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Whittier, California - 6 schools
An equity score of 70/100 ranks South Whittier Elementary #266 of 1517 districts in California (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $18,916 per pupil, South Whittier Elementary ranks #299 of 1862 California districts by per-pupil spending (California districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
2,317
Total Enrollment
6
Schools
$18,916
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Middle
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
South Whittier Elementary operates 6 public schools serving 2,317 students, placing it among the smallest districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 5 elementary, 1 middle schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Los Angeles County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $18,916 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 1862 California districts by per-pupil spending. See how California compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 25.3% local, 59.9% state, and 14.8% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 70/100, ranked #266 of 1517 in California against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
a 242:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 37.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 94.2% Hispanic or Latino, 3.0% White, 1.3% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Lake Marie Elementary, with a diversity index of 13.3/100.
Its largest campus is Richard L. Graves Middle, enrolling 484 students (21% of the district's total enrollment).
Richard L. Graves Middle accounts for 20.9% of all South Whittier Elementary student enrollment
That concentration means South Whittier Elementary-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: middle. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
South Whittier Elementary school enrollment varies 2.6× across entities
South Whittier Elementary school enrollment ranges from 186 students (lowest) to 484 students (highest), a spread of 298 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
South Whittier Elementary has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 77.1% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility — including this one — receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
South Whittier Elementary student-counselor ratio is 242:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.
South Whittier Elementary chronic absenteeism rate is 37.4% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
How many schools are in South Whittier Elementary?
South Whittier Elementary has 6 schools, including 1 middle, 5 elementary. Total enrollment is 2,317 students.
How much does South Whittier Elementary spend per student?
South Whittier Elementary spends $18,916 per student. The district has an equity score of 70/100, ranking #266 in California.
What is the demographic composition of South Whittier Elementary?
South Whittier Elementary students are 94.2% Hispanic or Latino, 3.0% White, 1.3% Asian, 0.7% African American, averaged across 6 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for South Whittier Elementary?
South Whittier Elementary has an equity score of 70/100, ranking #266 out of 1517 districts in California.