Whitney Elementary School

Summary:

Whitney Elementary School is a public elementary school in Boise, Idaho, serving 476 students in grades PK-6. The school is part of the Boise Independent District, which is ranked 37 out of 77 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating.

While Whitney Elementary has a more diverse student population compared to nearby schools, with higher percentages of African American and Hispanic students, it has struggled with significant challenges. The school has consistently underperformed the district and state in academic proficiency, with only 29% of students proficient in math compared to 44.8% for the district and 42.2% for the state. Additionally, Whitney Elementary has grappled with high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 27.7% to 44% over the past few years, far exceeding the state and district averages. These academic and attendance issues are further compounded by the fact that over 98% of the school's students receive free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage.

Interestingly, while White Pine Elementary and Hawthorne Elementary significantly outperform Whitney Elementary and the district/state averages, nearby schools like Garfield Elementary and Grace Jordan Elementary also struggle with academic performance and high rates of chronic absenteeism, though to a lesser degree than Whitney. Despite the high needs of its student population, Whitney Elementary's per-student spending ($9,659 in 2018-2019) is lower than some of the higher-performing nearby schools, such as Owyhee Elementary ($13,218 per student) and Hawthorne Elementary ($11,303 per student).


Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

 1609 South Owyhee Street
       Boise, ID  83705-3058


(208) 854-6580

District: Boise Independent District

SchoolDigger Rank:
258th of 301 Idaho Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $9,659 Help


Students who attend Whitney Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    South Junior High School
High:    Borah Senior High School

Student/teacher ratio:  16.1 Help
Number of students:  476

Racial breakdown:

White:
52.3%
Hispanic:
31.5%
African American:
9.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  98.9% Help


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 Compare Whitney Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Whitney Elementary School ranks worse than 85.7% of elementary schools in Idaho. It also ranks 26th among 32 ranked elementary schools in the Boise Independent District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 13.87. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a high 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
Help
Compare Details Whitney Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Boise Independent District.  (See more...)
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Whitney Elementary School is $9,659, which is the 16th highest among 32 elementary schools in the Boise Independent District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Whitney Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Whitney Elementary School 258th of 301 Idaho public elementary schools. (See Whitney Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Hispanic students:
White students:


Boise Independent District:

SchoolDigger ranks Boise Independent District 37th of 77 Idaho school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Whitney Elementary School?

Rank History for Whitney Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Whitney Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools ID State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2008 14.93 315th 335 6.0%
2009 11.39 338th 349 3.2%
2010 27.49 297th 356 16.6%
2011 22.62 317th 359 11.7%
2012 26.70 301st 354 15.0%
2013 34.72 277th 357 22.4%
2015 30.96 163rd 226 27.9%
2016 17.45 205th 240 14.6%
2017 17.01 253rd 292 13.4%
2018 25.52 192nd 254 24.4%
2019 11.42 160th 171 6.4%
2021 5.00 164th 166 1.2%
2022 12.71 169th 188 10.1%
2023 17.88 207th 252 17.9%
2024 13.87 258th 301 14.3%
See the entire list of Idaho Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Female students at Whitney Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools ID State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 20.35 104th 121 14.0%
See the entire list of Best Idaho Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Whitney Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools ID State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 10.81 116th 121 4.1%
See the entire list of Best Idaho Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Whitney Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools ID State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 53.50 16th 58 72.4%
See the entire list of Best Idaho Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Whitney Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools ID State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 16.67 26th 31 16.1%
2022 22.24 26th 37 29.7%
2024 20.47 107th 135 20.7%
See the entire list of Best Idaho Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Idaho 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.

Whitney Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 







Data source: Idaho Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4.5)
50%

50%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Thursday, March 20, 2014

Open Quote TEACHERS are exceptional and are very easy to communicate with. The problem for low ratings is because of so many different ethnic children, which I suspect whose parents do not take the time to help their children with their homework, because they are not literate in the English language.

My great grandson has been attending this school (3 yrs) and does his homework every evening and has always been at least two grade levels above required score in reding. He has a single Dad that cares and loves him to ensue he is doing his required homework.

A teacher can only instruct them, the rest is up to the student and parent. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Whitney Elementary School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1991 0 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 426 426
1992 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 439 439
1993 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 433 433
1994 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 443 443
1995 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 458 458
1996 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 458 458
1997 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 494 494
1998 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 484 484
1999 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 461 461
2000 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 476 476
2001 328 24 7 41 4 n/a n/a 0 404
2002 344 10 9 70 5 n/a n/a 0 438
2003 344 10 9 70 5 n/a n/a 0 438
2004 339 10 5 83 4 n/a n/a 0 441
2005 304 10 1 82 2 n/a n/a 0 399
2006 287 10 4 81 1 n/a n/a 0 383
2007 261 20 3 74 1 n/a n/a 0 359
2008 248 24 5 90 0 n/a n/a 0 367
2009 257 32 15 89 1 n/a n/a 0 394
2010 285 18 21 91 3 n/a n/a 0 418
2011 304 20 13 112 1 3 8 0 461
2012 330 11 8 132 2 2 13 0 498
2013 329 13 4 138 1 2 11 0 498
2014 350 19 5 151 0 2 10 0 537
2015 358 21 6 152 2 2 12 0 553
2016 358 27 7 170 1 2 19 0 584
2017 339 34 13 186 1 4 17 0 594
2018 362 34 10 192 1 4 21 0 624
2019 329 46 11 181 2 5 27 0 601
2020 309 60 10 171 2 5 28 0 585
2021 221 46 5 106 1 3 17 0 399
2022 266 53 5 156 3 4 28 0 515
2023 249 47 2 150 3 2 23 0 476

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 Whitney Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1991 426 22.6 18.8 32.9
1992 439 25.2 17.4 39.2
1993 433 23.2 18.7 39
1994 443 22.3 19.9 40.6
1995 458 23.0 19.9 35.4
1996 458 23.0 19.9 35.4
1997 494 24.7 20.0 36.6
1998 484 24.5 19.8 42.4
1999 461 25.8 17.9 55.3
2000 476 25.3 18.8 49.2
2001 404 22.9 17.6 60.1
2002 438 25.0 17.5 62.1
2003 438 25.0 17.5 62.1
2004 441 25.5 17.3 67.6
2005 399 24.7 16.2 64.7
2006 383 26.5 14.5 63.2
2007 359 23.5 15.3 67.7
2008 367 23.4 15.7 68.7
2009 394 25.0 15.8 66.8
2010 418 26.0 16.0 70.3
2011 461 28.0 16.4 72
2012 498 29.0 17.1 59.6
2013 498 27.0 18.3 59.8
2014 537 26.9 19.9 n/a
2015 553 31.0 17.8 100
2016 584 30.0 19.4 99
2017 594 31.3 18.9 99
2018 624 32.6 19.1 99.2
2019 601 31.0 19.3 99
2020 585 31.9 18.3 99
2021 399 27.2 14.6 99
2022 515 29.2 17.6 99
2023 476 29.4 16.1 98.9

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 Whitney Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1991 426 22.6 18.8 32.9
1992 439 25.2 17.4 39.2
1993 433 23.2 18.7 39
1994 443 22.3 19.9 40.6
1995 458 23.0 19.9 35.4
1996 458 23.0 19.9 35.4
1997 494 24.7 20.0 36.6
1998 484 24.5 19.8 42.4
1999 461 25.8 17.9 55.3
2000 476 25.3 18.8 49.2
2001 404 22.9 17.6 60.1
2002 438 25.0 17.5 62.1
2003 438 25.0 17.5 62.1
2004 441 25.5 17.3 67.6
2005 399 24.7 16.2 64.7
2006 383 26.5 14.5 63.2
2007 359 23.5 15.3 67.7
2008 367 23.4 15.7 68.7
2009 394 25.0 15.8 66.8
2010 418 26.0 16.0 70.3
2011 461 28.0 16.4 72
2012 498 29.0 17.1 59.6
2013 498 27.0 18.3 59.8
2014 537 26.9 19.9 n/a
2015 553 31.0 17.8 100
2016 584 30.0 19.4 99
2017 594 31.3 18.9 99
2018 624 32.6 19.1 99.2
2019 601 31.0 19.3 99
2020 585 31.9 18.3 99
2021 399 27.2 14.6 99
2022 515 29.2 17.6 99
2023 476 29.4 16.1 98.9

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.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Whitney Elementary School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,588 (16.4%) $8,070 (83.5%) $9,659

Data source: Idaho Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Whitney Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 160th of 171 Elementary schoolsRanks 207th of 252 Elementary schools
 11.4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Math (Whitney Elementary School)44.441.1
 3.3%
   3rd Grade Math (Boise Independent District)54.652.8
 1.8%
   3rd Grade Math (Idaho)5349.4
 3.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Whitney Elementary School)38.539.3
 0.8%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Boise Independent District)55.650.2
 5.4%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Idaho)50.545.2
 5.3%
4th Grade Math (Whitney Elementary School)46.228.6
 17.6%
   4th Grade Math (Boise Independent District)50.848.8
 2%
   4th Grade Math (Idaho)49.947.2
 2.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Whitney Elementary School)45.732.7
 13%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Boise Independent District)55.651.7
 3.9%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Idaho)5248.4
 3.6%
5th Grade Math (Whitney Elementary School)19.121
 1.9%
   5th Grade Math (Boise Independent District)4341.5
 1.5%
   5th Grade Math (Idaho)44.941.5
 3.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Whitney Elementary School)34.531.2
 3.3%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Boise Independent District)57.553.4
 4.1%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Idaho)56.951.7
 5.2%
6th Grade Math (Whitney Elementary School)20.627.7
 7.1%
   6th Grade Math (Boise Independent District)44.250.5
 6.3%
   6th Grade Math (Idaho)4339.4
 3.6%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Whitney Elementary School)34.236.2
 2%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Boise Independent District)59.755.1
 4.6%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Idaho)55.350
 5.3%
All Grades Math (Whitney Elementary School)32.229.4
 2.8%
   All Grades Math (Boise Independent District)46.545.5
 1%
   All Grades Math (Idaho)44.441.5
 2.9%
All Grades Science (Whitney Elementary School)49.427.8
 21.6%
   All Grades Science (Boise Independent District)58.740.8
 17.9%
   All Grades Science (Idaho)58.941.6
 17.3%
All Grades English Language Arts (Whitney Elementary School)38.434.7
 3.7%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Boise Independent District)57.355.5
 1.8%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Idaho)5552.2
 2.8%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students601476
 20.8%
African American4647
 2.2%
American Indian23
 50%
Asian112
 81.8%
Hispanic181150
 17.1%
Pacific Islander52
 60%
White329249
 24.3%
Two or More Races2723
 14.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients99%98.9%
 0.1%


Schools Near Whitney Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about Whitney Elementary School

Students who attend Whitney Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : South Junior High School
High : Borah Senior High School

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

Whitney Elementary School ranks in the bottom 14.3% of Idaho elementary schools.

Students at Whitney Elementary School are 52% White, 32% Hispanic, 10% African American, 5% Two or more races.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Idaho Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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