West High School

As a heavily attended four-year high school in Waterloo, Iowa, West High School hosts 1,696 students from grades 9 through 12, one of the schools within Waterloo Comm School District. That puts it 262% above the typical public school in Iowa, which averages around 468 students.

West High School is one of 18 schools operated by Waterloo Comm School District, a district that educates 10,484 students overall.

On the student-mix side, West High School lists that 45% of students identify as White, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Other groups include 22% Black, 15% Hispanic, 7% multiracial, 6% Asian. That is considerably less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 80%.

In terms of school funding signals, On paper, West High School has 101 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 16.8:1. That tracks the state average closely. Roughly 59% of students at West High School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment.

After controlling for student poverty, West High School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 62.4%; this one delivers 60.9%.

In the broader community, Black Hawk County reports that the typical household earns roughly $66,417 per year, 30% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 9%. In all, Black Hawk County runs 35 public schools (combined enrollment of about 18,224 students), of which West High School is one.

Hoover Middle School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.7 miles from this campus. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), West High School ranks 6th on composite proficiency, above the local average of 60.5%.

Geographically, the school is in a downtown area.

Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at West High School has held roughly steady, going from 1,725 students in 2018 to 1,696 in 2025. The White share of enrollment declined from 55% to 45% over that span.

On allk12, members of the West High School community share and discuss pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.