Enrollment
559
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Buena Park, CA
James a. Whitaker Elementary
Federal NCES profile for James a. Whitaker Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060636000560
👥 S:T ratio 17
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 3
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
James a. Whitaker Elementary earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #7 of 10
- elementary schools in Buena Park · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.7:1
- students per teacher
- 77.5%
- free-lunch eligible
James a. Whitaker Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, James a. Whitaker Elementary ranks #7 of 10 elementary schools in Buena Park, CA.
School address
District: Buena Park Elementary · California
NCES ID 060636000560 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
+40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How James a. Whitaker Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at James a. Whitaker Elementary
James a. Whitaker Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Buena Park, California, enrolling 559 students.
At 20.7:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 77.5% of students eligible for free meals.
With 559 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 2,186 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #1,298.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 33/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 559 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 39.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Buena Park's elementary schools, it stands alongside Charles G. Emery Elementary (646 students): James a. Whitaker Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (20.7:1 vs 24.8:1).
Buena Park Elementary also operates Charles G. Emery Elementary (646 students) and Gordon H. Beatty Middle (641 students) alongside James a. Whitaker Elementary.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How James a. Whitaker Elementary compares
James a. Whitaker Elementary on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.7:1 | ▼ 4% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.5% | ▲ 40% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 559 | top 37% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.7:1
Leaner classes than 14% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
559
Bigger than 69% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
77.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
20.7:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 41% in California - lower ratio than 59% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
39.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$16,711
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 559 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 81.0%
Asian 7.5%
White 4.7%
African American 3.0%
Two or More 2.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 81.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 33.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 33.4, James a. Whitaker Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Buena Park Elementary, which includes James a. Whitaker Elementary.
$16,711
Per student
+1%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.2%
State 51.5%
Federal 11.3%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How James a. Whitaker Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles G. Emery Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gordon H. Beatty Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Buena Park Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Carl E. Gilbert Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mabel L. Pendleton Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to James a. Whitaker Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 646
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 641
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 633
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 490
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 365
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar elementary schools in Buena Park
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Charles G. Emery Elementary
Standard public school
646 students 24.8:1 students per teacher
Buena Terra Elementary
Standard public school
627 students 25.1:1 students per teacher
Carl E. Gilbert Elementary
Standard public school
490 students 23.3:1 students per teacher
Glen H. Dysinger Sr. Elementary
Standard public school
468 students 21.3:1 students per teacher
San Marino Elementary
Standard public school
465 students 22.1:1 students per teacher
Holder Elementary
Standard public school
445 students 19.3:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of California, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~559 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on James a. Whitaker Elementary's federal record.
- Compare James a. Whitaker Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Buena Park Elementary's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about James a. Whitaker Elementary
How many students attend James a. Whitaker Elementary?
James a. Whitaker Elementary has 559 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Buena Park, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James a. Whitaker Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at James a. Whitaker Elementary is 20.7:1, which is 4% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 32% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at James a. Whitaker Elementary?
77.5% of students at James a. Whitaker Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of James a. Whitaker Elementary?
The largest demographic group at James a. Whitaker Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 81.0% of enrollment, in Buena Park, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for James a. Whitaker Elementary?
James a. Whitaker Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does James a. Whitaker Elementary rank among elementary schools in Buena Park?
By Resource Investment Index, James a. Whitaker Elementary ranks #7 of 10 elementary schools in Buena Park, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Buena Park on the city page.
Is James a. Whitaker Elementary a good school?
James a. Whitaker Elementary earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Buena Park Elementary?
Besides James a. Whitaker Elementary, Buena Park Elementary also operates Charles G. Emery Elementary (646 students), Gordon H. Beatty Middle (641 students), and Buena Park Middle (633 students). See the Buena Park Elementary district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.