Lincoln Elementary School

Set in Waterloo, Iowa, Lincoln Elementary School is a mid-tier elementary-level community, part of Waterloo Comm School District. It instructs 463 students across grades pre-K through 5. Enrollment runs roughly 42% bigger than the state mean of about 325.

Lincoln Elementary School is one of 18 schools operated by Waterloo Comm School District, a district that enrolls 10,484 students overall.

On demographics, Lincoln Elementary School reports that the most-represented group is Black (45%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups. Beyond that, the school records 22% White, 14% multiracial, 12% Hispanic, 5% Pacific Islander. That is considerably more Black than the county at large, where the share is closer to 9%.

In terms of school funding signals, On paper, Lincoln Elementary School has 38 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 12.1:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 13.7:1 average. Roughly 81% of students at Lincoln Elementary School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. That share is above Black Hawk County's rate of about 52%.

With demographic context factored in, Lincoln Elementary School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 51.4% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 51.8%.

Across the wider county, Black Hawk County reports that median household earnings sit near $66,417, about 30% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and roughly 9% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Black Hawk County runs 35 public schools (combined enrollment of about 18,224 students), of which Lincoln Elementary School is one.

Nearest neighbor: George Washington Carver Academy, around 1.2 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. On composite proficiency, Lincoln Elementary School comes 5th of 9 in the immediate cluster, behind the nearby-schools average of 55.8%.

The campus sits in a high-density setting.

Trend over the last 7 years. Lincoln Elementary School's enrollment has edged down 18% since 2018, when it stood at 562 (now 463). The Black share of enrollment contracted from 52% to 45% over that span. Class-load math has pulled in: from 13.6:1 in 2018 to 12.1:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Members of the school community can share what they know.