Enrollment
491
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Minneapolis, MN
Whittier Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Whittier Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 272124002700
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Whittier Elementary earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of Minnesota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Minnesota schools.
- #40 of 49
- schools in Minneapolis · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.5:1
- large classes for Minnesota
- 81.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Whittier Elementary has class sizes larger than 72% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Whittier Elementary ranks #40 of 49 schools in Minneapolis, MN.
School address
District: Minneapolis Public School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 272124002700 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.5:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
81.7%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+91% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Whittier Elementary compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Whittier Elementary
Whittier Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Minneapolis, Minnesota, enrolling 491 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 81.7% of students qualify for free meals, 91% above the Minnesota average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 491 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 98 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #65.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (44%) and African American (30%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 50.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Minneapolis Public School District spends $21,154 per pupil, 39% above the Minnesota average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 18.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Minneapolis Public School District also operates Washburn High (1,521 students) and South High (1,257 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 Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.5:1 | ▲ 11% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 81.7% | ▲ 91% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 491 | top 27% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.5:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
491
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
81.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 91% above the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.5:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 72% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 28% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
50.1%
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
$21,154
per pupil, district-wide
- above Minnesota avg of $15,270
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 24 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.7 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 44.4%
African American 29.9%
White 12.4%
Two or More 9.0%
Asian 2.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.0%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 44.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.9, Whittier Elementary is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Minneapolis Public School District, which includes Whittier Elementary.
$21,154
Per student
+39%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
+27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 31.2%
State 50.3%
Federal 18.5%
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 Whittier Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washburn High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Southwest High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Roosevelt High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Andersen Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher 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
- 1,521
- Students per teacher
- 26.2:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,257
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 1,195
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,148
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,052
- Students per teacher
- 25:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Minnesota, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~491 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Whittier Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Whittier Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Minneapolis Public 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 Whittier Elementary
How many students attend Whittier Elementary?
Whittier Elementary has 491 students enrolled. It is a public school in Minneapolis, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Whittier Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Whittier Elementary is 17.5:1, which is 11% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Whittier Elementary?
81.7% of students at Whittier Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Whittier Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Whittier Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 44.4% of enrollment, in Minneapolis, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Whittier Elementary?
Whittier Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (typical 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 Whittier Elementary rank among schools in Minneapolis?
By Resource Investment Index, Whittier Elementary ranks #40 of 49 schools in Minneapolis, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Minneapolis on the city page.
Is Whittier Elementary a good school?
Whittier Elementary earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of Minnesota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Minnesota 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 Minneapolis Public School District?
Besides Whittier Elementary, Minneapolis Public School District also operates Washburn High (1,521 students), South High (1,257 students), and Southwest High (1,195 students). See the Minneapolis Public 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.