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East High School

Public Grades 9-12

312^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 340 Iowa High Schools

Better than 8% of Iowa high schools

Summary

East High School is a public high school located in Waterloo, Iowa, serving 1,013 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Waterloo Community School District, which is ranked 287 out of 313 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. Unfortunately, East High School has consistently ranked in the bottom 10-15% of Iowa high schools over the past several years, with a ranking between 301-318 out of 332-340 schools.

East High School faces several significant challenges. Its 4-year graduation rate has ranged from 71.7% to 88.3% in recent years, lower than the state average of around 90%. The school also has a very high chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 21.6% to 60.1%, which is much higher than the state average and nearby schools. Additionally, East High School's proficiency rates on the ISASP (Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress) are consistently lower than the state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2024-2025, the school's 10th-grade proficiency rates were 62.3% in English Language Arts, 46.9% in Math, and 41.3% in Science, compared to state averages of 74.7%, 68%, and 66.8%, respectively.

When compared to other high schools in the Waterloo Community School District and nearby districts, it is clear that East High School is underperforming significantly. For instance, West High School and Expo Alternative Learning Center, which are also in the Waterloo district, have higher graduation rates, lower chronic absenteeism, and better test scores across the board. The high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch at East High School, ranging from 71.86% to 73.64% in recent years, suggests that the school serves a predominantly low-income population, which likely plays a significant role in the school's academic performance and other metrics.

1,016

Students ?

16.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,126

Per pupil spending ?

70.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

214 High St
Waterloo, IA 50703

(319) 433-2400

District: Waterloo Community School District

Feeder schools for East High School:

Elementary:	Cunningham School
	Highland Elementary School
	Lincoln Elementary School
	Poyner Elementary
Middle:	Bunger Middle School
	George Washington Carver Academy

Racial breakdown:

White:

36.4%

African American:

34.0%

Hispanic:

14.8%

See top rated Iowa high schools

Compare East High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 8th percentile in 2015 → 8th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Iowa average (50% vs 69% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (8th percentile)

!Graduation rate below the Iowa average (84% vs 89%)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school50%

District avg55%

Iowa avg69%

312^th of 340

Iowa public high schools ?

Bottom 8%▲ up 1 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Iowa High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 3High Schools in the Waterloo Community School District

287^th of 313Waterloo Community School District among Iowa districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Iowa percentile	Rating
2025	10.5	312 of 340	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	7.6	316 of 338	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	7.2	318 of 336	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	14.8	301 of 332	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	9.0	306 of 327	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	11.8	305 of 327	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	27.9	266 of 320	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	19.9	285 of 325	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	17.8	280 of 320	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	10.3	299 of 324	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	12.9	295 of 322	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	30.1	299 of 351	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	26.5	303 of 351	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts57%-17 vs state

Mathematics47%-20 vs state

Science41%-26 vs state

★

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Schools Near East High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ISASP English Language Arts (2025)						ISASP Mathematics (2025)						ISASP Science (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISASP English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 9th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 10th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 11th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 6th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 7th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 8th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 9th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 10th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 11th Grade	ISASP Science 8th Grade	ISASP Science 10th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
East High School	Public	9-12	214 High St	Waterloo	50703	Black Hawk County	Waterloo Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 433-2400	1,016	62	16.4	70.8%	370 (36.4%)	345 (34.0%)	150 (14.8%)	5 (0.5%)	3 (0.3%)	43 (4.2%)	100 (9.8%)	10.5	312^th of 340 public high schools	8.2%		7.6	316^th of 338 public high schools	6.5%	4				53.1	62.3	56.1				45.0	46.9	48.6		41.3	$15,126	$451	$14,674
Expo Alternative Learning Center	Public	6-12	1410 Independence Ave	Waterloo	50703	Black Hawk County	Waterloo Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 433-1930	561	35	15.9	80.2%	234 (41.7%)	195 (34.8%)	42 (7.5%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.4%)	13 (2.3%)	72 (12.8%)	0.6	335^th of 340 public high schools	1.5%		0.1	335^th of 338 public high schools	0.9%			70.0		32.7	35.4	38.3		50.0	27.3	11.9	22.0	29.2		28.4	$14,570	$546	$14,023
West High School	Public	9-12	425 E Ridgeway Ave	Waterloo	50702	Black Hawk County	Waterloo Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 433-2700	1,696	101	16.8	59.1%	771 (45.5%)	371 (21.9%)	256 (15.1%)	102 (6.0%)	4 (0.2%)	69 (4.1%)	122 (7.2%)	28.7	279^th of 340 public high schools	17.9%		29.5	271^st of 338 public high schools	19.8%	8				65.7	70.2	66.3				50.1	61.3	62.3		56.8	$13,055	$432	$12,622
Cedar Falls High School	Public	10-12	2701 W 27th St	Cedar Falls	50613	Black Hawk County	Cedar Falls Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 553-2500	1,333	96	13.8	20.7%	1,124 (84.3%)	37 (2.8%)	48 (3.6%)	37 (2.8%)	1 (0.1%)	10 (0.8%)	76 (5.7%)	73.2	66^th of 340 public high schools	80.6%		74.8	64^th of 338 public high schools	81.1%	2					81.5	74.8					84.9	74.3		82.5	$13,835	$301	$13,534
Hudson High School	Public	7-12	245 S Washington	Hudson	50643	Black Hawk County	Hudson Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 988-4226	371	27	13.7	23.7%	328 (88.4%)	1 (0.3%)	22 (5.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.1%)	76.9	51^st of 340 public high schools	85.0%		83.3	19^th of 338 public high schools	94.4%	32		92.3	89.7	84.4	86.7	80.4		87.7	80.9	73.3	83.3	82.1	69.1	78.3	$13,977	$58	$13,919
Dunkerton High School	Public	6-12	509 Canfield	Dunkerton	50626	Black Hawk County	Dunkerton Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 822-4295	200	19	10.5	32.0%	186 (93.0%)	1 (0.5%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (5.5%)	41.2	236^th of 340 public high schools	30.6%		56	170^th of 338 public high schools	49.7%	66	92.0	80.8	75.0	70.4	69.6	80.0	92.0	84.6	83.3	63.0	56.5	60.0	70.8	65.2	$15,242	$249	$14,993
Denver Senior High School	Public	9-12	800 Longview Drive	Denver	50622	Bremer County	Denver Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 984-5639	278	20	13.6	13.3%	263 (94.6%)	1 (0.4%)	9 (3.2%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)	93.4	2^nd of 340 public high schools	99.4%		95	2^nd of 338 public high schools	99.4%					95.5	97.1	92.6				90.9	94.2	86.8		94.2	$14,874	$81	$14,794
Janesville Junior-Senior High School	Public	6-12	505 Barrick Rd	Janesville	50647	Bremer County	Janesville Consolidated School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 987-2581	243	13	18.9	11.9%	227 (93.4%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.9%)	71.6	77^th of 340 public high schools	77.4%		77	47^th of 338 public high schools	86.1%	30	83.8	70.0	85.7	90.3	70.3	68.2	86.5	80.0	85.7	87.1	78.4	86.4	85.7	83.8	$12,726	$87	$12,639
Jesup High School	Public	9-12	531 Prospect	Jesup	50648	Buchanan County	Jesup Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 827-1700	269	18	14.8	17.8%	260 (96.7%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.2%)	74.6	60^th of 340 public high schools	82.4%		79.7	34^th of 338 public high schools	89.9%	26				86.0	80.0	77.8				82.5	83.1	82.5		73.8	$13,563	$202	$13,361
Union High School	Public	9-12	200 Adams St	La Porte City	50651	Black Hawk County	Union Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 342-2697	279	23	11.8	24.0%	255 (91.4%)	3 (1.1%)	13 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.9%)	69.8	90^th of 340 public high schools	73.5%		66.3	112^th of 338 public high schools	66.9%	22				94.7	76.8	82.7				84.2	68.1	80.2		68.1	$15,170	$348	$14,821

Frequently Asked Questions about East High School

What district is East High School in?

Waterloo Community School District

How many students attend East High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,016 students attended East High School.

Is East High School a good school?

East High School ranks in the bottom 8.2% of Iowa high schools.

What schools feed into East High School?

East High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Cunningham School
Elementary : Highland Elementary School
Elementary : Lincoln Elementary School
Elementary : Poyner Elementary
Middle : Bunger Middle School
Middle : George Washington Carver Academy

What is the racial makeup of East High School?

Students at East High School are 36% White, 34% African American, 15% Hispanic, 10% Two or more races, 4% Pacific Islander.

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