Enrollment
369
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Indianola, IA
Whittier Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Whittier Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 191464000876
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 26
📋 Attendance 57
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Whittier Elementary School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Iowa schools.
- #4 of 6
- public schools in Indianola · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 27.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Whittier Elementary School has class sizes larger than 77% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Whittier Elementary School ranks #4 of 6 public schools in Indianola, IA.
School address
District: Indianola Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 191464000876 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
27.3%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-25% 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 combined-grade school in Indianola, Iowa, enrolling 369 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 27.3% of students eligible for free meals.
With 369 students, its enrollment sits close to the Iowa median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 425 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #234.
Its student body is predominantly White (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 26/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 369 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
17.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Indianola Comm School District also operates Indianola High School (1,165 students) and Indianola Middle School (818 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 | 16:1 | ▲ 8% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 27.3% | ▼ 25% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 369 | top 38% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16:1
Leaner classes than 38% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
369
Bigger than 43% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
27.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% below the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 77% in Iowa - lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
17.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,417
per pupil, district-wide
- below 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 369 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.5 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 85.6%
Hispanic or Latino 7.6%
Two or More 6.0%
African American 0.5%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: White at 85.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 25.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 25.8, Whittier Elementary School is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Indianola Comm School District, which includes Whittier Elementary School.
$11,417
Per student
-11%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.7%
State 52.4%
Federal 7.9%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indianola High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Indianola Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Wilder Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Emerson Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Irving Elementary School | Similar size | Lower 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
- 1,165
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 818
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 456
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 396
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 395
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
Similar other 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 (~369 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Whittier Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Whittier Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Indianola 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 369 students enrolled. It is a public school in Indianola, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Whittier Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Whittier Elementary School is 16:1, which is 8% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 2% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Whittier Elementary School?
27.3% 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 85.6% of enrollment, in Indianola, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Whittier Elementary School?
Whittier Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 School rank among public schools in Indianola?
By Resource Investment Index, Whittier Elementary School ranks #4 of 6 public schools in Indianola, 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 Indianola on the city page.
Is Whittier Elementary School a good school?
Whittier Elementary School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% 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 Indianola Comm School District?
Besides Whittier Elementary School, Indianola Comm School District also operates Indianola High School (1,165 students), Indianola Middle School (818 students), and Wilder Elementary School (456 students). See the Indianola 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.