Waters Elementary, Fond Du Lac WI

Original Research by School Decision on Waters Elementary

Waters Elementary is a regular public school in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, serving students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. It sits within the Fond du Lac School District, which operates nine elementary schools distributed across the city. The school draws from a residential area of this mid-sized manufacturing and service hub, a city that blends a historic downtown core on Main Street with the large Lakeside Park on Lake Winnebago and a mix of major employers including Mercury Marine, St. Agnes Hospital, and several technical and manufacturing firms. Home values in the area are moderately priced against state and national benchmarks, and the housing market shows a steady but measured pace of appreciation.

Academically, Waters Elementary posted results that place its overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades above the midpoint relative to districts in Fond du Lac County. State assessment data for the most recent year shows that a solid majority of students met or exceeded proficiency benchmarks in reading and mathematics across grades three through five. In social studies, performance was particularly strong, with a large share of fourth graders reaching proficiency. Science results for the same grade were also at a level that many families would consider reassuring. Across all tested subjects, the school’s proficiency profile is consistent enough that a parent can expect the majority of students to be on track in core academic areas by the end of elementary school.

The student body numbers roughly the size typical of a neighborhood elementary school for this grade band. Just under half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a substantial share that indicates a fair degree of economic diversity. Racially and ethnically, the enrollment is predominantly white, with a notable Hispanic presence and smaller shares of students who are Black, Asian, or identify with two or more races. Data on students with Individualized Education Programs and English learners was not reported in the available information, so a parent with specific needs in either area may wish to contact the school directly for details on those supports and programs.

Fond du Lac itself is a community with a diversified economy that has moved beyond its lumber and grain milling roots. The city is home to Marian University and Moraine Park Technical College, giving it an educational anchor beyond the K-12 system. Public transit serves the city with eight bus routes and paratransit, and the lakefront park is a major civic gathering space. No recent district-level changes that would directly affect families were identified from public reporting, so the school’s programming and operations appear to reflect longstanding district practices.

Because Waters Elementary serves only through fifth grade, there are no high school offerings to assess, and a graduation rate is not applicable. The school does not operate as a charter or magnet. Discipline and attendance data were also absent from the available records, so a reader looking for patterns in student behavior or engagement will not find that information here. The school’s academic performance, however, is clearly above the middle of the pack among districts in the same county, giving a family a solid baseline for this elementary school option in Fond du Lac.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 360%

School 60% · District 62% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 470%

School 70% · District 58% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 561%

School 61% · District 57% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 356%

School 56% · District 58% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 461%

School 61% · District 51% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Grade 557%

School 57% · District 55% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Science

Grade 461%

School 61% · District 50% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 479%

School 79% · District 59% · ▲ 20 pts above district

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

This schoolFond du Lac School District, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income52%Higher-income59%6 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income45%Higher-income81%36 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income44%Higher-income69%25 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income57%Higher-income62%6 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income61%Higher-income81%20 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income47%Higher-income75%28 pp gap