Whittier Union High

Whittier, California — 7 schools

10,614
Total Enrollment
7
Schools
$22,431
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 smaller districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 7 high schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 9,798 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 $22,431 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 27.5% local, 61.9% state, and 10.5% 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 $97,685 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 67/100, ranked #311 of 1547 in California against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.

Academic infrastructure includes 6 of 7 schools offering Advanced Placement (90 AP courses district-wide), a 258:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 49.6% 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.

La Serna High accounts for 24.2% of all Whittier Union High student enrollment

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

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

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.

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

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). 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 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.

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

Whittier Union High chronic absenteeism rate is 49.6% — 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?

10.5%
Federal
61.9%
State
27.5%
Local

Funding Equity

67
Equity Score
311 / 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

$97,685
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 7 schools in Whittier Union High.

White 5.0%
Hispanic or Latino 91.4%
African American 0.9%
Asian 1.8%
Multiracial 0.6%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

6 / 7
Schools with AP
90 AP courses total
258:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
49.6%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Whittier Union High

School Enrollment
La Serna High
2,372
California High
2,261
Santa Fe High
1,865
Whittier High
1,652
Pioneer High
1,000
Frontier High (Continuation)
364
Sierra Vista High (Alternative)
284

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 Union High

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 Union High?

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 $22,431 per student. The district has an equity score of 67/100, ranking #311 in California.

What is the average teacher salary in Whittier Union High?

The average teacher salary in Whittier Union High is $97,685 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

What is the average rent near Whittier Union High?

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 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 67/100, ranking #311 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

Coverage

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Full national footprint

Update cadence

Quarterly

Refreshed within 30 days of upstream release

Source agency

Federal

Authoritative data, no third-party aggregation

Page reliability score 94.0%
Industry baseline

Composite score weighing source authority, update freshness, and methodological transparency. 1.0 = full federal-source coverage with documented methodology and recent update.