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Coming soon: We're expecting this year's test scores from the Iowa Department of Education any day now — new rankings will be posted the moment they're released!

Coming soon: This year's test scores are expected from the Iowa Department of Education any day now — new rankings will follow the moment they're released!

WACO High School

Q: Is WACO High School a good school?

WACO High School ranks 252 nd of 340 Iowa high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades 7-12

252^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 340 Iowa High Schools

Better than 26% of Iowa high schools

Summary

WACO High School is a public high school located in Wayland, Iowa, serving grades 7-12 with a total enrollment of 244 students. The school is part of the WACO Community School District, which is ranked 284 out of 313 districts in Iowa and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

WACO High School has seen a fluctuating statewide ranking, ranging from 64th out of 332 Iowa high schools in 2021-2022 (4-star rating) to 252nd out of 340 in 2024-2025 (1-star rating), suggesting inconsistent performance over the years. However, the school has maintained a relatively high four-year graduation rate, ranging from 87.5% to 93.2% in recent years. Concerning is the high chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 14.1% to 23.4%, which can negatively impact student learning. WACO High School's test scores in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science show a mixed performance compared to the state and district averages, with the school performing above the state average in some grade levels and subjects, but underperforming in others.

When compared to nearby high schools, such as Highland High School, Fairfield High School, and Columbus Community High School, WACO High School generally performs at a similar or slightly lower level in terms of statewide ranking, graduation rates, and test scores. This suggests that the challenges faced by WACO High School are not unique and may be shared by the broader regional educational landscape. Additionally, WACO High School has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 41.4% to 48.46% in recent years, indicating that the school serves a population with a higher proportion of students from low-income families.

241

Students ?

10.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,055

Per pupil spending ?

40.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

706 N Pearl
Wayland, IA 52654

(319) 256-6200

District: Waco Community School District

Feeder schools for WACO High School:

Elementary:

Waco Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.2%

Hispanic:

7.1%

Two or more races:

1.7%

See top rated Iowa high schools

Compare WACO High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 78th percentile in 2014 → 26th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Iowa average (66% vs 71% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 52 percentile points since 2014

!English Language Arts scores 12 pts below the Iowa average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school66%

District avg66%

Iowa avg71%

Middle school

275^th of 344

Iowa public middle schools ?

Bottom 20%▼ down 9 pts since 2015

From bottom 29% (2015) to bottom 20% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

252^nd of 340

Iowa public high schools ?

Bottom 26%▼ down 23 pts since 2016

From bottom 49% (2016) to bottom 26% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

284^th of 313Waco 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)

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Iowa percentile	Rating
2025	29.6	275 of 344	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	39.0	237 of 337	29.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	56.4	170 of 334	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.4	249 of 337	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	45.1	202 of 324	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.5	202 of 342	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	69.7	80 of 318	74.8%	★★★★☆
2017	39.0	236 of 327	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	48.2	203 of 343	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2015	38.7	247 of 349	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	59.9	142 of 337	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2013	38.3	259 of 350	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	54.0	167 of 349	52.1%	★★★☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Iowa percentile	Rating
2025	38.0	252 of 340	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	51.9	183 of 338	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	64.3	113 of 336	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	74.6	64 of 332	80.7%	★★★★☆
2021	59.6	132 of 327	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	27.3	264 of 327	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	50.9	192 of 320	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	66.5	115 of 325	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	54.0	162 of 320	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2014	75.1	71 of 322	78.0%	★★★★☆
2013	51.4	214 of 351	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2012	66.4	121 of 351	65.5%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

Science74%+6 vs state

Mathematics65%-4 vs state

English Language Arts63%-12 vs state

★

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Schools Near WACO High School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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 (2025)	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
WACO High School	Public	7-12	706 N Pearl	Wayland	52654	Henry County	Waco Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 256-6200	241	22	10.9	40.7%	215 (89.2%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (7.1%)	3 (1.2%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.7%)	38	252^nd of 340 public high schools	25.9%		51.9	183^rd of 338 public high schools	45.9%	69		56.3	70.8	56.1	75.7	56.8		65.6	68.8	53.7	78.4	59.1	72.9	75.7	$15,055	$394	$14,661
Washington High School	Public	9-12	402 Sitler Dr.	Washington	52353	Washington County	Washington Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 653-2143	452	32	14.1	38.3%	324 (71.7%)	8 (1.8%)	100 (22.1%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.8%)	11.8	309^th of 340 public high schools	9.1%		19.2	295^th of 338 public high schools	12.7%	14				60.7	49.5	51.0				47.3	53.3	52.0		47.7	$14,648	$741	$13,907
Winfield-Mt Union Junior-Senior High School	Public	6-12	208 S Olive	Winfield	52659	Henry County	Winfield-Mt Union Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 257-7701	198	15	13.1	51.0%	179 (90.4%)	1 (0.5%)	16 (8.1%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	42.9	227^th of 340 public high schools	33.2%		24.5	282^nd of 338 public high schools	16.6%	55	66.7	62.5	67.7	74.1	75.0	70.0	70.8	58.3	54.8	66.7	64.3	56.7	48.4	64.3	$12,857	$210	$12,647
WisdomQuest Education Center	Public	10-12	100 W. Franklin	Mount Pleasant	52641	Henry County	Mount Pleasant Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 385-7709	26	1	26.2	61.5%	16 (61.5%)	1 (3.8%)	4 (15.4%)	1 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (15.4%)								(n/a)															$11,984	$82	$11,902
Mount Pleasant High School	Public	9-12	2104 S. Grand Avenue	Mount Pleasant	52641	Henry County	Mount Pleasant Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 385-7700	545	41	13.2	39.1%	407 (74.7%)	10 (1.8%)	80 (14.7%)	26 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.0%)	43.8	222^nd of 340 public high schools	34.7%		37.9	246^th of 338 public high schools	27.2%	24				72.8	69.3	70.7				57.7	64.9	69.0		72.8	$14,523	$290	$14,233
Columbus Community High School	Public	9-12	1004 Colton St	Columbus Junction	52738	Louisa County	Columbus Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 728-2231	220	22	10.0	56.4%	66 (30.0%)	14 (6.4%)	122 (55.5%)	16 (7.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	40.9	238^th of 340 public high schools	30.0%		35.6	257^th of 338 public high schools	24.0%	19				76.9	71.7	76.6				61.5	63.0	57.4		56.5	$18,475	$545	$17,930
Fairfield High School	Public	9-12	605 E Broadway	Fairfield	52556	Jefferson County	Fairfield Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 472-2059	442	30	14.8	36.9%	361 (81.7%)	11 (2.5%)	32 (7.2%)	13 (2.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (5.2%)	68.2	101^st of 340 public high schools	70.3%		44	227^th of 338 public high schools	32.8%	126				91.8	87.6	69.5				82.7	74.5	63.2		71.1	$14,744	$133	$14,611
Highland High School	Public	9-12	1715 Vine Avenue	Riverside	52327	Washington County	Highland Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 648-2891	149	14	10.3	21.5%	127 (85.2%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (12.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.3%)	66.4	112^th of 340 public high schools	67.1%		56	168^th of 338 public high schools	50.3%	56				82.1	84.2	70.3				75.0	76.3	78.4		71.1	$15,774	$112	$15,662

Frequently Asked Questions about WACO High School

What district is WACO High School in?

Waco Community School District

What is the racial makeup of WACO High School?

Students at WACO High School are 89% White, 7% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What schools feed into WACO High School?

WACO High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Waco Elementary School

Is WACO High School a good school?

WACO High School ranks 252^nd of 340 Iowa high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend WACO High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 241 students attended WACO High School.

Rate WACO High School!

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IAIowa High School Rankings

IAIowa District Rankings

Schools in Wayland, IA

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Latest Iowa data All new data »

2024–25 graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 ISASP test scoresAug 20, 2025

2023–24 graduation ratesApr 1, 2025

2017–18 through 2023–24 attendance dataNov 15, 2024

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.