	34	18.7	55.2%	585 (90.4%)	4 (0.6%)	32 (4.9%)	7 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (0.9%)	13 (2.0%)	55.9	465^th of 1010 public elementary schools	54.0%		51.5	524^th of 1016 public elementary schools	48.4%	59	36.1	33.7	40.7		36.7	49.5	51.0	46.5		49.1	43.5	$8,668	$1,055	$7,613
Country Meadow Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2410 Cr 10	Ashley	46705	DeKalb County	DeKalb County Ctl United School District	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 920-1017	302	19	15.5	43.7%	278 (92.1%)	1 (0.3%)	14 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.0%)	44.3	585^th of 1010 public elementary schools	42.1%		39.1	644^th of 1016 public elementary schools	36.6%	59	32.5	29.1	39.5		33.1	47.5	40.0	36.8		41.4	36.8	$10,238	$983	$9,255
Butler Elementary School	Public	K-6	1025 S Broadway	Butler	46721	DeKalb County	DeKalb County Eastern Com School District	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 868-2123	361	25	14.3	64.5%	326 (90.3%)	4 (1.1%)	22 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.9%)	14	883^rd of 1010 public elementary schools	12.6%		29.2	736^th of 1016 public elementary schools	27.6%	147	7.8	20.8	7.3	18.2	13.4	31.4	25.0	10.9	21.8	22.0	9.1	$11,608	$490	$11,118
J E Ober Elementary School	Public	K-5	801 E Houston St	Garrett	46738	DeKalb County	Garrett-Keyser-Butler Com School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 357-3112	712	51	14.0	58.4%	635 (89.2%)	4 (0.6%)	35 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	6 (0.8%)	30 (4.2%)	24.8	769^th of 1010 public elementary schools	23.9%		31	719^th of 1016 public elementary schools	29.2%	50	14.8	35.9	20.0		23.0	28.7	40.8	25.5		31.3	18.4	$8,732	$927	$7,805
Hamilton Community Elementary School	Public	K-5	903 S Wayne St	Hamilton	46742	Steuben County	Hamilton Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 488-2161	180	17	10.9	43.9%	177 (98.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	1 (0.6%)	56.9	449^th of 1010 public elementary schools	55.5%		62.2	387^th of 1016 public elementary schools	61.9%	62	46.4	23.1	45.2		38.8	71.4	34.6	35.5		47.1	45.2	$14,661	$2,266	$12,395
Riverdale Elementary School	Public	K-6	6127 Sr 1	Saint Joe	46785	DeKalb County	DeKalb County Eastern Com School District	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 337-5464	297	17	18.0	41.4%	280 (94.3%)	3 (1.0%)	7 (2.4%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.7%)	78.1	202^nd of 1010 public elementary schools	80.0%		77.8	201^st of 1016 public elementary schools	80.2%	1	40.0	47.5	47.1	52.4	46.6	71.1	65.0	64.7	47.6	62.1	58.8	$10,297	$481	$9,816
Pleasant Lake Elementary School	Public	K-5	1205 W Main St	Pleasant Lake	46779	Steuben County	MSD Steuben County	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 475-5055	104	11	9.6	53.8%	97 (93.3%)	1 (1.0%)	3 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.9%)	53.9	483^rd of 1010 public elementary schools	52.2%		69.4	311^th of 1016 public elementary schools	69.4%	172	26.7	40.9	47.1		38.9	53.3	31.8	47.1		42.6	47.1	$13,182	$1,004	$12,178
Wayne Center Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1231 E Appleman Rd	Kendallville	46755	Noble County	East Noble School Corporation	No	No	No	No	(260) 347-2548	322	23	13.8	26.4%	289 (89.8%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (7.1%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.5%)	58.6	427^th of 1010 public elementary schools	57.7%		57.2	454^th of 1016 public elementary schools	55.3%	27	40.0	37.3	50.0		41.1	48.4	44.8	52.8		47.9	50.0	$9,664	$540	$9,124

Waterloo Elementary School

DeKalb County Ctl United School District:

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Rank History for Waterloo Elementary School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Waterloo Elementary School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Waterloo Elementary School

Student/Teacher Ratio Waterloo Elementary School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Waterloo Elementary School

Impact of COVID-19 on Waterloo Elementary School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Waterloo Elementary School