Enrollment
611
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Pontiac, MI
Whitman Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Whitman Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 262874000662
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Whitman Elementary School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 83% of Michigan schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Pontiac · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13:1
- small classes for Michigan
- 79.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Whitman Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 83% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Whitman Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Pontiac, MI.
School address
District: Pontiac City School District · Michigan
NCES ID 262874000662 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
47.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
79.9%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+47% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Whitman Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Whitman Elementary School
Whitman Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Pontiac, Michigan, enrolling 611 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13:1 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 79.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 611 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 335 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #77.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (49%) and African American (41%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 59/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 75.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Pontiac City School District spends $18,379 per pupil, 36% above the Michigan average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 28.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Pontiac City School District also operates Pontiac High School (992 students) and Pontiac Middle School (790 students) alongside Whitman Elementary School.
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 Whitman Elementary School compares
Whitman Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13:1 | ▼ 26% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 79.9% | ▲ 47% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 611 | top 17% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13:1
Leaner classes than 67% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
611
Bigger than 74% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
79.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 47% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13:1
students per teacher
- 26% below state mean
Top 17% in Michigan - lower ratio than 83% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
75.6%
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
$18,379
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 34 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 48.8%
African American 41.4%
Two or More 4.4%
White 2.9%
Asian 2.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 48.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.7, Whitman Elementary School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pontiac City School District, which includes Whitman Elementary School.
$18,379
Per student
+36%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
+11%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 55.2%
State 16.3%
Federal 28.5%
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 Whitman Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pontiac High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pontiac Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Owen Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Alcott School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Herrington School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Whitman Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 992
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 790
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 383
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 334
- Students per teacher
- 37.1:1
- Resource Index
- 10/100
- Enrollment
- 319
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Michigan, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~611 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Whitman Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Whitman Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Pontiac City School District'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 Whitman Elementary School
How many students attend Whitman Elementary School?
Whitman Elementary School has 611 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Pontiac, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Whitman Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Whitman Elementary School is 13:1, which is 26% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 17% lower 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 Whitman Elementary School?
79.9% of students at Whitman Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Whitman Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Whitman Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 48.8% of enrollment, in Pontiac, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Whitman Elementary School?
Whitman Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Whitman Elementary School rank among public schools in Pontiac?
By Resource Investment Index, Whitman Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Pontiac, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Pontiac on the city page.
Is Whitman Elementary School a good school?
Whitman Elementary School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 83% of Michigan schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools. 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 Pontiac City School District?
Besides Whitman Elementary School, Pontiac City School District also operates Pontiac High School (992 students), Pontiac Middle School (790 students), and Owen Elementary School (383 students). See the Pontiac City School District 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.