Top Rankings
Waterloo Comm School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in Iowa for:
Category
Attribute
Diversity
Most diverse schools (Top 1%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 5 public middle schools serving 2,791 students in Waterloo Comm School District. This district's average middle testing ranking is 1/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public middle schools in Iowa.
Public Middle Schools in Waterloo Comm School District have an average math proficiency score of 50% (versus the Iowa public middle school average of 64%), and reading proficiency score of 54% (versus the 71% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 62% of the student body (majority Black), which is more than the Iowa public middle school average of 25% (majority Hispanic).
Overview
This School District
This State (IA)
# Schools
19 Schools
376 Schools
# Students
10,619 Students
127,807 Students
# Teachers
716 Teachers
8,868 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
15:1
15:1
Student By Grade
District Rank
Waterloo Comm School District, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 325 school districts in Iowa (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 78% has decreased from 84% over five school years.
Overall District Rank
#299 out of 327 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
(Bottom 50%)
Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
53%
64%
Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
57%
70%
Science Test Scores (% Proficient)
50%
63%
Graduation Rate
78%
90%
Students by Ethnicity:
Diversity Score
0.73
0.43
% American Indian
n/a
n/a
% Asian
3%
2%
% Hispanic
14%
11%
% Black
28%
6%
% White
40%
75%
% Hawaiian
4%
1%
% Two or more races
11%
5%
All Ethnic Groups
District Revenue and Spending
The revenue/student of $16,536 is higher than the state median of $16,468. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $15,469 is less than the state median of $16,042. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
Total Revenue
$176 MM
$8,262 MM
Spending
$164 MM
$8,048 MM
Revenue / Student
$16,536
$16,468
Spending / Student
$15,469
$16,042
Best Waterloo Comm School District Public Middle Schools (2025)
School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Hoover Middle School
(Math: 65% | Reading: 70%)
Rank:
Rank:
5/
Bottom 50%10
630 Hillcrest Rd
Waterloo, IA 50701
(319) 433-2830
Waterloo, IA 50701
(319) 433-2830
Grades: 6-8
| 831 students
Rank: #22.
Bunger Middle School
(Math: 55% | Reading: 54%)
Rank:
Rank:
2/
Bottom 50%10
157 S Roosevelt Rd
Evansdale, IA 50707
(319) 433-2550
Evansdale, IA 50707
(319) 433-2550
Grades: 6-8
| 469 students
Rank: #33.
Central Middle School
(Math: 50% | Reading: 47%)
Rank:
Rank:
1/
Bottom 50%10
1350 Katoski Dr
Waterloo, IA 50701
(319) 433-2100
Waterloo, IA 50701
(319) 433-2100
Grades: 6-8
| 466 students
Rank: #44.
George Washington Carver Academy
(Math: 38% | Reading: 44%)
Rank:
Rank:
1/
Bottom 50%10
1505 Logan Ave
Waterloo, IA 50703
(319) 433-2500
Waterloo, IA 50703
(319) 433-2500
Grades: 6-8
| 447 students
Rank: #55.
Expo Alternative Learning Center
Alternative School
(Math: 20% | Reading: 40%)
Rank:
Rank:
1/
Bottom 50%10
1410 Independence Ave
Waterloo, IA 50703
(319) 433-1930
Waterloo, IA 50703
(319) 433-1930
Grades: 6-12
| 578 students
Recent Articles
Parents’ Guide to Special Education
Special education law is not easy to decipher, with several regulations that govern special education services for disabled students. In this article, learn about the core components of the laws, rights, and individual education plans that can help create the best public school environment for your child.
Surveillance Cameras: Violation of Rights or Improved Security?
A school district in Virginia has given the green light to schools that want to install surveillance cameras in common areas like cafeterias and hallways. We’ll look at whether this is a violation of student privacy or the best way to keep order in schools.
Teachers in 19 States Allowed to Physically Punish Students
As of 2014, nineteen states still allow corporal punishment – spanking and paddling the most common choices – in their public schools. However, some argue that not only are these punishments physically harmful, they also are disproportionately administered to students of color. As a result, House democrats have taken up the issue in a new bill that would ban all forms of corporal punishment nationwide.
