Enrollment
331
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Clinton, IA
Whittier Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Whittier Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 190771000384
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 34
📋 Attendance 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Whittier Elementary School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% of Iowa schools.
- #1 of 6
- public schools in Clinton · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.8:1
- small classes for Iowa
- 36.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Whittier Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 80% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Whittier Elementary School ranks #1 of 6 public schools in Clinton, IA.
School address
District: Clinton Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190771000384 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.8:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.4%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+0% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Whittier Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Whittier Elementary School
Whittier Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Clinton, Iowa, enrolling 331 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 36.4% lands close to the Iowa typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 331 students, its enrollment sits close to the Iowa median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 455 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #146.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and Two or More (8%) (diversity index 36/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 331 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Clinton's elementary schools, it stands alongside Jefferson Elementary School (376 students): Whittier Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (11.8:1 vs 11.4:1).
Clinton Comm School District also operates Clinton High School (981 students) and Clinton Middle School (745 students) alongside Whittier 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 Whittier Elementary School compares
Whittier Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Iowa and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.8:1 | ▼ 20% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.4% | ▼ 0% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 331 | top 45% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.8:1
Leaner classes than 77% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
331
Bigger than 37% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 0% above the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
11.8:1
students per teacher
- 20% below state mean
Top 20% in Iowa - lower ratio than 80% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
19.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,866
per pupil, district-wide
- above Iowa avg of $12,854
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 331 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.0 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
White 79.2%
Two or More 7.9%
Hispanic or Latino 6.6%
African American 6.3%
Largest group: White at 79.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.8, Whittier Elementary School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Clinton Comm School District, which includes Whittier Elementary School.
$12,866
Per student
+0%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.0%
State 58.7%
Federal 12.3%
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 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinton High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Clinton Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eagle Heights Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Jefferson Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bluff Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Whittier Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 981
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 745
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 443
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 376
- Students per teacher
- 11.4:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 372
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar elementary schools in Clinton
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Iowa, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~331 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Whittier Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Whittier Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Clinton Comm 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 School
How many students attend Whittier Elementary School?
Whittier Elementary School has 331 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Clinton, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Whittier Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Whittier Elementary School is 11.8:1, which is 20% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 25% 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 Whittier Elementary School?
36.4% of students at Whittier Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Whittier Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Whittier Elementary School is White at 79.2% of enrollment, in Clinton, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Whittier Elementary School?
Whittier Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher 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 School rank among public schools in Clinton?
By Resource Investment Index, Whittier Elementary School ranks #1 of 6 public schools in Clinton, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Clinton on the city page.
Is Whittier Elementary School a good school?
Whittier Elementary School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% of Iowa 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 Clinton Comm School District?
Besides Whittier Elementary School, Clinton Comm School District also operates Clinton High School (981 students), Clinton Middle School (745 students), and Eagle Heights Elementary School (443 students). See the Clinton Comm 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.