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Whittier, California - 7 schools
An equity score of 71/100 ranks Whittier Union High #235 of 1517 districts in California (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $18,738 per pupil, Whittier Union High ranks #312 of 1862 California districts by per-pupil spending (California districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
10,614
Total Enrollment
7
Schools
$18,738
Per-Pupil Spending
High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Whittier Union High operates 7 public schools serving 10,614 students, placing it among the smallest districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 7 high 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 $18,738 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 27.5% local, 61.9% state, and 10.5% 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 71/100, ranked #235 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.
Academic infrastructure includes 6 of 7 schools offering Advanced Placement (90 AP courses district-wide), a 258:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 29.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 91.4% Hispanic or Latino, 5.0% White, 1.8% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is La Serna High, with a diversity index of 29.6/100.
Its largest campus is La Serna High, enrolling 2,372 students (24% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Sierra Vista High (Alternative), at 284 students, a 8x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
La Serna High accounts for 22.3% of all Whittier Union High student enrollment
That concentration means Whittier Union High-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. 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.
Whittier Union High school enrollment varies 8.4× across entities
Whittier Union High school enrollment ranges from 284 students (lowest) to 2,372 students (highest), a spread of 2,088 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.
Whittier Union High has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 64.2% 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). Eligibility here is approaching the 75% concentration-grant threshold; it does not yet unlock the extra funding tier but sits meaningfully above the baseline 50% majority mark. 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.
Whittier Union High student-counselor ratio is 258:1 — 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 Union High is typically wider than the Whittier Union High-aggregate figure suggests.
Whittier Union High chronic absenteeism rate is 29.5% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism
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 Variation between sub-units within Whittier Union High is typically wider than the Whittier Union High-aggregate figure suggests.
Whittier Union High has 7 schools, including 7 high. Total enrollment is 10,614 students.
How much does Whittier Union High spend per student?
Whittier Union High spends $18,738 per student. The district has an equity score of 71/100, ranking #235 in California.
What is the demographic composition of Whittier Union High?
Whittier Union High students are 91.4% Hispanic or Latino, 5.0% White, 1.8% Asian, 0.9% African American, averaged across 7 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Whittier Union High?
Whittier Union High has an equity score of 71/100, ranking #235 out of 1517 districts in California.