Enrollment
374
Elementary
DISTRICT 426 · STATE 381
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·WATERLOO CUSD 5·NCES 174107006144
Gardner Elementary School
1 Ed Gardner Pl, Waterloo, IL 62298 · (618) 939-3060 · Monroe County
GRADES 04–05ELEMENTARY31-TOWNREGULAR SCHOOL374 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
16.2:1
23 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 15.7:1 · STATE 13.9:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
21%
77 students
DISTRICT 21% · STATE 56%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade
Student demographics
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Students here typically continue to
Feeds from
Based on grade levels within Waterloo CUSD 5. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
IAR + ISA 2024-25 . % Proficient (Levels 4-5)English Language Arts
68.9%
IL avg 51.0% . +16.6pp since 2023
Math
61.2%
IL avg 37.9% . +14.8pp since 2023
What this means: On the IAR + ISA, Illinois's statewide test, about 69 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 61 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Illinois schools, those numbers are about 51 and 38. Reading and writing scores are up about 17 points since 2023, while math scores are up about 15 points.
Source: IAR + ISA. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
62.6%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
59.6%
based on IL schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+2.9pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 63% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 60% typical for Illinois schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Illinois's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
7-year change
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
374
-27 (-7%) vs 2017
Student : Teacher
16.2:1
was 17.9:1
% White
94%
was 95%
% Hispanic
3%
was 2%
% Black
1%
was 0%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
About Gardner Elementary School
Gardner Elementary School is one of the mid-sized elementary schools in Waterloo, Illinois, overseen by Waterloo CUSD 5, with 374 students on its rolls from grades 4 through 5.
Waterloo CUSD 5 comprises 5 schools with combined enrollment of 2,767 students; Gardner Elementary School is among them.
Looking at the student body, Gardner Elementary School records that the student body is overwhelmingly White (94%). Other groups include 3% Hispanic, 2% multiracial. Compared to Monroe County overall, the school's racial mix sits in roughly the same range.
On the resource side, The school currently runs with 23 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 16.2:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.9:1, putting Gardner Elementary School higher than the state norm the norm. Roughly 21% of students at Gardner Elementary School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy.
With demographic context factored in, Gardner Elementary School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 59.6%; this one delivers 62.6%.
Across the wider county, ACS estimates for Monroe County put median household income runs about $102,880, 39% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 4%. In all, Monroe County runs 14 public schools (combined enrollment of about 5,006 students), of which Gardner Elementary School is one.
Nearest neighbor: Rogers Elem School, around 0.1 miles off. Within five miles, there are 4 other public schools. Among the 7 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Gardner Elementary School ranks 3rd on composite proficiency, ahead of the local average of 50.8%.
The school occupies a town-based site.
Over the past 7-year window. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Gardner Elementary School has contracted 7%, going from 401 students in 2018 to 374 in 2025. The student-to-teacher ratio fell from 17.9:1 in 2018 to 16.2:1 today.
On this page, members of the Gardner Elementary School community share and discuss science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.
Monroe County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
35,036
Census ACS
Median income
$102,880
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
39%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
4%
Below federal line
Schools in county
14
5,006 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Waterloo CUSD 5
- Waterloo High SchoolHigh · 876 students
- Waterloo Junior High SchoolMiddle · 613 students
- W J Zahnow Elem SchoolElementary · 487 students
- Rogers Elem SchoolElementary · 417 students
Other schools in Waterloo
- Waterloo High SchoolHigh · 876 students
- Waterloo Junior High SchoolMiddle · 613 students
- W J Zahnow Elem SchoolElementary · 487 students
- Rogers Elem SchoolElementary · 417 students
Nearby schools
- Rogers Elem School0.1 mi · 417
- Waterloo Junior High School0.3 mi · 613
- W J Zahnow Elem School0.5 mi · 487
- Waterloo High School1.2 mi · 876
- Valmeyer High School7.6 mi · 106
- Valmeyer Elementary School7.6 mi · 152
Frequently asked questions
About Gardner Elementary SchoolWhat is the total enrollment at Gardner Elementary School?
Gardner Elementary School enrolls approximately 374 students in grades 04-05.
What grades does Gardner Elementary School serve?
Gardner Elementary School serves grades 04-05.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gardner Elementary School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Gardner Elementary School is approximately 16.2:1 (23 FTE teachers).
What is the student diversity at Gardner Elementary School?
Student demographics at Gardner Elementary School are roughly 94% White, 3% Hispanic, 1% Black, 2% Two or more.
Is Gardner Elementary School public or private?
Gardner Elementary School is a public K-12 school, overseen by Waterloo CUSD 5.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.