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Very Good

#553 of 2,105 schools in WI

Top 26% in state

Waters Elementary

Elementary School · Fond Du Lac School District · Fond Du Lac, WI

A Fond Du Lac School District elementary school where students score 16 points above what's typical for similar communities.

495 Wabash Ave, Fond Du Lac, WI 54935

  • Math 63% vs WI 53% (2025)
  • Reading 58% vs WI 51% (2025)
  • 14.6:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress8.0Excellent50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data15
Annual Change-1.12 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendDeclining
Academics8.6Excellent30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency63.3% (2025 FORWARD)
Reading/ELA Proficiency57.8% (2025 FORWARD)
Math vs. State Avg+9 pts
Reading vs. State Avg+6.5 pts
Overall Proficiency61% (2025 FORWARD, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)45% (model expectation from 2025 FORWARD)
vs. Expected+15.6 pts
Adjusted Percentile78th
Resources & Environment5.8Average20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio14.6:1
District spending per student$13,833
Chronic Absenteeism14.8%

Students at Waters Elementary score 61% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 45%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 FORWARD proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. WI average.

Math Proficiency63%(2025 FORWARD)
School
State
53%(2025 FORWARD)
ELA Proficiency58%(2025 FORWARD)
School
State
51%(2025 FORWARD)

Trend

↑ Recovering

Proficiency declined earlier in the 17-year record (2009–2025), then recovered 16 points since 2020, reaching 61% in 2025.

Show all 15 years
2009
Math
81%
ELA
83%
2010
Math
77%
ELA
84%
2011
Math
56%
ELA
35%
2012
Math
57%
ELA
42%
2013
Math
53%
ELA
42%
2014
Math
52%
ELA
67%
2015
Math
62%
ELA
57%
2016
Math
57%
ELA
62%
2017
Math
57%
ELA
50%
2018
Math
47%
ELA
42%
2019
Math
47%
ELA
42%
2020*
Math
52%
ELA
37%
2021*
Math
52%
ELA
37%
2022
Math
61%
ELA
45%
2025
Math
63%
ELA
58%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 59% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 53% (multi-year average, 2009-2025)

* COVID-affected year — test participation was uneven nationwide. This data is weighted at 50% in the Growth score calculation.

Based on 34 test records from WI state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

45.8%

Students qualifying for federal meal assistance

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

The neighborhood

Where Waters Elementary sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries.

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 53Somewhat Walkable
  • Bike 44Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: High2,498/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Fond Du Lac), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. Freshness not available.

Area profileU.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

Median income

$63,060

Median home value

$166,400

Median rent

$880/mo

College educated

22.7%

Homeownership

59.6%

Poverty rate

12.6%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 54935; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Programs & students

Programs & Offerings

Gifted & Talented ProgramAvailable
This school offers a gifted and talented program for qualifying students.·CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

4 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
Roberts ElementaryEnrollment path unverified6.5PK–50.6 mi320Compare →
Pier ElementaryEnrollment path unverified6.8PK–50.7 mi266Compare →
Riverside ElementaryEnrollment path unverified8.6PK–50.7 mi282Compare →
Fond Du Lac Christian SchoolPrivate · tuition7.8privateK–120.9 mi94Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Private · tuition: Potential private option; tuition and admission requirements have not been verified.

Public and private scores come from different models and are shown side by side, not blended into one ranking.

Fond Du Lac School District

Schools in district
15
Rank in district
#4 of 15
District spending per student
$13,833NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
10.8%Census SAIPE · 2024

Waters Elementary is listed in Fond du Lac School District; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Waters Elementary

Waters Elementary is a public elementary school in Fond Du Lac, WI, part of Fond Du Lac School District, serving approximately 393 students in grades Pre-K-5th with a 14.6:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 7.7 out of 10 and ranks #553 of 2,105 schools in WI. State assessment records show 59% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 53% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Waters Elementary

What grades does Waters Elementary serve?

Waters Elementary serves students in grades Pre-K through 5th.

How many students attend Waters Elementary?

Waters Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 393 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Waters Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Waters Elementary is 14.6:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Waters Elementary rank in WI?

Waters Elementary ranks #553 of 2,105 schools in WI.

What is Waters Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Waters Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 7.7 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Waters Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Waters Elementary has 59% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 53% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Waters Elementary a charter school?

No, Waters Elementary is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Waters Elementary a Title I school?

No, Waters Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Waters Elementary?

45.8% of students at Waters Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School factsNCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24)

Grades
Pre-K – 5th
Enrollment
393
Student-Teacher Ratio
14.6:1
Teachers (FTE)
27
Type
regular
Setting
Small City
County
Fond du Lac County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
14.8%
Area population (ZIP 54935)
41,474
Area average commute
19.8 min
Area median age
37.6
About this school's data

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named below.

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 FORWARD · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 FORWARD. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 FORWARD · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 FORWARD. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 54935; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

Related reading

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