Summary:
ZIP code 44201 covers Atwater, Ohio, and contains just one elementary school: Waterloo Elementary School, which serves grades K–6 with 462 students as part of the Waterloo Local district. Because it is the only elementary school in the area, there are no local schools to compare it against — the most useful comparisons are between this school, its district, and the state of Ohio as a whole.
The school's results are mixed. On the positive side, 6th-grade math has been a consistent strength, with 57.6% of students proficient in 2024–25 and 61.7% in 2025–26, both above the state averages of 51.9% and 56.2%, and it was the only subject in 2025–26 to beat the state. Chronic absenteeism, at 18.7%, is also better than the district's 24.0%. On the other hand, the school's statewide rank fell from the 52nd percentile in 2024–25 to the 37th percentile in 2025–26, dropping from 3 stars to 2 stars. Third-grade math was the sharpest weakness: only 26.2% of students were proficient, far below the district's 29.5% and the state's 62.1%. Overall, the school's average proficiency slipped from 63.3% to 54.0%, though the district fell by a nearly identical amount, suggesting a local pattern rather than a statewide one.
Families should also consider context: about 65.15% of students were eligible for free or reduced lunch in 2024–25, and the student-teacher ratio was a high 24.3. The only spending figure available is $7,501 per student from 2018–19, so current funding cannot be judged. In short, this school shows real strengths in 6th-grade math and attendance, but also a notable recent decline and a serious weak spot in 3rd-grade math that is worth asking about.
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