Waterman Elementary

Summary:

Waterman Elementary is a public elementary school in Harrisonburg, Virginia, serving 530 students in grades PK-5. The school faces significant challenges, with academic performance well below state and district averages, a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, and a large English Language Learner population.

Waterman Elementary's academic performance, as measured by SOL (Standards of Learning) test scores, is significantly lower than the state and Harrisonburg City Public Schools district averages across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in 2023-2024, only 31.52% of 3rd-grade students at Waterman Elementary were proficient or better in SOL Mathematics, compared to 46.44% for the district and 70.11% for the state of Virginia. The school's statewide ranking has also steadily declined over the past decade, from 590 out of 1,100 Virginia elementary schools in 2014-2015 to 1,025 out of 1,114 in 2023-2024.

Waterman Elementary's challenges extend beyond academic performance. The school has a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 78.87% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch in the 2022-2023 school year. Additionally, the school has a high percentage of English Language Learner (ELL) students, ranking in the bottom 5% of Virginia elementary schools for this student subgroup. When compared to other elementary schools in the Harrisonburg City Public Schools district, such as Bluestone Elementary, Waterman Elementary consistently performs worse on academic measures, suggesting the need for targeted interventions and support to address these challenges and improve educational outcomes for its students.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 451 Chicago Ave
       Harrisonburg, VA  22802


(540) 434-8352

District: Harrisonburg City Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
1025th of 1,114 Virginia Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $9,430 Help


Students who attend Waterman Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Thomas Harrison Middle
High:    Harrisonburg High

Student/teacher ratio:  12.3 Help
Number of students:  530

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
61.1%
White:
25.3%
African American:
6.4%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  78.9% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Waterman Elementary ranks worse than 92% of elementary schools in Virginia. It also ranks 4th among 6 ranked elementary schools in the Harrisonburg City Public Schools District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 9.98. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a high 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 Waterman Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Harrisonburg City Public Schools District.  (See more...)
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Waterman Elementary is $9,430, which is the 3rd highest among 6 elementary schools in the Harrisonburg City Public Schools District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Waterman Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Waterman Elementary 1025th of 1114 Virginia public elementary schools. (See Waterman Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Harrisonburg City Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Harrisonburg City Public Schools 126th of 130 Virginia school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Waterman Elementary

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Waterman Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2005 49.58 581st 1062 45.3%
2006 53.97 537th 1071 49.9%
2007 34.24 847th 1083 21.8%
2008 25.87 945th 1081 12.6%
2009 3.00 1076th 1082 0.6%
2010 60.91 432nd 1113 61.2%
2011 56.03 523rd 1117 53.2%
2012 56.21 509th 1117 54.4%
2013 21.86 970th 1120 13.4%
2014 45.56 666th 1110 40.0%
2015 53.52 590th 1100 46.4%
2016 46.26 684th 1096 37.6%
2017 42.41 732nd 1099 33.4%
2018 14.76 1006th 1097 8.3%
2019 29.85 881st 1105 20.3%
2021 17.26 939th 1103 14.9%
2022 7.11 1054th 1109 5.0%
2023 5.71 1073rd 1114 3.7%
2024 9.98 1025th 1114 8.0%
See the entire list of Virginia Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Waterman Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 10.26 298th 300 0.7%
2024 14.50 296th 306 3.3%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Waterman Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 12.71 970th 1036 6.4%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Waterman Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 2.51 1087th 1100 1.2%
2024 11.75 1005th 1098 8.5%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Waterman Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 12.56 995th 1093 9.0%
2024 8.95 1038th 1101 5.7%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Waterman Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 3.42 563rd 564 0.2%
2024 11.17 542nd 580 6.6%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Waterman Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 27.29 809th 984 17.8%
2024 24.57 819th 979 16.3%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Virginia 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.

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





Data source: Virginia Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Waterman Elementary

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1989 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 529 529
1990 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 484 484
1991 0 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 514 514
1992 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 527 527
1993 460 44 20 42 0 n/a n/a 0 566
1994 361 23 9 35 0 n/a n/a 0 428
1995 296 23 8 33 0 n/a n/a 0 360
1996 296 23 8 33 0 n/a n/a 0 360
1997 311 29 8 31 0 n/a n/a 0 379
1998 318 42 12 23 0 n/a n/a 0 395
1999 307 34 16 32 0 n/a n/a 0 389
2000 299 38 16 48 0 n/a n/a -4 397
2001 266 55 17 60 0 n/a n/a 0 398
2002 275 51 24 90 0 n/a n/a 0 440
2003 275 51 24 90 0 n/a n/a 0 440
2004 241 58 16 122 0 n/a n/a 0 437
2005 261 72 15 141 0 n/a n/a 0 489
2006 240 81 17 165 1 n/a n/a 0 504
2007 260 77 21 195 1 n/a n/a 0 554
2008 251 93 18 230 0 n/a n/a 0 592
2009 167 43 16 154 0 n/a n/a 5 385
2010 180 35 20 182 0 n/a n/a 8 425
2011 164 35 15 163 0 0 21 0 398
2012 148 34 14 193 0 0 28 0 417
2013 165 34 10 251 0 0 43 0 503
2014 189 32 14 286 0 0 41 0 562
2015 199 22 8 276 0 0 40 0 545
2016 194 28 8 276 0 0 26 0 532
2017 210 42 7 267 0 0 28 0 554
2018 185 31 4 254 0 0 25 0 499
2019 190 24 7 280 0 0 27 0 528
2020 178 26 7 315 0 0 30 0 556
2021 154 25 10 302 0 0 28 0 519
2022 145 36 13 303 0 0 27 0 524
2023 134 34 13 324 0 0 25 0 530

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 Waterman Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 529 38.9 13.5 n/a
1990 484 36.1 13.4 n/a
1991 514 38.2 13.4 n/a
1992 527 38.9 13.5 n/a
1993 566 41.2 13.7 n/a
1994 428 27.7 n/a 33.4
1995 360 n/a 0.0 42.8
1996 360 n/a 0.0 42.8
1997 379 n/a 0.0 42.5
1998 395 n/a 0.0 41
1999 389 37.0 10.5 53
2000 397 n/a 0.0 50.9
2001 398 39.5 10.1 56.8
2002 440 47.5 9.3 55.2
2003 440 47.5 9.3 55.2
2004 437 45.5 9.6 62
2005 489 44.5 11.0 64.4
2006 504 48.0 10.5 76
2007 554 57.7 9.6 73.3
2008 592 40.2 14.7 67.4
2009 385 30.2 12.7 67.4
2010 425 30.0 14.1 71.2
2011 398 30.0 13.2 76.9
2012 417 30.0 13.9 86.3
2013 503 36.0 13.9 78.3
2014 562 43.9 12.7 84
2015 545 43.0 12.6 81.5
2016 532 37.0 14.3 78.9
2017 554 42.6 12.9 72.2
2018 499 41.9 11.8 76.8
2019 528 40.8 12.9 71.6
2020 556 42.7 12.9 72.5
2021 519 33.8 15.3 n/a
2022 524 32.7 16.0 76.9
2023 530 43.0 12.3 78.9

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 Waterman Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 529 38.9 13.5 n/a
1990 484 36.1 13.4 n/a
1991 514 38.2 13.4 n/a
1992 527 38.9 13.5 n/a
1993 566 41.2 13.7 n/a
1994 428 27.7 n/a 33.4
1995 360 n/a 0.0 42.8
1996 360 n/a 0.0 42.8
1997 379 n/a 0.0 42.5
1998 395 n/a 0.0 41
1999 389 37.0 10.5 53
2000 397 n/a 0.0 50.9
2001 398 39.5 10.1 56.8
2002 440 47.5 9.3 55.2
2003 440 47.5 9.3 55.2
2004 437 45.5 9.6 62
2005 489 44.5 11.0 64.4
2006 504 48.0 10.5 76
2007 554 57.7 9.6 73.3
2008 592 40.2 14.7 67.4
2009 385 30.2 12.7 67.4
2010 425 30.0 14.1 71.2
2011 398 30.0 13.2 76.9
2012 417 30.0 13.9 86.3
2013 503 36.0 13.9 78.3
2014 562 43.9 12.7 84
2015 545 43.0 12.6 81.5
2016 532 37.0 14.3 78.9
2017 554 42.6 12.9 72.2
2018 499 41.9 11.8 76.8
2019 528 40.8 12.9 71.6
2020 556 42.7 12.9 72.5
2021 519 33.8 15.3 n/a
2022 524 32.7 16.0 76.9
2023 530 43.0 12.3 78.9

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 Waterman Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $683 (8.3%) $7,506 (91.7%) $8,189
2020 $549 (7.0%) $7,341 (93.1%) $7,889
2021 $659 (7.0%) $8,771 (93.0%) $9,430

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Waterman 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 881st of 1105 Elementary schoolsRanks 1073rd of 1114 Elementary schools
 16.6%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Waterman Elementary)7530.9
 44.1%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Harrisonburg City Public Schools)7040
 30%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Virginia)8269.1
 12.9%
3rd Grade English Reading (Waterman Elementary)6532.1
 32.9%
   3rd Grade English Reading (Harrisonburg City Public Schools)5335.7
 17.3%
   3rd Grade English Reading (Virginia)7166.1
 4.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Waterman Elementary)8042.9
 37.1%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Harrisonburg City Public Schools)7547.9
 27.1%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)8369.7
 13.3%
4th Grade English Reading (Waterman Elementary)6242.1
 20%
   4th Grade English Reading (Harrisonburg City Public Schools)5748
 9%
   4th Grade English Reading (Virginia)7572.7
 2.3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Waterman Elementary)6832.6
 35.4%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Harrisonburg City Public Schools)6346.6
 16.5%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)8167
 14%
5th Grade Science (Waterman Elementary)7148.8
 22.2%
   5th Grade Science (Harrisonburg City Public Schools)7058.8
 11.2%
   5th Grade Science (Virginia)7966
 13%
5th Grade English Reading (Waterman Elementary)6542.4
 22.7%
   5th Grade English Reading (Harrisonburg City Public Schools)6150.2
 10.8%
   5th Grade English Reading (Virginia)7871.4
 6.6%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students528530
 0.4%
African American2434
 41.7%
American Indian00
Asian713
 85.7%
Hispanic280324
 15.7%
Pacific Islander00
White190134
 29.5%
Two or More Races2725
 7.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients71.6%78.9%
 7.3%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Waterman Elementary

In the 2022-23 school year, 530 students attended Waterman Elementary.

Waterman Elementary ranks in the bottom 8.0% of Virginia elementary schools.

Students at Waterman Elementary are 61% Hispanic, 25% White, 6% African American, 5% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Students who attend Waterman Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Thomas Harrison Middle
High : Harrisonburg High


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





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