Enrollment
550
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Kansas City, MO
Whittier Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Whittier Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 291640000887
👥 S:T ratio 18
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 54
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Whittier Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of Missouri schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools.
- #37 of 55
- schools in Kansas City · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.4:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 99.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Whittier Elementary has class sizes larger than 98% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Whittier Elementary ranks #37 of 55 schools in Kansas City, MO.
School address
District: Kansas City 33 · Missouri
NCES ID 291640000887 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.4:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+59% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.1%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+115% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Whittier Elementary compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Whittier Elementary
Whittier Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Kansas City, Missouri, enrolling 550 students.
Class loads run heavy: 20.4:1 is larger than about 98% of Missouri schools and 59% above the 12.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 99.1% of students qualify for free meals, 115% above the Missouri average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 550 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 142 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #94.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (43%) and African American (41%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 550 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Kansas City 33 spends $18,221 per pupil, 41% above the Missouri average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 22.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Kansas City's public schools, it stands alongside Frontier School of Innovation (645 students): Whittier Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (20.4:1 vs 11.1:1).
Kansas City 33 also operates East High School (1,155 students) and Lincoln College Prep. (997 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 Missouri and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.4:1 | ▲ 59% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.1% | ▲ 115% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 550 | top 18% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.4:1
Leaner classes than 15% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
550
Bigger than 68% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 115% above the Missouri average of 46.1%
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
20.4:1
students per teacher
- 59% above state mean
Top 98% in Missouri - lower ratio than 2% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
18.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$18,221
per pupil, district-wide
- above Missouri avg of $12,931
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 550 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 19 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.8 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 42.5%
African American 40.7%
Asian 10.4%
White 4.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.9%
Two or More 0.9%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 42.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.1, Whittier Elementary is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kansas City 33, which includes Whittier Elementary.
$18,221
Per student
+41%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
+10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 75.0%
State 2.3%
Federal 22.6%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| East High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lincoln College Prep. | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| M. L. King Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Northeast High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Paseo Acad. of Performing Arts | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower 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
- 1,155
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 997
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 768
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 732
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 669
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar other schools in Kansas City
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Missouri, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~550 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Whittier Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Whittier Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Kansas City 33'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 550 students enrolled. It is a public school in Kansas City, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Whittier Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Whittier Elementary is 20.4:1, which is 59% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 30% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Whittier Elementary?
99.1% of students at Whittier Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Whittier Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Whittier Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 42.5% of enrollment, in Kansas City, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Whittier Elementary?
Whittier Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 schools in Kansas City?
By Resource Investment Index, Whittier Elementary ranks #37 of 55 schools in Kansas City, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Kansas City on the city page.
Is Whittier Elementary a good school?
Whittier Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of Missouri schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri 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 Kansas City 33?
Besides Whittier Elementary, Kansas City 33 also operates East High School (1,155 students), Lincoln College Prep. (997 students), and M. L. King Elementary (768 students). See the Kansas City 33 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.