Enrollment
346
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Seattle, WA
Whittier Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Whittier Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 69/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 530771001265
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 94
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Whittier Elementary School earns 69/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 73% of Washington schools.
- #2 of 32
- elementary schools in Seattle · Resource Index
- 69
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.4:1
- small classes for Washington
- 5.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Whittier Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 73% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Whittier Elementary School ranks #2 of 32 elementary schools in Seattle, WA.
School address
District: Seattle School District No. 1 · Washington
NCES ID 530771001265 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.4:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
5.5%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-88% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Whittier Elementary School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Whittier Elementary School
Whittier Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Seattle, Washington, enrolling 346 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Washington schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 5.5% free-meal eligibility runs 88% below the Washington average.
With 346 students, its enrollment sits close to the Washington median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 98% of the 2,394 Washington schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 146 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Washington schools statewide, it ranks #1, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (73%) and Two or More (12%) (diversity index 45/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 2.3% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Seattle's elementary schools, it stands alongside Hazel Wolf K-8 (660 students): Whittier Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.4:1 vs 16.1:1).
Seattle School District No. 1 also operates Lincoln High School (1,770 students) and Ballard High School (1,697 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 Washington and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.4:1 | ▼ 18% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 5.5% | ▼ 88% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 346 | top 56% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.4:1
Leaner classes than 53% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
346
Bigger than 39% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
5.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 88% below the Washington average of 45.0%
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
14.4:1
students per teacher
- 18% below state mean
Top 27% in Washington - lower ratio than 73% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
2.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$20,430
per pupil, district-wide
- above Washington avg of $19,487
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
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 72.5%
Two or More 11.8%
Hispanic or Latino 7.2%
Asian 6.1%
African American 2.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 72.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.1, Whittier Elementary School is less mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Seattle School District No. 1, which includes Whittier Elementary School.
$20,430
Per student
+5%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
+23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.0%
State 50.6%
Federal 9.3%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ballard High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Roosevelt High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Garfield High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Seattle 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
- 1,770
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,697
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,542
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,507
- Students per teacher
- 22.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,479
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar elementary schools in Seattle
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Hazel Wolf K-8
Standard public school
660 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Cascadia Elementary
Standard public school
531 students 22.1:1 students per teacher
Mcdonald International School
Standard public school
443 students 17.7:1 students per teacher
Bryn Mawr Elementary School
Standard public school
415 students 17.3:1 students per teacher
Rainier Prep
Standard public school
359 students 15:1 students per teacher
Campbell Hill Elementary School
Standard public school
345 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Washington, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~346 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Whittier Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Whittier Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Seattle School District No. 1'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 346 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Seattle, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Whittier Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Whittier Elementary School is 14.4:1, which is 18% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 8% 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?
5.5% of students at Whittier Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Whittier Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Whittier Elementary School is White at 72.5% of enrollment, in Seattle, WA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Whittier Elementary School?
Whittier Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 69/100 (higher 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 School rank among elementary schools in Seattle?
By Resource Investment Index, Whittier Elementary School ranks #2 of 32 elementary schools in Seattle, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Seattle on the city page.
Is Whittier Elementary School a good school?
Whittier Elementary School earns 69/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 73% of Washington 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 Seattle School District No. 1?
Besides Whittier Elementary School, Seattle School District No. 1 also operates Lincoln High School (1,770 students), Ballard High School (1,697 students), and Roosevelt High School (1,542 students). See the Seattle School District No. 1 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.