Enrollment
438
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Waukegan, IL
Whittier Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Whittier Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 174125005947
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 12
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Whittier Elem School earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median.
- #11 of 11
- elementary schools in Waukegan · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 12.5:1
- students per teacher
- 438
- students enrolled
Whittier Elem School has class sizes near the Illinois median. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Whittier Elem School ranks #11 of 11 elementary schools in Waukegan, IL.
School address
District: Waukegan Cusd 60 · Illinois
NCES ID 174125005947 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.5:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
-11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Whittier Elem School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Whittier Elem School
Whittier Elem School is a mid-sized elementary school in Waukegan, Illinois, enrolling 438 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of Illinois schools by student-teacher ratio.
With 438 students, its enrollment sits close to the Illinois median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 92% of the 3,845 Illinois schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 25/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 438 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Waukegan's elementary schools, it stands alongside Glenwood Elementary School (577 students): Whittier Elem School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.5:1 vs 14.4:1).
Waukegan Cusd 60 also operates Waukegan High School (4,186 students) and John R Lewis Middle School (721 students) alongside Whittier Elem 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 Whittier Elem School compares
Whittier Elem School on the metrics families compare, against Illinois and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Illinois | Illinois avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.5:1 | ▼ 11% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 438 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.5:1
Leaner classes than 71% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
438
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
12.5:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 35% in Illinois - lower ratio than 65% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
42.9%
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
$20,269
per pupil, district-wide
- above Illinois avg of $17,042
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 438 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.9 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 85.8%
African American 9.1%
Two or More 3.2%
White 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Asian 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 85.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 25.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 25.4, Whittier Elem School is less mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Waukegan Cusd 60, which includes Whittier Elem School.
$20,269
Per student
+19%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.4%
State 63.4%
Federal 12.2%
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 Whittier Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waukegan High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| John R Lewis Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Miguel Juarez Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Robert E Abbott Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Glenwood Elementary School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Whittier Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,186
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 721
- Students per teacher
- 11.4:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 651
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 585
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 577
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
Similar elementary schools in Waukegan
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Glenwood Elementary School
Standard public school
577 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Learn Chtr 9 Campus in Waukegan
Standard public school
519 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Glen Flora Elem School
Standard public school
476 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Lyon Magnet Elementary School
Standard public school
430 students 13:1 students per teacher
Little Fort Elem School
Standard public school
421 students 14:1 students per teacher
H R Mccall Elem School
Standard public school
396 students 12.4:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Illinois, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~438 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Whittier Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Whittier Elem School against another school. Compare schools
- Waukegan Cusd 60'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 Whittier Elem School
How many students attend Whittier Elem School?
Whittier Elem School has 438 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Waukegan, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Whittier Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Whittier Elem School is 12.5:1, which is 11% lower than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 20% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Whittier Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Whittier Elem School is Hispanic or Latino at 85.8% of enrollment, in Waukegan, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Whittier Elem School?
Whittier Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (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 Whittier Elem School rank among elementary schools in Waukegan?
By Resource Investment Index, Whittier Elem School ranks #11 of 11 elementary schools in Waukegan, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Waukegan on the city page.
Is Whittier Elem School a good school?
Whittier Elem School earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois 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 Waukegan Cusd 60?
Besides Whittier Elem School, Waukegan Cusd 60 also operates Waukegan High School (4,186 students), John R Lewis Middle School (721 students), and Miguel Juarez Middle School (651 students). See the Waukegan Cusd 60 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.