Is Waterloo Middle a good school?

Waterloo Middle ranks 430 th of 641 Wisconsin middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Waterloo Middle?

In the 2022-23 school year, 116 students attended Waterloo Middle.

What is the racial makeup of Waterloo Middle?

Students at Waterloo Middle are 69% White, 27% Hispanic, 2% African American, 2% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of Waterloo Middle attend?

Students who attend Waterloo Middle usually go on to attend Waterloo High

Waterloo Middle

Summary:

Waterloo Middle is a public middle school serving grades 7-8 in Waterloo, Wisconsin, with an enrollment of 116 students. The school faces significant academic challenges, with consistently low proficiency rates in core subject areas and high chronic absenteeism rates.

Waterloo Middle's academic performance, as measured by the Forward Exam, is consistently below the state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2023-2024, only 43.55% of 7th graders were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 51.77%. In mathematics, the proficiency rate for 8th graders was just 26.19%, significantly lower than the state's 53.29%. The school has also experienced a concerning increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 5.8% in 2018-2019 to 29.5% in 2021-2022, which is significantly higher than the state average.

When compared to nearby middle schools, such as Glacial Drumlin School, Waterloo Middle generally underperforms in both English Language Arts and Mathematics proficiency rates across all grade levels. Despite spending more per student ($11,674 in 2020-2021) compared to the state average, Waterloo Middle's academic performance remains below par, suggesting the need to re-evaluate how resources are allocated to better support student learning. The school's high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 36.21% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in 2022-2023, may also contribute to the academic challenges faced by the school.

Detail:

Public 7-8

865 N Monroe St
Waterloo, WI 53594-1100

(920) 478-2696

District: Waterloo School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
430^th of 641 Wisconsin Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,674

Students who attend Waterloo Middle usually attend:

High:

Waterloo High

Feeder schools for Waterloo Middle:

Elementary:

Waterloo Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 13.2

Number of students: 116

Racial breakdown:

White:

69.0%

Hispanic:

26.7%

African American:

1.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 36.2%

See top rated Wisconsin middle schools

Compare Waterloo Middle to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Waterloo Middle ranks worse than 67.1% of middle schools in Wisconsin. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 39.38. (See more...)

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

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 (69%), Hispanic (26.7%), African American (1.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 36.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Waterloo Middle is 13.2. (See more...)

Compare Waterloo Middle employs 8.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Waterloo Middle is $11,674.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Waterloo Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks Waterloo Middle 430^th of 641 Wisconsin public middle schools. (See Waterloo Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Waterloo School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Waterloo School District 387^th of 428 Wisconsin school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Waterloo Middle?

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Rank History for Waterloo Middle

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Rank History for all students at Waterloo Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WI State Percentile
2007	55.96	229^th	366	37.4%
2008	58.34	268^th	519	48.4%
2009	65.27	187^th	521	64.1%
2010	69.16	147^th	539	72.7%
2011	68.05	151^st	549	72.5%
2012	69.16	136^th	559	75.7%
2013	54.08	300^th	569	47.3%
2014	46.48	376^th	585	35.7%
2015	30.05	487^th	612	20.4%
2016	23.22	506^th	609	16.9%
2017	32.97	450^th	612	26.5%
2018	44.13	356^th	579	38.5%
2019	49.55	332^nd	594	44.1%
2021	27.85	487^th	613	20.6%
2022	35.86	427^th	617	30.8%
2023	39.10	415^th	640	35.2%
2024	39.38	430^th	641	32.9%

See the entire list of Wisconsin Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Waterloo Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WI State Percentile
2019	58.93	32^nd	153	79.1%
2021	32.93	109^th	138	21.0%
2022	26.87	139^th	158	12.0%
2023	40.14	95^th	170	44.1%

See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Waterloo Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WI State Percentile
2018	43.70	223^rd	417	46.5%
2019	16.88	402^nd	414	2.9%
2021	48.46	202^nd	437	53.8%

See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Waterloo Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WI State Percentile
2018	27.38	403^rd	489	17.6%
2019	41.52	305^th	487	37.4%
2021	23.56	430^th	499	13.8%
2022	46.45	271^st	522	48.1%
2023	36.04	354^th	525	32.6%
2024	20.47	453^rd	520	12.9%

See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Waterloo Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WI State Percentile
2018	43.07	363^rd	551	34.1%
2019	57.47	254^th	557	54.4%
2021	35.57	421^st	574	26.7%
2022	36.44	395^th	576	31.4%
2023	36.53	397^th	579	31.4%
2024	33.03	431^st	580	25.7%

See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Waterloo Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WI State Percentile
2018	45.45	328^th	551	40.5%
2019	37.65	391^st	557	29.8%
2021	25.56	457^th	572	20.1%
2022	38.17	379^th	577	34.3%
2023	43.69	344^th	591	41.8%
2024	46.72	350^th	585	40.2%

See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Waterloo Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	44.49	120^th	209	42.6%

See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Waterloo Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	WI State Percentile
2018	31.60	282^nd	375	24.8%
2019	53.38	175^th	382	54.2%
2021	25.27	324^th	393	17.6%
2022	32.35	292^nd	397	26.4%
2023	35.07	285^th	412	30.8%
2024	32.54	292^nd	407	28.3%

See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, 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: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Waterloo Middle

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2001	139	1	2	11	1	n/a	n/a	154
2002	140	3	1	17	0	n/a	n/a	161
2003	140	3	1	17	0	n/a	n/a	161
2004	117	0	0	11	0	n/a	n/a	128
2005	106	0	1	10	1	n/a	n/a	118
2006	117	0	2	13	0	n/a	n/a	132
2007	113	1	1	16	0	n/a	n/a	131
2008	115	1	4	18	0	n/a	n/a	138
2009	114	0	3	20	0	n/a	n/a	137
2010	114	1	1	14	0	n/a	n/a	130
2011	112	1	2	21	0	0	0	136
2012	111	2	4	19	0	0	1	137
2013	108	2	2	22	0	0	5	139
2014	106	1	2	26	0	0	2	137
2015	86	2	2	33	0	0	2	125
2016	65	1	0	35	0	1	2	104
2017	71	1	0	28	0	1	4	105
2018	79	2	1	30	1	0	6	119
2019	90	3	2	38	1	0	4	138
2020	84	1	1	39	0	0	3	128
2021	75	0	1	34	0	0	5	115
2022	88	3	1	39	0	0	4	135
2023	80	2	1	31	0	0	2	116

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 Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2001	154	5.0	30.8	14.3
2002	161	10.2	15.8	18.6
2003	161	10.2	15.8	18.6
2004	128	10.7	12.0	16.4
2005	118	8.6	13.7	n/a
2006	132	9.0	14.7	n/a
2007	131	9.2	14.2	18.3
2008	138	9.6	14.4	23.9
2009	137	9.5	14.4	21.2
2010	130	9.1	14.1	21.5
2011	136	8.9	15.1	25
2012	137	9.5	14.4	21.9
2013	139	9.5	14.6	30.2
2014	137	9.4	14.4	30.7
2015	125	n/a	n/a	39.2
2016	104	9.0	11.5	36.5
2017	105	9.2	11.4	33.3
2018	119	9.5	12.4	36.1
2019	138	10.6	13.0	40.6
2020	128	10.4	12.2	45.3
2021	115	9.1	12.5	50.4
2022	135	9.3	14.4	43
2023	116	8.7	13.2	36.2

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 Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2001	154	5.0	30.8	14.3
2002	161	10.2	15.8	18.6
2003	161	10.2	15.8	18.6
2004	128	10.7	12.0	16.4
2005	118	8.6	13.7	n/a
2006	132	9.0	14.7	n/a
2007	131	9.2	14.2	18.3
2008	138	9.6	14.4	23.9
2009	137	9.5	14.4	21.2
2010	130	9.1	14.1	21.5
2011	136	8.9	15.1	25
2012	137	9.5	14.4	21.9
2013	139	9.5	14.6	30.2
2014	137	9.4	14.4	30.7
2015	125	n/a	n/a	39.2
2016	104	9.0	11.5	36.5
2017	105	9.2	11.4	33.3
2018	119	9.5	12.4	36.1
2019	138	10.6	13.0	40.6
2020	128	10.4	12.2	45.3
2021	115	9.1	12.5	50.4
2022	135	9.3	14.4	43
2023	116	8.7	13.2	36.2

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 Middle

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$273 (2.8%)	$9,478 (97.2%)	$9,751
2020	$404 (3.6%)	$10,779 (96.4%)	$11,183
2021	$234 (2.0%)	$11,439 (98.0%)	$11,674

Data source: Wisconsin Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Waterloo Middle

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 332^nd of 594 Middle schools	Ranks 415^th of 640 Middle schools	9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
7th Grade English Language Arts (Waterloo Middle)	53	35.9	17.1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Waterloo School District)	53	35.9	17.1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Wisconsin)	45.5	41.1	4.4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Waterloo Middle)	38.8	28.2	10.6%
7th Grade Mathematics (Waterloo School District)	38.8	28.2	10.6%
7th Grade Mathematics (Wisconsin)	39.7	35.7	4%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Waterloo Middle)	38.7	27	11.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Waterloo School District)	38.7	27	11.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Wisconsin)	37.3	37.8	0.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Waterloo Middle)	22.6	17.5	5.1%
8th Grade Mathematics (Waterloo School District)	22.6	17.5	5.1%
8th Grade Mathematics (Wisconsin)	36.5	31.8	4.7%
8th Grade Social Studies (Waterloo Middle)	43.6	60.3	16.8%
8th Grade Social Studies (Waterloo School District)	43.6	60.3	16.8%
8th Grade Social Studies (Wisconsin)	52.1	59.2	7.1%
8th Grade Science (Waterloo Middle)	58.1	44.4	13.6%
8th Grade Science (Waterloo School District)	58.1	44.4	13.6%
8th Grade Science (Wisconsin)	54.6	49.4	5.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	138	116	15.9%
African American	3	2	33.3%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	2	1	50%
Hispanic	38	31	18.4%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	90	80	11.1%
Two or More Races	4	2	50%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	40.6%	36.2%	4.4%

Schools Near Waterloo Middle

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Forward Exam English Language Arts (2024)				Forward Exam Mathematics (2024)				Forward Exam Social Studies (2024)	Forward Exam Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2021)
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	Forward Exam English Language Arts 5th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 6th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 7th Grade	Forward Exam English Language Arts 8th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 5th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 6th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 7th Grade	Forward Exam Mathematics 8th Grade	Forward Exam Social Studies 8th Grade	Forward Exam Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Waterloo Middle	Public	7-8	865 N Monroe St	Waterloo	53594	Jefferson County	Waterloo School District	No	No	No	Yes	(920) 478-2696	116	9	13.2	36.2%	80 (69.0%)	2 (1.7%)	31 (26.7%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.7%)	39.4	430^th of 641 public middle schools	32.9%		39.1	415^th of 640 public middle schools	35.2%	15			43.6	58.5			33.9	26.2	66.7	42.9	$11,674	$234	$11,439
Waterloo Intermediate	Public	5-6	865 N Monroe St	Waterloo	53594	Jefferson County	Waterloo School District	No	No	No	No	(920) 478-2696	105	8	13.5	41.0%	67 (63.8%)	1 (1.0%)	31 (29.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (4.8%)								(n/a)	32.7	53.5			32.7	44.2					$11,578	$400	$11,177
Marshall Middle	Public	7-8	401 School St	Marshall	53559	Dane County	Marshall School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 655-1571	124	13	9.3	43.5%	75 (60.5%)	7 (5.6%)	30 (24.2%)	4 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (6.5%)	40.7	422^nd of 641 public middle schools	34.2%		33.7	457^th of 640 public middle schools	28.6%	35			34.7	43.3			44.9	52.5	54.1	47.5	$13,296	$450	$12,846
Lake Mills Middle	Public	5-8	318 College St	Lake Mills	53551	Jefferson County	Lake Mills Area School District	No	No	No	No	(920) 648-2358	410	32	12.6	29.5%	353 (86.1%)	2 (0.5%)	38 (9.3%)	5 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.9%)	66.3	204^th of 641 public middle schools	68.2%		71	153^rd of 640 public middle schools	76.1%	51	65.8	53.0	63.2	58.7	63.2	61.0	65.8	67.7	67.7	53.9	$10,726	$313	$10,413
Columbus Middle	Public	6-8	400 S Dickason Blvd	Columbus	53925	Columbia County	Columbus School District	No	No	No	No	(920) 623-5950	265	23	11.5	30.2%	221 (83.4%)	5 (1.9%)	29 (10.9%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.4%)	66	210^th of 641 public middle schools	67.2%		34.7	445^th of 640 public middle schools	30.5%	235		68.8	47.4	61.5		77.8	63.2	51.7	68.1	55.0	$13,315	$320	$12,995
Patrick Marsh Middle	Public	6-8	1351 Columbus St	Sun Prairie	53590	Dane County	Sun Prairie Area School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 834-7600	594	53	11.1	27.1%	384 (64.6%)	61 (10.3%)	57 (9.6%)	39 (6.6%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (8.2%)	53.3	327^th of 641 public middle schools	49.0%		46	363^rd of 640 public middle schools	43.3%	36		55.9	59.0	51.1		48.0	55.2	48.1	63.6	45.4	$13,042	$249	$12,794
Deerfield Middle	Public	7-8	300 Simonson Blvd	Deerfield	53531	Dane County	Deerfield Community School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 764-5431	114	10	11.1	24.6%	94 (82.5%)	3 (2.6%)	9 (7.9%)	1 (0.9%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (5.3%)	66	209^th of 641 public middle schools	67.4%		47.5	346^th of 640 public middle schools	45.9%	137			62.0	50.0			70.0	61.5	63.5	57.7	$12,030	$209	$11,821
Central Heights Middle	Public	6-8	220 Kroncke Dr	Sun Prairie	53590	Dane County	Sun Prairie Area School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(608) 834-8000	472	44	10.6	30.1%	289 (61.2%)	48 (10.2%)	54 (11.4%)	35 (7.4%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	42 (8.9%)	55.7	297^th of 641 public middle schools	53.7%					(n/a)		49.7	52.2	57.7		47.9	55.2	53.0	68.5	53.7
Nikolay Middle	Public	6-8	211 South St	Cambridge	53523	Dane County	Cambridge School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 423-7335	207	16	13.1	26.6%	178 (86.0%)	2 (1.0%)	10 (4.8%)	7 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.3%)	58.2	277^th of 641 public middle schools	56.8%		50.2	320^th of 640 public middle schools	50.0%	43		56.1	51.7	45.7		60.6	56.9	54.3	71.4	52.9	$13,344	$429	$12,915
Prairie View Middle	Public	6-8	400 N Thompson Rd	Sun Prairie	53590	Dane County	Sun Prairie Area School District	No	No	No	No	(608) 834-7800	666	51	12.9	32.4%	342 (51.4%)	90 (13.5%)	80 (12.0%)	91 (13.7%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	59 (8.9%)	52.9	333^rd of 641 public middle schools	48.0%		45.5	366^th of 640 public middle schools	42.8%	33		54.2	52.7	62.8		44.1	52.2	48.4	64.0	46.3	$12,829	$249	$12,580

Waterloo Middle

Waterloo Middle:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Waterloo School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for Waterloo Middle

Rank History for all students at Waterloo Middle

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Waterloo Middle

Rank History for Special Education students at Waterloo Middle

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Waterloo Middle

Rank History for Female students at Waterloo Middle

Rank History for Male students at Waterloo Middle

Rank History for Hispanic students at Waterloo Middle

Rank History for White students at Waterloo Middle

Enrollment information for Waterloo Middle

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Waterloo Middle

Student/Teacher Ratio Waterloo Middle

Per Pupil Expenditures for Waterloo Middle

Impact of COVID-19 on Waterloo Middle

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Waterloo Middle

Frequently Asked Questions about Waterloo Middle

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