Enrollment
77
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · San Diego, CA
Whittier K-12
Federal NCES profile for Whittier K-12, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 063432007837
👥 S:T ratio 69
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Whittier K-12 earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #17 of 27
- schools in San Diego · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 7.7:1
- small classes for California
- 52.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Whittier K-12 has class sizes smaller than 97% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Whittier K-12 ranks #17 of 27 schools in San Diego, CA.
School address
District: San Diego Unified · California
NCES ID 063432007837 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-64% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
52.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
-6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Whittier K-12 compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Whittier K-12
Whittier K-12 is a higher-need, small combined-grade school in San Diego, California, enrolling 77 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 7.7:1, Whittier K-12 is leaner than roughly 97% of California schools and 64% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 52.3% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 91% of California schools, with 77 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 207 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #119.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (47%) and Asian (20%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 70/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among San Diego's public schools, it stands alongside The O'farrell Charter (1,862 students): Whittier K-12 is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (7.7:1 vs 20.7:1).
San Diego Unified also operates Henry High (2,485 students) and Mira Mesa High (2,187 students) alongside Whittier K-12.
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 K-12 compares
Whittier K-12 on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 7.7:1 | ▼ 64% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 52.3% | ▼ 6% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 77 | top 91% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
7.7:1
Leaner classes than 96% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
77
Bigger than 8% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
52.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 6% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
7.7:1
students per teacher
- 64% below state mean
Top 3% in California - lower ratio than 97% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
40.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$18,665
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting 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
Hispanic or Latino 46.8%
Asian 19.5%
African American 16.9%
White 11.7%
Two or More 5.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 46.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.8, Whittier K-12 is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for San Diego Unified, which includes Whittier K-12.
$18,665
Per student
+13%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 60.5%
State 25.1%
Federal 14.4%
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 K-12 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henry High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mira Mesa High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hoover High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Scripps Ranch High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Point Loma High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Whittier K-12's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,485
- Students per teacher
- 25.9:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 2,187
- Students per teacher
- 24.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,011
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 1,890
- Students per teacher
- 27:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,724
- Students per teacher
- 26.1:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
Similar other schools in San Diego
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
The O'farrell Charter
Standard public school
1,862 students 20.7:1 students per teacher
Logan Memorial Educational Campus
Standard public school
1,467 students 29.3:1 students per teacher
Charter School of San Diego
Standard public school
1,375 students 29.9:1 students per teacher
San Diego Scpa
Standard public school
1,297 students 24.5:1 students per teacher
Gompers Preparatory Academy
Standard public school
1,175 students 28.7:1 students per teacher
Launch Virtual Academy
Alternative education program
578 students 18.1:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of California, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~77 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~7.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Whittier K-12's federal record.
- Compare Whittier K-12 against another school. Compare schools
- San Diego Unified'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 K-12
How many students attend Whittier K-12?
Whittier K-12 has 77 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in San Diego, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Whittier K-12?
The student-teacher ratio at Whittier K-12 is 7.7:1, which is 64% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 51% 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 K-12?
52.3% of students at Whittier K-12 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Whittier K-12?
The largest demographic group at Whittier K-12 is Hispanic or Latino at 46.8% of enrollment, in San Diego, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Whittier K-12?
Whittier K-12 has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (typical 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 K-12 rank among schools in San Diego?
By Resource Investment Index, Whittier K-12 ranks #17 of 27 schools in San Diego, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in San Diego on the city page.
Is Whittier K-12 a good school?
Whittier K-12 earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California 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 San Diego Unified?
Besides Whittier K-12, San Diego Unified also operates Henry High (2,485 students), Mira Mesa High (2,187 students), and Hoover High (2,011 students). See the San Diego Unified 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.