Waldo Water Tower · Photo: Valis55 · CC BY-SA 3.0Waldo’s public schools score below 54% of Arkansas districts on tests and graduation
30% of students in Waldo’s public schools are proficient in reading, below the Arkansas average (40%). The grade covers the public school district serving Waldo, from kindergarten through graduation, on state tests and graduation. Each state writes its own tests, so this is the one TownRatings grade compared within Arkansas, not nationally.
From Arkansas state tests taken in spring 2022, when 100% of students in the tested grades sat them, and the class of 2023’s four-year graduation rate, as reported to the U.S. Department of Education.
Waldo’s schools, in brief
Better than its incomes would predict
Among the 235 Arkansas towns with household incomes within a quarter of Waldo’s, its schools beat 53%, higher than their 46% against all the state’s districts. The grade ↓
Results trail the state
In spring 2022, 30% of tested students were proficient in reading and 30% in math, against 40% and 38% statewide; 100% of students in the tested grades sat the tests. The grade ↓
Graduation
94% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 90% across Arkansas. Districts ↓
Spending and class size
The district spends $13,428 per student, against $13,585 across Arkansas (FY2024). Spending doesn’t count toward the grade. Districts ↓
One elementary school, then one middle and one high school
From grade 3 the district’s path is Central Elementary School, then Magnolia High School. Enrollment is down 7% since 2020–21. See the path ↓
Written from the figures on this page. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023; each school’s own letter uses 2020–21 results.
What’s behind Waldo’s grade
B−: better than 46% of Arkansas school districts. Graduation is above the Arkansas average; test scores are below it.
Where will my kid go?
Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Waldo, with each school’s own grade.
Kindergarten in Waldo
East Side Elementary School
Grades K–2 · 570 students · 17:1 students per teacher · in Magnolia
1st grade in Waldo
East Side Elementary School
Grades K–2 · 570 students · 17:1 students per teacher · in Magnolia
2nd grade in Waldo
East Side Elementary School
Grades K–2 · 570 students · 17:1 students per teacher · in Magnolia
3rd grade in Waldo
Central Elementary School
Grades 3–7 · 527 students · 16:1 students per teacher · in Magnolia
4th grade in Waldo
Central Elementary School
Grades 3–7 · 527 students · 16:1 students per teacher · in Magnolia
5th grade in Waldo
Central Elementary School
Grades 3–7 · 527 students · 16:1 students per teacher · in Magnolia
6th grade in Waldo · depends on your address
Central Elementary School
Grades 3–7 · 527 students · 16:1 students per teacher · in Magnolia
Magnolia Middle School
Grades 6–8 · 492 students · 11:1 students per teacher · in Magnolia
7th grade in Waldo · depends on your address
Central Elementary School
Grades 3–7 · 527 students · 16:1 students per teacher · in Magnolia
Magnolia Middle School
Grades 6–8 · 492 students · 11:1 students per teacher · in Magnolia
8th grade in Waldo
Magnolia Middle School
Grades 6–8 · 492 students · 11:1 students per teacher · in Magnolia
9th grade in Waldo
Magnolia High School
Grades 9–12 · 797 students · 11:1 students per teacher · in Magnolia
10th grade in Waldo
Magnolia High School
Grades 9–12 · 797 students · 11:1 students per teacher · in Magnolia
Waldo’s public schools are run by Magnolia School District, which also serves Magnolia and McNeil. To confirm the school for a specific address, ask the district.
The district
Spending and class size are shown but don’t count toward the grade. Each district’s own page has every school.
Well below the state in reading
Waldo vs. its neighbors
Schools grades for the Arkansas towns that share Waldo’s borders.
| Town | Schools | Main districts |
|---|---|---|
| Waldo | B− | Magnolia |
Every school in Waldo
3 schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Arkansas’s other public schools (the newest school-level results we have).
Questions about Waldo’s schools
Are Waldo’s schools good?
On Arkansas’s tests they score below most of the state: the public schools Waldo children attend score below 54% of Arkansas’s school districts on tests and graduation, a B− Schools grade. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 53%. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023.
What school district is Waldo in?
Magnolia School District, which runs grades PK–12 and enrolls 2,505 students in 5 schools (2024–25).
Where do Waldo kids go to high school?
Magnolia High School in Magnolia, with 797 students; its own test results earn a C.
What is Waldo’s graduation rate?
94% of the class of 2023 in Magnolia School District graduated in four years, against 90% across Arkansas.
How much does Waldo spend per student?
$13,428 in Magnolia School District (FY2024), against $13,585 across Arkansas. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.
Parents talk
What Waldo families are saying about school.
Looking for colleges? Colleges near Waldo → They have their own page.
School data: state test results (2021–22, with participation) and four-year graduation rates (class of 2023) reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express); each school’s own letter uses its 2020–21 results (EDFacts via the Urban Institute); schools and enrollment from NCES (2024–25; private schools 2023–24); spending from the Census Bureau’s school finance survey (FY2024). The School Grade is our own summary, graded within Arkansas. Stars are from neighbors.