Enrollment
526
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Long Beach, CA
Whittier Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Whittier Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 062250002767
👥 S:T ratio 8
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 63
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Whittier Elementary earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #20 of 47
- elementary schools in Long Beach · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.9:1
- students per teacher
- 72.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Whittier Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Whittier Elementary ranks #20 of 47 elementary schools in Long Beach, CA.
School address
District: Long Beach Unified · California
NCES ID 062250002767 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
72.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
+30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Whittier Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Whittier Elementary
Whittier Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Long Beach, California, enrolling 526 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 22.9:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 72.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 526 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 2,195 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #305.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (70%) and Asian (15%) (diversity index 48/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 187 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 60.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Long Beach's elementary schools, it stands alongside Muir K-8 (1,029 students): Whittier Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (22.9:1 vs 25.1:1).
Long Beach Unified also operates Polytechnic High (3,890 students) and Millikan High (3,408 students) alongside Whittier 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 Whittier Elementary compares
Whittier 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 | 22.9:1 | ▲ 7% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 72.4% | ▲ 30% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 526 | top 42% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.9:1
Leaner classes than 8% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
526
Bigger than 65% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
72.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% 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
22.9:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 61% in California - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
60.1%
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
$16,028
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors2.8 FTE
Per 187 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.3 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 69.6%
Asian 15.0%
African American 10.8%
Two or More 3.0%
White 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 69.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.0, Whittier Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Long Beach Unified, which includes Whittier Elementary.
$16,028
Per student
-3%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.5%
State 60.1%
Federal 15.4%
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 Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polytechnic High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Millikan High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wilson High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lakewood High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Jordan High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Whittier Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,890
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 3,408
- Students per teacher
- 24.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 3,349
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 2,305
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 2,272
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar elementary schools in Long Beach
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Muir K-8
Standard public school
1,029 students 25.1:1 students per teacher
Cubberley K-8
Standard public school
951 students 25:1 students per teacher
Grant Elementary
Standard public school
951 students 25.7:1 students per teacher
Newcomb Academy
Standard public school
914 students 25.4:1 students per teacher
Longfellow Elementary
Standard public school
904 students 27.4:1 students per teacher
Tincher Preparatory
Standard public school
837 students 25.4:1 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 (~526 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Whittier Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Whittier Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Long Beach Unified'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 Elementary
How many students attend Whittier Elementary?
Whittier Elementary has 526 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Long Beach, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Whittier Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Whittier Elementary is 22.9:1, which is 7% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 46% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Whittier Elementary?
72.4% of students at Whittier Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Whittier Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Whittier Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 69.6% of enrollment, in Long Beach, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Whittier Elementary?
Whittier Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (typical 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 Elementary rank among elementary schools in Long Beach?
By Resource Investment Index, Whittier Elementary ranks #20 of 47 elementary schools in Long Beach, 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 Long Beach on the city page.
Is Whittier Elementary a good school?
Whittier Elementary earns 35/100 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 Long Beach Unified?
Besides Whittier Elementary, Long Beach Unified also operates Polytechnic High (3,890 students), Millikan High (3,408 students), and Wilson High (3,349 students). See the Long Beach Unified 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.