The top reported proficiency rate is 96% in Math. The lowest is 89% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Southeast Elementary School
Southeast Elementary in Waverly serves students from kindergarten through fourth grade. It is one of four elementary schools in the Waverly-Shell Rock Community School District, a system that runs a total of seven schools across the community. The school sits on the southeast side of Waverly, a city of modest size that serves as the Bremer County seat and sits on the Cedar River. The town has a college-town atmosphere thanks to Wartburg College, a four-year liberal arts school integrated into the city, and it anchors a mix of residential neighborhoods, a traditional downtown, and employers like CUNA Mutual Group, the Waverly Health Center, and Nestlé Beverage.
The student body at Southeast Elementary is small for its grade band, which means class sizes are likely manageable. Most students identify as white, with a small share of students who are of two or more races, a modest Hispanic population, and even smaller shares of Black, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of some economic diversity within the school.
On the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress, Southeast Elementary posted strong results in the most recent testing year. In math, nearly every student tested met the proficiency standard. In English language arts, the large majority did as well. The school’s overall proficiency rate across tested subjects and grades placed it among the top performers relative to the other districts in Bremer County. The number of students tested was small, but the results are consistent and suggest a school that is delivering solid academic foundations in the early elementary years.
Because Southeast Elementary serves only kindergarten through fourth grade, there is no graduation rate to report, and state testing data is available only for the grades that participate in state assessments. That is expected for a school of this type. Chronic absenteeism figures were not available, and the data does not include information on staffing ratios, discipline rates, or course access. These are gaps a parent may want to explore directly with the school or district.
The district itself appears to be in a period of stability. A review of recent district-level changes turned up no major referenda, curriculum shifts, facility projects, or property tax changes that would be immediately relevant to a family considering the school. That could change, but for now the landscape is steady.
Housing in the Waverly area is moderately priced relative to national benchmarks, with home values that have seen a modest increase recently. The city promotes its fiber optic internet availability and a recreation network that includes miles of trails and an indoor recreation center. The commute pattern suggests most residents drive to work, and the downtown is drivable but also walkable for those who live nearby.
For a family looking at early elementary options in Waverly, Southeast Elementary presents a picture of a small, academically solid neighborhood school. The test results are a clear strength, and the setting is a stable small city with a college-town feel. A family that values strong foundational academics and a school where the numbers suggest most students are meeting grade-level expectations will find this a credible option. Those with more specific concerns about student support services, special education, or English learner programs will need to ask the school directly for details, since those data points were not available in the public record.
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