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Waterloo Elementary

Q: Is Waterloo Elementary a good school?

Waterloo Elementary ranks 233 rd of 661 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

233^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 661 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 65% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Waterloo Elementary is a small, rural school in Waterloo, SC, serving 254 students in grades PK-5 as part of the Laurens 55 district. This school has engineered one of the most impressive turnarounds in the region, climbing from the bottom 20% of South Carolina elementary schools just five years ago to now ranking in the top 35% statewide.

The most remarkable achievement at Waterloo Elementary is its consistent success with students from low-income backgrounds. With 100% of the student body qualifying for free/reduced lunch, the school has earned a 4-star rating for this subgroup for three consecutive years, ranking in the 70th percentile or higher each time. This is particularly striking when compared to nearby schools in the Greenwood 50 district, such as Hodges Elementary (95th percentile) and Merrywood Elementary (81st percentile), which serve more affluent populations. Waterloo Elementary is achieving comparable results with a much more disadvantaged student body, suggesting exceptional "value-added" growth. The school also dramatically outperforms its district peers—Ford Elementary, Laurens Elementary, and E. B. Morse Elementary all rank in the 9th-19th percentile, while Waterloo sits at the 65th percentile.

Recent test scores show exceptional performance in upper grades, with 4th graders achieving 87.1% proficiency in English Language Arts and 83.9% in math—both more than 20 points above state averages. The school has also reduced chronic absenteeism from 29% to just 11%, well below the state average of 22.3%. This success is supported by significant resources, including $17,444 per-student spending and an excellent 8.5:1 student-teacher ratio. While 3rd grade scores still lag slightly behind state averages, the trajectory is clear: students who remain at Waterloo Elementary experience remarkable academic growth, making it a standout model for high-poverty schools across the state.

254

Students ?

8.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,444

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

10457 Highway 221 South
Waterloo, SC 29384

(864) 677-5610

District: Laurens 55

Students who attend Waterloo Elementary usually attend:

High:

Laurens District 55 High

Racial breakdown:

White:

73.2%

African American:

15.4%

Two or more races:

6.7%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare Waterloo Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 18th percentile in 2021 → 65th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the South Carolina average (65% vs 58% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 65th (2026) from a 18th-percentile low (2021)

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Laurens 55

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school65%

District avg46%

South Carolina avg58%

233^rd of 661

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 35%▼ down 10 pts since 2016

From top 25% (2016) to top 35% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 6Elementary Schools in the Laurens 55

60^th of 75Laurens 55 among South Carolina 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	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	63.7	233 of 661	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	66.5	214 of 639	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.8	255 of 643	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	44.7	349 of 644	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	21.6	488 of 625	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.0	512 of 622	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	34.9	426 of 643	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	48.9	313 of 624	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2017	49.8	316 of 639	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2016	71.9	155 of 619	75.0%	★★★★☆
2015	62.8	197 of 638	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2014	79.7	94 of 630	85.1%	★★★★☆
2013	84.0	57 of 599	90.5%	★★★★★
2012	79.0	94 of 594	84.2%	★★★★☆
2011	74.7	127 of 597	78.7%	★★★★☆
2010	67.0	184 of 589	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2009	69.8	163 of 580	71.9%	★★★★☆
2008	34.3	428 of 577	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	42.4	376 of 566	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2006	49.2	317 of 559	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2005	68.1	177 of 557	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2004	67.3	175 of 550	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2003	55.0	270 of 542	50.2%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	53.9	278 of 588	52.7%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	66.0	191 of 634	69.9%	★★★★☆
2025	68.4	164 of 612	73.2%	★★★★☆
2024	77.0	110 of 602	81.7%	★★★★☆
2023	60.4	223 of 608	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	23.1	480 of 600	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.1	472 of 580	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	35.4	416 of 600	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	50.9	274 of 588	53.4%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	26.3	439 of 582	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	7.7	536 of 561	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	33.4	407 of 590	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	35.2	375 of 571	34.3%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	39.6	300 of 463	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	48.7	254 of 459	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.7	290 of 446	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	20.3	391 of 463	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	2.5	450 of 455	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	2.8	437 of 439	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	11.9	441 of 472	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	27.6	344 of 457	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)70th percentile+5 vs school

Female (2019)53rd percentile+19 vs school

White (2026)35th percentile-30 vs school

Male (2023)25th percentile-21 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts69%+4 vs state

Mathematics64%+11 vs state

Science58%+7 vs state

★

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Schools Near Waterloo Elementary

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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 (2026)				Ranking (2025)				SC READY English Language Arts (2026)			SC READY Mathematics (2026)			SC READY Science (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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 (2024)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SC READY English Language Arts 3rd Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 4th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 5th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 3rd Grade	SC READY Mathematics 4th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 5th Grade	SC READY Science 4th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Personnel Spending from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Sub-total Spending from State and Local Funds
Waterloo Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	10457 Highway 221 South	Waterloo	29384	Laurens County	Laurens 55	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 677-5610	254	30	8.5	100.0%	186 (73.2%)	39 (15.4%)	10 (3.9%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (6.7%)	63.7	233^rd of 661 public elementary schools	64.8%		66.5	214^th of 639 public elementary schools	66.5%	19	53.8	87.1	78.3	51.9	83.9	65.2	58.1	$17,444	$1,448	$595	$2,043	$12,332	$3,069	$15,401
E. B. Morse Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	200 Parkview Drive	Laurens	29360	Laurens County	Laurens 55	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 984-7777	447	37	12.0	100.0%	164 (36.7%)	240 (53.7%)	28 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.7%)	20.5	533^rd of 661 public elementary schools	19.4%		24.1	496^th of 639 public elementary schools	22.4%	37	58.0	43.7	37.7	43.6	32.4	39.6	26.8	$15,009	$1,351	$459	$1,810	$10,385	$2,814	$13,199
Laurens Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	301 Henry Street	Laurens	29360	Laurens County	Laurens 55	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 984-3067	465	45	10.3	100.0%	212 (45.6%)	183 (39.4%)	53 (11.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	15 (3.2%)	20.2	534^th of 661 public elementary schools	19.2%		17.1	547^th of 639 public elementary schools	14.4%	13	50.0	53.5	54.4	34.4	36.7	26.5	23.9	$15,289	$1,603	$453	$2,056	$10,543	$2,690	$13,233
Ware Shoals Primary	Public	PK, KG-4	15269 Indian Mound Road	Ware Shoals	29692	Greenwood County	Greenwood 51	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 861-2261	385	29	13.2	100.0%	276 (71.7%)	54 (14.0%)	22 (5.7%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.5%)	35.7	425^th of 661 public elementary schools	35.7%		33.8	428^th of 639 public elementary schools	33.0%	3	57.7	61.9		40.9	44.4		42.9
Ford Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	601 Lucas Avenue	Laurens	29360	Laurens County	Laurens 55	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 984-3986	423	42	10.0	100.0%	121 (28.6%)	93 (22.0%)	186 (44.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.4%)	13.6	600^th of 661 public elementary schools	9.2%		8.5	612^th of 639 public elementary schools	4.2%	12	42.2	40.0	43.4	35.9	28.4	39.1	25.0	$15,791	$1,436	$456	$1,893	$11,084	$2,813	$13,898
Clinton Elementary	Public	K-5	800 Chestnut Street	Clinton	29325	Laurens County	Laurens 56	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 833-0812	422	29	14.5	100.0%	144 (34.1%)	203 (48.1%)	36 (8.5%)	6 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (7.8%)	19.4	539^th of 661 public elementary schools	18.5%		22.9	505^th of 639 public elementary schools	21.0%	34	41.3	41.2	52.3	50.6	20.6	36.9	30.9	$14,827	$1,825	$1,639	$3,464	$9,867	$1,497	$11,363
Eleanor S. Rice Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1802 East Durst Avenue	Greenwood	29649	Greenwood County	Greenwood 50	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 941-5660	535	41	12.9	100.0%	165 (30.8%)	304 (56.8%)	34 (6.4%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	25 (4.7%)	51	311^th of 661 public elementary schools	53.0%		59.4	257^th of 639 public elementary schools	59.8%	54	70.2	76.4	57.8	54.6	46.2	33.7	49.5	$17,049	$2,913	$765	$3,679	$12,016	$1,354	$13,370
Woodfields Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1032 Emerald Road	Greenwood	29646	Greenwood County	Greenwood 50	No	Yes	No	Yes	(864) 941-5540	521	45	11.5	100.0%	113 (21.7%)	241 (46.3%)	141 (27.1%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	19 (3.6%)	64.6	228^th of 661 public elementary schools	65.5%		66.5	213^th of 639 public elementary schools	66.7%	15	73.1	65.8	74.3	61.6	42.1	63.5	55.3	$18,849	$3,355	$1,007	$4,362	$12,966	$1,521	$14,487
Merrywood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	329 Deadfall Road West	Greenwood	29649	Greenwood County	Greenwood 50	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 941-5700	562	46	12.3	100.0%	265 (47.2%)	185 (32.9%)	82 (14.6%)	5 (0.9%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (3.9%)	80	123^rd of 661 public elementary schools	81.4%		79.1	126^th of 639 public elementary schools	80.3%	3	85.7	75.6	73.8	84.3	60.4	61.9	58.2	$16,801	$4,212	$773	$4,985	$10,490	$1,326	$11,816
Pinecrest Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	220 East Northside Drive	Greenwood	29649	Greenwood County	Greenwood 50	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 941-5580	379	40	9.4	100.0%	70 (18.5%)	184 (48.5%)	107 (28.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	14 (3.7%)	69.6	196^th of 661 public elementary schools	70.3%		78.1	132^nd of 639 public elementary schools	79.3%	64	64.8	68.8	73.4	58.0	64.1	60.9	60.9	$18,423	$3,509	$959	$4,468	$12,517	$1,438	$13,955

Frequently Asked Questions about Waterloo Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Waterloo Elementary?

Students at Waterloo Elementary are 73% White, 15% African American, 7% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic.

Is Waterloo Elementary a good school?

Waterloo Elementary ranks 233^rd of 661 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Waterloo Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 254 students attended Waterloo Elementary.

What district is Waterloo Elementary in?

Laurens 55

What schools do graduates of Waterloo Elementary attend?

Students who attend Waterloo Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Laurens District 55 High

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Latest South Carolina data All new data »

2025–26 EOCEP & SC READY test scoresAug 10, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataNov 3, 2025

2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 3, 2025

2024–25 EOCEP & SC READY test scoresSep 2, 2025

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