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Waters Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5
409th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 1,039 Wisconsin Elementary Schools
Better than 61% of Wisconsin elementary schools
Summary

Waters Elementary is a PK–5 school in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, serving 389 students as part of the Fond du Lac School District. In 2025–2026 it ranked 409th of 1,039 Wisconsin elementary schools — the 61st percentile, or 3 stars — well above its district's 48th percentile (2 stars). Among nine same-district elementary schools with comparable data, Waters ranks third, behind Lakeshore Elementary (99th percentile) and Roberts Elementary (78th percentile), and ahead of Rosenow Elementary, Evans Elementary, Chegwin Elementary, Riverside Elementary, Pier Elementary, and Parkside Elementary.

Results differ noticeably by grade. In 2025–2026, fourth and fifth graders scored above both district and state levels in nearly every tested subject — 4th grade math 69.64%, social studies 73.21%, science 58.93%; 5th grade math 66.07% and ELA 58.93%. Third grade, however, came in below district and state in both ELA (39.62%) and math (49.06%), a one-year drop from strong 2023–2024 results for that grade. Chronic absenteeism is a clear strength: 9.1% in 2024–2025 versus 18.2% district-wide and 17.3% statewide, lower than most nearby schools except Lakeshore Elementary (4.8%) and Riverside Elementary (8.9%).

Subgroup performance varies. Measured against statewide peers, the school ranks high in effectiveness for Hispanic students (78th percentile), female students (75th), low-SES students (72nd), and English learners (84th percentile in 2024–2025), while male students (42nd) and special education students (35th) rank lower, with male students declining over three years. Resources are moderate: 46.27% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch, the student/teacher ratio is 14.1, and per-student spending is $14,775 — lower than several nearby schools, including Roberts Elementary, which ranks higher and has smaller classes. Historically, Waters peaked at the 84th percentile in 2015–2016 and dipped to 48th in 2022–2023 before recovering.

389
Students ?
14.1
Student/teacher ratio ?
$14,775
Per pupil spending ?
46.3%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 495 Wabash Ave
       Fond du Lac, WI  54935-5924

(920) 929-2845

District: Fond du Lac School District


Students who attend Waters Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Theisen Middle
High:    Fond du Lac High
Racial breakdown:

White:
70.2%
Hispanic:
15.9%
Two or more races:
8.0%
more
 See top rated Wisconsin elementary schools

 Compare Waters Elementary to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 48th percentile in 2023 → 61st in 2026
Strengths
✓Test scores above the Wisconsin average (60% vs 55% meeting standards)
✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 61st (2026) from a 48th-percentile low (2023)
✓Above the Wisconsin median (61st percentile)
Worth a look
!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school60%
District avg57%
Wisconsin avg55%
409th of 1,039
Wisconsin public elementary schools ?
Top 39%▼ down 24 pts since 2016
From top 16% (2016) to top 39% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of Wisconsin Elementary Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
3rd of 9Elementary Schools in the Fond du Lac School District
226th of 432Fond du Lac School District among Wisconsin 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWisconsin percentileRating
202662.4409 of 103960.6%★★★☆☆
202569.4328 of 104468.6%★★★☆☆
202466.7380 of 106164.2%★★★☆☆
202354.4551 of 106748.4%★★☆☆☆
202266.1343 of 106767.9%★★★☆☆
202162.1396 of 105062.3%★★★☆☆
201958.8452 of 103756.4%★★★☆☆
201862.2389 of 102562.0%★★★☆☆
201772.5254 of 107176.3%★★★★☆
201678.4169 of 107584.3%★★★★☆
201570.7277 of 107674.3%★★★★☆
201468.0293 of 106172.4%★★★★☆
201365.4336 of 105368.1%★★★☆☆
201246.2742 of 104529.0%★☆☆☆☆
201149.4680 of 104635.0%★★☆☆☆
201040.6768 of 104526.5%★☆☆☆☆
200955.2555 of 103046.1%★★☆☆☆
200855.3557 of 102145.4%★★☆☆☆
200660.6355 of 71250.1%★★★☆☆
200463.3273 of 63356.9%★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWisconsin percentileRating
202572.741 of 25583.9%★★★★☆
202442.4145 of 26946.1%★★☆☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWisconsin percentileRating
202672.7250 of 98674.6%★★★★☆
202573.2247 of 100175.3%★★★★☆
202462.2414 of 101159.1%★★★☆☆
202355.2501 of 101050.4%★★★☆☆
202268.4297 of 101770.8%★★★★☆
202164.8334 of 100466.7%★★★☆☆
201970.7260 of 100274.1%★★★★☆
201874.4211 of 99778.8%★★★★☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWisconsin percentileRating
202668.878 of 34777.5%★★★★☆
202565.386 of 32273.3%★★★★☆
202450.0150 of 33154.7%★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWisconsin percentileRating
202664.0240 of 84871.7%★★★★☆
202570.2176 of 87079.8%★★★★☆
202462.8275 of 86668.2%★★★☆☆
202349.0449 of 87148.5%★★☆☆☆
202277.2105 of 85987.8%★★★★☆
202162.8240 of 84771.7%★★★★☆
201953.4380 of 87456.5%★★★☆☆
201855.0338 of 85460.4%★★★☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWisconsin percentileRating
202650.1571 of 98942.3%★★☆☆☆
202560.2415 of 100058.5%★★★☆☆
202469.2309 of 101269.5%★★★☆☆
202353.2531 of 101147.5%★★☆☆☆
202261.9371 of 101763.5%★★★☆☆
202158.0444 of 100355.7%★★★☆☆
201948.5563 of 100243.8%★★☆☆☆
201852.1522 of 99747.6%★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWisconsin percentileRating
202463.833 of 11972.3%★★★★☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWisconsin percentileRating
202635.8514 of 79135.0%★★☆☆☆
202319.8668 of 77013.2%★☆☆☆☆
201970.5137 of 74281.5%★★★★☆
201879.374 of 72189.7%★★★★☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWisconsin percentileRating
202654.9316 of 69754.7%★★★☆☆
202565.6245 of 71865.9%★★★☆☆
202464.8246 of 72766.2%★★★☆☆
202339.8478 of 71533.1%★★☆☆☆
202250.6369 of 70447.6%★★☆☆☆
202151.9338 of 69951.6%★★★☆☆
201947.3399 of 71844.4%★★☆☆☆
201851.4354 of 68648.4%★★☆☆☆
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)
English Language Learner (2025)84th percentile+15 vs school
Hispanic (2026)78th percentile+17 vs school
Female (2026)75th percentile+14 vs school
Multi-racial (2024)72nd percentile+8 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2026)72nd percentile+11 vs school
White (2026)55th percentile-6 vs school
Male (2026)42nd percentile-18 vs school
Special Education (2026)35th percentile-26 vs school
By subject vs Wisconsin (2025-2026) ?
Social Studies73%+8 vs state
Mathematics62%+9 vs state
Science59%+5 vs state
English Language Arts55%~ state avg

★
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Schools Near Waters Elementary

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Frequently Asked Questions about Waters Elementary

Students who attend Waters Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Theisen Middle
High : Fond du Lac High

Waters Elementary ranks 409th of 1039 Wisconsin elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Students at Waters Elementary are 70% White, 16% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 2% African American.

In the 2024-25 school year, 389 students attended Waters Elementary.

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Latest Wisconsin data All new data »
2025–26 ACT & Forward Exam scoresNewOct 1, 2026
2021–22 through 2024–25 school spending dataJul 16, 2026
2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesMar 5, 2026
2024–25 ACT & Forward Exam scoresSep 25, 2025


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

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.

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