Whittier City Elementary

Whittier, California — 12 schools

5,495
Total Enrollment
12
Schools
$17,616
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Whittier City Elementary operates 12 public schools serving 5,495 students, placing it among the smaller districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 10 elementary, 2 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 5,288 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Los Angeles County County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $17,616 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 23.5% local, 65.2% state, and 11.3% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $86,598 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 51/100, ranked #729 of 1547 in California against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.

a 347.8:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 43.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 90.8% Hispanic or Latino, 3.2% White, 1.7% Asian across the district's schools.

Katherine Edwards Middle accounts for 16.9% of all Whittier City Elementary student enrollment

That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Whittier City 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Whittier City Elementary school enrollment varies 13× across entities

Whittier City Elementary school enrollment ranges from 67 students (lowest) to 894 students (highest), a spread of 827 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Whittier City Elementary has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 54.7% 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 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.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Whittier City Elementary student-counselor ratio is 348:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts

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 Variation between sub-units within Whittier City Elementary is typically wider than the Whittier City Elementary-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Whittier City Elementary chronic absenteeism rate is 43.4% — 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.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

11.3%
Federal
65.2%
State
23.5%
Local

Funding Equity

51
Equity Score
729 / 1547
State Rank
50
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Local Rent Costs

Fair Market Rents in Los Angeles County county, where this district is located.

$1,863
Studio/mo
$2,085
1 BR/mo
$2,601
2 BR/mo
$3,298
3 BR/mo
$3,672
4 BR/mo

Average Teacher Salary

$86,598
Average annual teacher salary

Source: NCES CCD F-33 (Finance Survey).

Teacher salary data from NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 12 schools in Whittier City Elementary.

White 3.2%
Hispanic or Latino 90.8%
African American 1.0%
Asian 1.7%
Multiracial 2.9%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

347.8:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
43.4%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Whittier City Elementary

School Enrollment
Katherine Edwards Middle
894
Walter F. Dexter Middle
610
Wallen L. Andrews Elementary
542
Daniel Phelan Elementary
507
Longfellow Elementary
499
Christian Sorensen Elementary
446
Lou Henry Hoover Elementary
374
West Whittier Elementary
346
Mill Elementary
341
Lydia Jackson Elementary
338
Orange Grove Elementary
324
Whittier Independent Study
67

Nearby Districts in California

Top districts in the same state — compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Los Angeles Unified
427,795 students · 785 schools · $25,877/pupil
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San Diego Unified
93,893 students · 175 schools · $26,901/pupil
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Fresno Unified
69,668 students · 101 schools · $20,737/pupil
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Long Beach Unified
65,554 students · 84 schools · $19,558/pupil
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Elk Grove Unified
62,061 students · 67 schools · $16,975/pupil
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Compare Whittier City Elementary

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Los Angeles Unified →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Whittier City Elementary?

Whittier City Elementary has 12 schools, including 2 middle, 10 elementary. Total enrollment is 5,495 students.

How much does Whittier City Elementary spend per student?

Whittier City Elementary spends $17,616 per student. The district has an equity score of 51/100, ranking #729 in California.

What is the average teacher salary in Whittier City Elementary?

The average teacher salary in Whittier City Elementary is $86,598 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

What is the average rent near Whittier City Elementary?

The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Los Angeles County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.

What is the demographic composition of Whittier City Elementary?

Whittier City Elementary students are 90.8% Hispanic or Latino, 3.2% White, 1.7% Asian, 1.0% African American, averaged across 12 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Whittier City Elementary?

Whittier City Elementary has an equity score of 51/100, ranking #729 out of 1547 districts in California. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.

Federal data Last updated 2026 Free public data

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