Enrollment
490
Idaho · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Boise, ID
Whittier Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Whittier Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 160036000079
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 18
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Whittier Elementary School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Idaho median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Idaho schools.
- #30 of 65
- schools in Boise · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.3:1
- students per teacher
- 4.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Whittier Elementary School has class sizes near the Idaho median. Computed live against every Idaho school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Whittier Elementary School ranks #30 of 65 schools in Boise, ID.
School address
District: Boise Independent District · Idaho
NCES ID 160036000079 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.3:1
vs 17.1:1 Idaho avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
4.0%
vs 29.3% Idaho avg
-86% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Whittier Elementary School compares with Idaho and U.S. medians
What stands out at Whittier Elementary School
Whittier Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Boise, Idaho, enrolling 490 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Idaho schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 4.0% free-meal eligibility runs 86% below the Idaho average.
Enrollment of 490 puts it in the larger third of Idaho schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 775 scored Idaho schools.
Against 91 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #27.
Its student body is led by White (44%) and Hispanic or Latino (40%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 408 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Boise Independent District also operates Boise Senior High School (1,512 students) and Borah Senior High School (1,308 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 Idaho and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Idaho | Idaho avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.3:1 | ▼ 11% | 17.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 4.0% | ▼ 86% | 29.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 490 | top 27% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.3:1
Leaner classes than 44% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
490
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
4.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 86% below the Idaho average of 29.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.3:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 35% in Idaho - lower ratio than 65% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Funding equity
$12,278
per pupil, district-wide
- above Idaho avg of $11,939
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.2 FTE
Per 408 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: 0.4 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 44.1%
Hispanic or Latino 39.8%
Two or More 6.9%
African American 5.9%
Asian 2.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Largest group: White at 44.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.8, Whittier Elementary School is more mixed than the Idaho school average of 36.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Boise Independent District, which includes Whittier Elementary School.
$12,278
Per student
+3%
vs Idaho
Avg $11,939
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.0%
State 43.1%
Federal 11.9%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boise Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Borah Senior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Timberline High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Capital Senior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Junior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher 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
- 1,512
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,308
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,307
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,170
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 886
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Idaho, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~490 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Whittier Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Whittier Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Boise Independent 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 490 students enrolled. It is a public school in Boise, ID.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Whittier Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Whittier Elementary School is 15.3:1, which is 11% lower than the Idaho average of 17.1:1 and 3% 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?
4.0% of students at Whittier Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Idaho average of 29.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Whittier Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Whittier Elementary School is White at 44.1% of enrollment, in Boise, ID. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Whittier Elementary School?
Whittier Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Whittier Elementary School rank among schools in Boise?
By Resource Investment Index, Whittier Elementary School ranks #30 of 65 schools in Boise, ID. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Boise on the city page.
Is Whittier Elementary School a good school?
Whittier Elementary School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Idaho median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Idaho 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 Boise Independent District?
Besides Whittier Elementary School, Boise Independent District also operates Boise Senior High School (1,512 students), Borah Senior High School (1,308 students), and Timberline High School (1,307 students). See the Boise Independent 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.