Is Whittier Elementary a good school?

Whittier Elementary ranks in the bottom 21.2% of California elementary schools.

How many students attend Whittier Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 476 students attended Whittier Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Whittier Elementary?

Students at Whittier Elementary are 97% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races, 1% White.

What schools do graduates of Whittier Elementary attend?

Students who attend Whittier Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Horace Ensign Intermediate High : Newport Harbor High

Whittier Elementary

Summary:

Whittier Elementary is a public elementary school in Costa Mesa, California, serving 476 students in grades K-6 as part of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District. However, the school faces several challenges, including high chronic absenteeism, low academic achievement, and significant performance gaps among student subgroups.

Whittier Elementary has seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism rates, rising from 11.3% in 2018-2019 to 28.2% in 2021-2022, which is notably higher than nearby schools like Woodland Elementary (24.7%) and Mariners Elementary (10.3%). Additionally, the school consistently underperforms compared to the district and state averages in English Language Arts and Mathematics, with only 26.67% and 22.38% of Whittier students, respectively, being proficient or better. The school's student subgroups, such as Hispanic students, English Language Learners, and students with disabilities, also consistently rank in the bottom quartile of California elementary schools.

Whittier Elementary's high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, reaching 90.97% in 2022-2023, suggests that the school serves a predominantly low-income community, which likely contributes to the school's challenges. In contrast, nearby schools like Newport Heights Elementary (32.75%) and Mariners Elementary (19.47%) have significantly lower rates of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch. Addressing the issues at Whittier Elementary will require a comprehensive approach that considers the school's unique socioeconomic context and leverages the resources and best practices of the surrounding schools within the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.

Detail:

Public K-6

1800 Whittier Ave.
Costa Mesa, CA 92627-4558

(949) 515-6990

District: Newport-Mesa Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
4622^nd of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Students who attend Whittier Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Horace Ensign Intermediate
High:	Newport Harbor High

Student/teacher ratio: 19.5

Number of students: 476

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

96.6%

Two or more races:

1.7%

White:

1.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 91%

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Compare Whittier Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Whittier Elementary ranks worse than 78.8% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 20^th among 21 ranked elementary schools in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 22.5. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (96.6%), two or more races (1.7%), White (1.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 91% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Whittier Elementary is 19.5. 12 elementary schools in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Whittier Elementary employs 24.3 full-time teachers.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Whittier Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Whittier Elementary 4622^nd of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Whittier Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

Newport-Mesa Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Newport-Mesa Unified 430^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Whittier Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Whittier Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2009	18.02	4574^th	5193	11.9%
2010	27.10	4075^th	5314	23.3%
2011	15.23	4936^th	5377	8.2%
2012	27.08	4156^th	5390	22.9%
2013	23.49	4498^th	5530	18.7%
2015	19.88	4642^nd	5611	17.3%
2016	18.14	4787^th	5614	14.7%
2017	14.59	5150^th	5692	9.5%
2018	22.35	4482^nd	5662	20.8%
2019	28.14	4092^nd	5789	29.3%
2021	38.00	808^th	1417	43.0%
2022	27.99	4049^th	5883	31.2%
2023	30.41	3851^st	5874	34.4%
2024	22.50	4622^nd	5862	21.2%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Whittier Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	44.20	1557^th	3246	52.0%
2019	54.76	1005^th	3275	69.3%
2021	47.85	229^th	602	62.0%
2022	42.83	1621^st	3311	51.0%
2023	42.71	1639^th	3250	49.6%
2024	23.48	2925^th	3160	7.4%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Whittier Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	34.15	1469^th	2420	39.3%
2024	38.37	1408^th	2634	46.5%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Whittier Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	31.68	3646^th	5084	28.3%
2019	39.18	3180^th	5173	38.5%
2021	62.53	330^th	1110	70.3%
2022	36.55	3294^th	5264	37.4%
2023	38.61	3173^rd	5374	41.0%
2024	27.92	4153^rd	5511	24.6%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Whittier Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	42.42	193^rd	356	45.8%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Whittier Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	25.88	4098^th	5413	24.3%
2019	34.46	3457^th	5492	37.1%
2021	42.27	666^th	1267	47.4%
2022	22.46	4458^th	5635	20.9%
2023	32.46	3543^rd	5617	36.9%
2024	26.89	4071^st	5605	27.4%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Whittier Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	24.20	1751^st	2128	17.7%
2019	25.68	2019^th	2585	21.9%
2022	22.02	1918^th	2227	13.9%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Whittier Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	19.73	4596^th	5431	15.4%
2019	23.33	4352^nd	5510	21.0%
2021	34.45	765^th	1272	39.9%
2022	34.84	3390^th	5663	40.1%
2023	29.03	3862^nd	5650	31.6%
2024	19.62	4763^rd	5636	15.5%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Whittier Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	30.13	3544^th	4830	26.6%
2019	38.26	3076^th	4963	38.0%
2022	38.15	3045^th	5084	40.1%
2023	40.10	2897^th	5098	43.2%
2024	30.75	3685^th	5102	27.8%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Whittier Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	165	6	19	305	0	n/a	n/a	495
1989	164	4	9	330	0	n/a	n/a	507
1990	151	5	10	360	0	n/a	n/a	526
1991	134	9	4	422	0	n/a	n/a	569
1992	152	10	8	483	0	n/a	n/a	653
1993	134	10	13	564	0	n/a	n/a	721
1994	64	9	4	588	0	n/a	n/a	665
1995	55	9	1	737	0	n/a	n/a	802
1996	55	9	1	737	0	n/a	n/a	802
1997	57	8	5	838	1	n/a	n/a	909
1998	26	2	1	645	3	n/a	n/a	677
1999	29	2	3	653	1	n/a	n/a	688
2000	27	2	3	581	1	n/a	n/a	614
2001	31	3	3	547	1	n/a	n/a	585
2002	25	3	10	616	0	n/a	n/a	654
2003	25	3	10	616	0	n/a	n/a	654
2004	22	1	9	575	0	n/a	n/a	607
2005	17	0	12	609	0	n/a	n/a	638
2006	20	0	10	564	0	n/a	n/a	594
2007	10	2	5	555	0	n/a	n/a	572
2008	10	1	10	529	n/a	n/a	n/a	550
2009	14	0	7	631	0	0	0	652
2010	7	2	5	687	0	0	0	701
2011	9	0	6	784	0	0	0	799
2012	8	0	7	757	0	0	0	772
2013	3	0	7	731	0	0	0	741
2014	5	0	4	739	0	0	0	748
2015	5	0	2	722	0	0	0	729
2016	7	0	3	708	0	0	0	718
2017	8	0	1	690	0	0	1	700
2018	8	0	1	665	0	0	1	675
2019	8	2	1	606	0	0	2	619
2020	9	3	2	536	0	0	3	553
2021	5	1	2	413	0	0	2	423
2022	8	0	3	476	0	0	7	494
2023	6	0	2	460	0	0	8	476

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Whittier Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	495	22.1	22.3	n/a
1989	507	21.0	24.1	n/a
1990	526	24.1	21.8	n/a
1991	569	26.5	21.4	n/a
1992	653	26.9	24.2	71.8
1993	721	28.6	25.2	89
1994	665	26.2	25.4	94.9
1995	802	29.0	27.7	94.9
1996	802	29.0	27.7	94.9
1997	909	43.0	21.1	94.9
1998	677	39.0	17.4	86.6
1999	688	38.9	17.7	94.9
2000	614	38.0	16.2	85.5
2001	585	38.8	15.1	23.1
2002	654	43.0	15.2	98.6
2003	654	43.0	15.2	98.6
2004	607	37.1	16.4	98.7
2005	638	35.3	18.1	96.6
2006	594	33.0	18.0	95.8
2007	572	33.8	16.9	96
2008	550	34.4	16.0	93.6
2009	652	33.8	17.9	96
2010	701	32.3	21.7	95.1
2011	799	n/a	n/a	95
2012	772	34.0	22.7	99.6
2013	741	32.5	22.8	99.6
2014	748	27.5	27.2	70.3
2015	729	28.0	26.0	94.9
2016	718	28.0	25.6	94.2
2017	700	27.5	25.4	91
2018	675	27.5	24.5	88.6
2019	619	28.0	22.1	90
2020	553	n/a	n/a	80.8
2021	423	20.0	21.1	91.5
2022	494	27.1	18.2	65.4
2023	476	24.3	19.5	91

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Whittier Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	495	22.1	22.3	n/a
1989	507	21.0	24.1	n/a
1990	526	24.1	21.8	n/a
1991	569	26.5	21.4	n/a
1992	653	26.9	24.2	71.8
1993	721	28.6	25.2	89
1994	665	26.2	25.4	94.9
1995	802	29.0	27.7	94.9
1996	802	29.0	27.7	94.9
1997	909	43.0	21.1	94.9
1998	677	39.0	17.4	86.6
1999	688	38.9	17.7	94.9
2000	614	38.0	16.2	85.5
2001	585	38.8	15.1	23.1
2002	654	43.0	15.2	98.6
2003	654	43.0	15.2	98.6
2004	607	37.1	16.4	98.7
2005	638	35.3	18.1	96.6
2006	594	33.0	18.0	95.8
2007	572	33.8	16.9	96
2008	550	34.4	16.0	93.6
2009	652	33.8	17.9	96
2010	701	32.3	21.7	95.1
2011	799	n/a	n/a	95
2012	772	34.0	22.7	99.6
2013	741	32.5	22.8	99.6
2014	748	27.5	27.2	70.3
2015	729	28.0	26.0	94.9
2016	718	28.0	25.6	94.2
2017	700	27.5	25.4	91
2018	675	27.5	24.5	88.6
2019	619	28.0	22.1	90
2020	553	n/a	n/a	80.8
2021	423	20.0	21.1	91.5
2022	494	27.1	18.2	65.4
2023	476	24.3	19.5	91

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

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