The top reported proficiency rate is 61% in Science. The lowest is 41% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Waterville Elementary
Waterville Elementary serves kindergarten through fourth grade in the small agricultural town of Waterville, the county seat of Douglas County. The school is part of the Waterville School District, which also operates the town’s upper-grade schools. This is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet.
The student body is small by any measure, and the school’s grade band means that families will need to plan for transitions after fourth grade. The district’s enrollment includes students from the surrounding wheat-farming area, and the community is described as tight-knit and civic-minded, with a historic downtown and a relaxed pace of life. Housing values in the area are below the state median, and the local economy is anchored by agriculture and county government. For families considering a move, the town’s population has been stable, and the homeownership rate is high.
Academically, state testing results are available for the 2024-25 school year. In math, proficiency rates among tested students showed a range across grades, with one grade performing lower than others. In English language arts, the pattern was similar, with one grade group showing a stronger share of students meeting the standard and another showing a weaker one. For science, which is tested only in fifth grade and is the only subject tested at that grade level, a majority of students scored at the proficient level. The school’s overall proficiency index, which averages results across all tested subjects and grades, places it in the top quartile relative to other districts in Douglas County. This is a strong showing for a small school and suggests that students who attend here are broadly keeping pace with or ahead of their peers in the county.
The school has a single year of testing data available, so there is no trend to report. A parent looking for year-over-year improvement or decline cannot see that here yet. Also absent from the data are figures on chronic absenteeism, discipline, and staffing, so those areas cannot be assessed from this report. The school does not serve high school grades, so a graduation rate is not applicable.
The share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals is substantial, indicating a significant proportion of families with lower incomes. The student body is predominantly white, with a Hispanic minority and very small numbers of students identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native and Black. Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and two-or-more-races populations are not represented in the reported data. Information on students with disabilities and English learners was not available.
Waterville Elementary is a place that fits a family looking for a small, rural school in a stable, agricultural community. The academic performance is solid relative to the county, and the school’s size means class groups are likely small. A family should be ready for the reality that the school ends at fourth grade, and that the town’s amenities are modest and tied to its role as a county seat. The lack of reported data on certain civil-rights and school-environment topics means that anyone with specific concerns about discipline, staffing, or support services should ask the district directly. The district itself did not show any recent, publicly reported major changes such as a curriculum overhaul or a facility bond. This is a straightforward, established school in a place that changes slowly, which may be exactly what some families want.
See more original research from School Decision →