Best Elementary Schools in Waterloo, SC

Waterloo, South Carolina is home to a single elementary school, Waterloo Elementary, which serves grades PK through 5 and enrolls 254 students within the Laurens 55 school district.

For parents, the most important takeaway is that Waterloo Elementary is a high-performing school that stands out dramatically from its district. Despite being part of a district rated just 1-star (ranking 60th out of 75 in the state), the school itself maintains a solid 3-star rating and outperforms district averages in nearly every subject and grade level. In the 2025-2026 school year, 4th graders achieved 87.1% proficiency in ELA and 83.9% in math—scores that are roughly 34 and 41 points above the district, respectively, and more than 20 points above state averages. The school also excels in attendance, with a chronic absenteeism rate of just 11.0% compared to 17.7% for the district and 22.3% statewide. Additionally, the school benefits from a very favorable student-teacher ratio of 8.5:1 and per-student spending of $17,444, suggesting strong resource allocation that likely contributes to its success.

However, parents should be aware of significant year-to-year volatility in test scores, which is common for a school this small (roughly 36 students per grade). For example, 5th grade math proficiency plummeted from 88.6% in 2024-2025 to 51.9% the following year, while 5th grade ELA soared from 41.7% to 78.3% over the same period. These swings are likely due to small cohort sizes rather than systemic issues—the 2024-2025 5th grade class appears to have been uniquely challenged, as the next year's 5th graders (who were 4th graders during that time) performed much better. The 4th grade consistently shows the strongest results, and science proficiency is improving, rising from 45.2% to 58.1% and now exceeding the state average. Overall, Waterloo Elementary is a well-managed, well-resourced school that delivers strong outcomes despite its district's low ranking, though parents should interpret single-year scores with caution given the small class sizes.