1. Home
  2. Maryland
  3. Columbia
  4. Howard County Public Schools
  5. Waterloo Elementary

Waterloo Elementary

Summary:

Waterloo Elementary is a public elementary school located in Columbia, Maryland, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 612. The school is part of the highly-ranked Howard County Public Schools district, which is ranked 2nd out of 25 districts in Maryland and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Waterloo Elementary consistently performs above the state and district averages in both Mathematics and English Language Arts (ELA) assessments across all grade levels. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school's proficiency rates were 57% in Mathematics and 73% in ELA, compared to the state averages of 24.1% and 48.4%, respectively. Waterloo Elementary also has a diverse student population, with a racial makeup of 32.68% White, 29.74% African American, 14.38% Hispanic, and 15.52% Asian students. This diversity is a key differentiating factor compared to some of the nearby schools, such as Worthington Elementary and Ilchester Elementary, which tend to have more homogeneous student populations.

Waterloo Elementary's strong academic performance may be attributed to its relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 11.6 to 12.6 over the past three school years, as well as its significantly higher spending per student ($18,910 in 2020-2021) compared to the state and district averages. However, the school's performance across different student subgroups varies, with Hispanic students performing well but Asian students and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds performing lower. Additionally, Waterloo Elementary's statewide ranking has fluctuated over the years, suggesting the school may face some challenges in maintaining its high performance.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 5940 Waterloo Rd
       Columbia, MD  21045

(410) 313-5014

District: Howard County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
115th of 859 Maryland Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $18,965 Help


Students who attend Waterloo Elementary usually attend:

High:    Long Reach High

Student/teacher ratio:  12.2 Help
Number of students:  626

Racial breakdown:

White:
35.0%
African American:
28.8%
Asian:
15.0%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  29.7% Help


 See top rated Maryland elementary schools

 Compare Waterloo Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Waterloo Elementary ranks better than 86.6% of elementary schools in Maryland. It also ranks 17th among 42 ranked elementary schools in the Howard County Public Schools District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 85.42. (See more...)
Help
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
Help
Compare Details Student population at Waterloo Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (35%), African American (28.8%), Asian (15%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 29.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Waterloo Elementary is 12.2, which is the 18th best among 42 elementary schools in the Howard County Public Schools District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Waterloo Elementary employs 51.2 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Waterloo Elementary is $18,965, which is the 13th highest among 42 elementary schools in the Howard County Public Schools District.
Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Howard County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Howard County Public Schools 2nd of 25 Maryland school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Waterloo Elementary.

What do you think?

Your rating for Waterloo Elementary?

Rank History for Waterloo Elementary

Help
Compare

Rank History for all students at Waterloo Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MD State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 12.77 715th 803 11.0%
2005 15.65 709th 805 11.9%
2006 24.91 641st 804 20.3%
2007 20.10 690th 818 15.6%
2008 65.65 313th 838 62.6%
2009 65.60 321st 850 62.2%
2010 65.55 333rd 855 61.1%
2011 67.30 290th 853 66.0%
2012 71.90 232nd 857 72.9%
2013 76.53 173rd 847 79.6%
2014 73.40 244th 867 71.9%
2015 77.98 179th 859 79.2%
2016 80.42 172nd 845 79.6%
2017 84.04 145th 847 82.9%
2018 80.90 163rd 857 81.0%
2019 79.88 167th 853 80.4%
2021 53.35 268th 802 66.6%
2022 82.50 150th 862 82.6%
2023 83.00 139th 855 83.7%
2024 85.42 115th 859 86.6%
See the entire list of Maryland Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Waterloo Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MD State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 26.45 463rd 546 15.2%
See the entire list of Best Maryland Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Waterloo Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MD State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 45.86 312th 796 60.8%
See the entire list of Best Maryland Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Waterloo Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MD State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 55.58 244th 788 69.0%
See the entire list of Best Maryland Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Waterloo Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MD State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 24.21 106th 128 17.2%
See the entire list of Best Maryland Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Waterloo Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MD State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 42.61 246th 504 51.2%
See the entire list of Best Maryland Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Waterloo Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MD State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 75.22 42nd 347 87.9%
See the entire list of Best Maryland Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Waterloo Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MD State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 52.35 220th 528 58.3%
See the entire list of Best Maryland Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Maryland 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.

Waterloo Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 
Help






Data source: Maryland State Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Thursday, June 3, 2021

Open Quote Our first year started virtual. The staff is phenomenal and goes above and beyond to support students and families. We hope that we remain here for the next 7 years and are not impacted by redistricting again. Close Quote


by a citizen
Thursday, January 3, 2013

Open Quote Great teachers. Very supportive to the needs of the students. Close Quote


by a parent
Friday, January 21, 2011

Open Quote Great teachers and staff. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Waterloo Elementary

Help
Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1989 364 46 20 1 0 n/a n/a 1 432
1990 453 52 17 2 0 n/a n/a 0 524
1991 245 41 14 5 0 n/a n/a 0 305
1992 347 55 26 7 2 n/a n/a 0 437
1993 378 61 40 11 5 n/a n/a 0 495
1994 234 63 35 9 5 n/a n/a 0 346
1995 321 99 63 17 1 n/a n/a 0 501
1996 321 99 63 17 1 n/a n/a 0 501
1997 288 92 76 9 1 n/a n/a 0 466
1998 318 90 78 11 1 n/a n/a 0 498
1999 355 99 82 11 0 n/a n/a 0 547
2000 341 130 84 22 0 n/a n/a 0 577
2001 394 137 65 21 1 n/a n/a 0 618
2002 397 136 82 24 3 n/a n/a 0 642
2003 397 136 82 24 3 n/a n/a 0 642
2004 383 110 67 24 1 n/a n/a 0 585
2005 358 103 73 25 1 n/a n/a 0 560
2006 356 106 78 23 2 n/a n/a 0 565
2007 335 142 97 23 2 n/a n/a 0 599
2008 343 157 110 29 2 n/a n/a 0 641
2009 335 193 110 26 3 n/a n/a 0 667
2010 338 225 129 27 4 n/a n/a 0 723
2011 288 228 149 45 3 1 47 0 761
2012 270 222 174 40 3 0 47 0 756
2013 271 250 180 36 4 0 42 0 783
2014 270 162 107 39 2 0 37 0 617
2015 251 170 113 42 3 1 44 0 624
2016 235 180 117 50 2 1 43 0 628
2017 220 189 129 38 3 0 45 0 624
2018 216 198 130 36 4 2 49 0 635
2019 207 192 138 38 2 2 41 0 620
2020 213 184 124 35 1 3 42 0 602
2021 186 193 103 56 1 1 42 0 582
2022 197 189 96 80 2 1 41 0 606
2023 200 182 95 88 1 1 45 0 612
2024 219 180 94 88 1 0 44 0 626

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

Help
Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 432 23.5 18.3 n/a
1990 524 31.0 16.9 6.5
1991 305 23.5 12.9 5.9
1992 437 28.0 15.6 4.1
1993 495 31.0 16.0 3.6
1994 346 27.5 12.6 8.4
1995 501 35.5 14.1 7.4
1996 501 35.5 14.1 7.4
1997 466 36.7 12.7 6.2
1998 498 34.0 14.6 6.6
1999 547 34.0 16.1 9
2000 577 39.5 14.6 10.6
2001 618 44.0 14.0 10.4
2002 642 43.5 14.8 6.1
2003 642 43.5 14.8 6.1
2004 585 41.0 14.3 5.6
2005 560 41.0 13.7 7.3
2006 565 40.0 14.1 9.6
2007 599 41.5 14.4 11.2
2008 641 50.5 12.7 12.9
2009 667 54.1 12.3 16
2010 723 57.5 12.5 19.6
2011 761 55.5 13.7 19.7
2012 756 55.5 13.6 23.5
2013 783 59.0 13.2 25.7
2014 617 54.5 11.3 21.6
2015 624 52.0 12.0 22.3
2016 628 52.0 12.0 22.6
2017 624 53.1 11.7 24.8
2018 635 51.9 12.2 23.6
2019 620 48.1 12.8 20.8
2020 602 47.3 12.7 20.3
2021 582 49.9 11.6 21.5
2022 606 49.8 12.1 23.3
2023 612 48.4 12.6 31.7
2024 626 51.2 12.2 29.7

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

Help
Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 432 23.5 18.3 n/a
1990 524 31.0 16.9 6.5
1991 305 23.5 12.9 5.9
1992 437 28.0 15.6 4.1
1993 495 31.0 16.0 3.6
1994 346 27.5 12.6 8.4
1995 501 35.5 14.1 7.4
1996 501 35.5 14.1 7.4
1997 466 36.7 12.7 6.2
1998 498 34.0 14.6 6.6
1999 547 34.0 16.1 9
2000 577 39.5 14.6 10.6
2001 618 44.0 14.0 10.4
2002 642 43.5 14.8 6.1
2003 642 43.5 14.8 6.1
2004 585 41.0 14.3 5.6
2005 560 41.0 13.7 7.3
2006 565 40.0 14.1 9.6
2007 599 41.5 14.4 11.2
2008 641 50.5 12.7 12.9
2009 667 54.1 12.3 16
2010 723 57.5 12.5 19.6
2011 761 55.5 13.7 19.7
2012 756 55.5 13.6 23.5
2013 783 59.0 13.2 25.7
2014 617 54.5 11.3 21.6
2015 624 52.0 12.0 22.3
2016 628 52.0 12.0 22.6
2017 624 53.1 11.7 24.8
2018 635 51.9 12.2 23.6
2019 620 48.1 12.8 20.8
2020 602 47.3 12.7 20.3
2021 582 49.9 11.6 21.5
2022 606 49.8 12.1 23.3
2023 612 48.4 12.6 31.7
2024 626 51.2 12.2 29.7

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

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $520 (3.2%) $15,901 (96.8%) $16,420
2020 $626 (3.7%) $16,145 (96.3%) $16,771
2021 $869 (4.6%) $18,041 (95.4%) $18,910
2022 $1,104 (5.9%) $17,504 (94.1%) $18,608
2023 $940 (5.0%) $18,025 (95.0%) $18,965

Data source: Maryland Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Waterloo Elementary

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 167th of 853 Elementary schoolsRanks 139th of 855 Elementary schools
 3.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Total Students620612
 1.3%
African American192182
 5.2%
American Indian21
 50%
Asian13895
 31.2%
Hispanic3888
 131.6%
Pacific Islander21
 50%
White207200
 3.4%
Two or More Races4145
 9.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients20.8%31.7%
 10.9%

Schools Near Waterloo Elementary








Frequently Asked Questions about Waterloo Elementary

Students at Waterloo Elementary are 35% White, 29% African American, 15% Asian, 14% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races.

Waterloo Elementary ranks 115th of 859 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

In the 2023-24 school year, 626 students attended Waterloo Elementary.

Students who attend Waterloo Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Long Reach High


Rate Waterloo Elementary!



Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...


Compare to nearby schools

MDMaryland Elementary School Rankings

MDMaryland District Rankings

Schools in Columbia, MD

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Waterloo Elementary!




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




Diagnostics

None retrieved from Database in 48 milliseconds.