SOUTH WACO EL

As a mid-sized elementary-level community in WACO, Texas, SOUTH WACO EL serves 490 students from grades pre-K through 5, overseen by WACO ISD.

SOUTH WACO EL is one of 24 schools operated by WACO ISD, a district that enrolls 13,476 students overall.

Demographically, SOUTH WACO EL records that the most-represented group is Black (51%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups. Other groups include 37% Hispanic, 5% White, 3% multiracial. By comparison, McLennan County as a whole is about 14% Black, so the school skews noticeably more Black than its surroundings.

On the income-and-resources front, On paper, SOUTH WACO EL has 27 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 18.1:1. That figure is higher than the state norm's 15.1:1 average. Around 97% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. Set against McLennan County (around 62%), the school's rate is meaningfully above typical.

With demographic context factored in, On a poverty-adjusted basis, SOUTH WACO EL sits in the bottom 10% statewide. Predicted proficiency from the FRL regression is roughly 31.5%; actual is 11.7%, a gap of -19.8 points.

In the area at large, the surrounding county (McLennan County) records that median household earnings sit near $66,643, about 29% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and roughly 11% of residents live below the federal poverty line. SOUTH WACO EL is one of 124 public schools in McLennan County (combined enrollment of about 45,703 students).

Nearest neighbor: ALTA VISTA EL, around 1.1 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts SOUTH WACO EL at 9th of 9; the average score across the group is 31.9%.

The campus sits in a high-density setting.

Five-year trend. SOUTH WACO EL's enrollment has shrank 7% since 2018, when it stood at 526 (now 490). The Hispanic share of enrollment decreased from 41% to 37% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio grew from 15.5:1 in 2018 to 18.1:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, members of the SOUTH WACO EL community share and discuss sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.