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Whittier Elementary School

Summary:

Whittier Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades 4-5 in Blue Island, Illinois, with 172 students. The school is part of the Cook County School District 130, which is ranked 700 out of 813 districts in Illinois and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Whittier Elementary School has consistently underperformed compared to state and district averages on standardized tests, with only 23.3% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 11.6% in math, far below the state and district averages. The school also struggles with high chronic absenteeism rates, reaching 26.4% in the 2021-2022 school year. Additionally, 85.47% of Whittier Elementary students come from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, and the school's student subgroups, such as African American, Hispanic, and English Language Learner students, consistently rank in the bottom quarter of their respective subgroups statewide.

The challenges faced by Whittier Elementary School are not unique, as nearby schools in the same district, such as Lincoln Elementary, Paul Revere Intermediate, and Paul Revere Primary, also struggle with low academic performance and high poverty rates. Despite increased spending per student, from $14,772 in 2020-2021 to $20,364 in 2022-2023, Whittier Elementary School's performance has remained consistently low over the past decade, indicating a need for more comprehensive and sustained interventions to address the systemic challenges within the district.


Detail:

Public 4-5

 13043 Maple Ave
       Blue Island, IL  60406-2338

(708) 385-6170

District: Cook County School District 130

SchoolDigger Rank:
1492nd of 2,067 Illinois Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $22,584 Help


Students who attend Whittier Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Everett F Kerr Middle School
High:    A B Shepard High School (Campus)

Student/teacher ratio:  14.2 Help
Number of students:  153

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
77.8%
African American:
13.1%
White:
8.5%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  86.3% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Whittier Elementary School ranks worse than 72.2% of elementary schools in Illinois. It also ranks 2nd among 4 ranked elementary schools in the Cook County School District 130. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 26.78. (See more...)
Help
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
Help
Compare Details Whittier Elementary School has the smallest elementary school student body size in the Cook County School District 130. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (77.8%), African American (13.1%), White (8.5%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 86.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Whittier Elementary School is 14.2, which is the 4th best among 4 elementary schools in the Cook County School District 130. (See more...)
Help
Compare Whittier Elementary School employs 10.7 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Whittier Elementary School is $22,584, which is the 2nd highest among 4 elementary schools in the Cook County School District 130.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Whittier Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Whittier Elementary School 1492nd of 2067 Illinois public elementary schools. (See Whittier Elementary School 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:
Disabled students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:


Cook County School District 130:

SchoolDigger ranks Cook County School District 130 700th of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Whittier Elementary School?

Rank History for Whittier Elementary School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Whittier Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 22.68 1637th 2020 19.0%
2004 17.27 1743rd 2030 14.1%
2005 22.34 1705th 2022 15.7%
2006 33.39 1617th 2086 22.5%
2007 28.86 1703rd 2095 18.7%
2008 24.83 1704th 2092 18.5%
2009 30.35 1636th 2120 22.8%
2010 30.75 1636th 2139 23.5%
2011 30.60 1634th 2147 23.9%
2012 35.04 1591st 2166 26.5%
2013 24.56 1710th 2167 21.1%
2014 26.31 1620th 2093 22.6%
2015 27.00 1505th 2052 26.7%
2016 21.64 1649th 2046 19.4%
2017 18.85 1723rd 2044 15.7%
2018 15.76 1799th 2037 11.7%
2019 24.45 1599th 2086 23.3%
2022 26.20 1487th 2082 28.6%
2023 22.97 1578th 2077 24.0%
2024 26.78 1492nd 2067 27.8%
See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Whittier Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 32.13 541st 718 24.7%
2019 36.56 503rd 743 32.3%
2022 56.45 223rd 768 71.0%
2023 44.22 372nd 788 52.8%
2024 36.91 525th 826 36.4%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Whittier Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 21.43 691st 763 9.4%
2019 26.67 937th 1194 21.5%
2022 29.26 789th 1113 29.1%
2024 35.20 731st 1195 38.8%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Whittier Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 25.77 1422nd 1765 19.4%
2019 40.28 1096th 1816 39.6%
2022 39.39 1034th 1763 41.3%
2023 31.45 1280th 1808 29.2%
2024 39.96 1062nd 1793 40.8%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Whittier Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 17.70 1675th 1964 14.7%
2019 20.79 1670th 2019 17.3%
2022 25.90 1426th 1970 27.6%
2023 28.24 1367th 1957 30.1%
2024 27.38 1399th 1942 28.0%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Whittier Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 25.98 718th 907 20.8%
2024 38.36 501st 886 43.5%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Whittier Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 15.43 1775th 1972 10.0%
2019 30.17 1401st 2019 30.6%
2022 27.30 1379th 1977 30.2%
2023 19.08 1636th 1984 17.5%
2024 27.02 1390th 1959 29.0%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Whittier Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 28.61 537th 698 23.1%
2019 51.87 263rd 711 63.0%
2022 27.38 569th 684 16.8%
2023 21.50 655th 692 5.3%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Whittier Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 26.02 757th 938 19.3%
2019 35.45 624th 955 34.7%
2022 41.45 526th 954 44.9%
2023 35.92 613th 970 36.8%
2024 40.10 546th 959 43.1%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: Illinois State Board 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.

Whittier Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 
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Data source: Illinois State Board of Education

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Enrollment information for Whittier Elementary School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 131 2 1 140 n/a n/a n/a 0 274
1989 118 3 1 154 n/a n/a n/a 0 276
1990 125 4 2 214 n/a n/a n/a 0 345
1991 104 3 2 201 0 n/a n/a 0 310
1992 114 1 1 217 0 n/a n/a 0 333
1993 118 3 0 211 0 n/a n/a 0 332
1994 113 9 0 166 0 n/a n/a 0 288
1995 85 19 0 113 0 n/a n/a 0 217
1996 85 19 0 113 0 n/a n/a 0 217
1997 67 33 0 118 0 n/a n/a 0 218
1998 70 37 0 128 0 n/a n/a 0 235
1999 57 35 0 134 0 n/a n/a 0 226
2000 49 46 0 129 1 n/a n/a 0 225
2001 66 59 0 125 0 n/a n/a 0 250
2002 49 33 0 142 0 n/a n/a 0 224
2003 49 33 0 142 0 n/a n/a 0 224
2004 41 32 0 188 0 n/a n/a 0 261
2005 30 18 0 195 0 n/a n/a 0 243
2006 27 33 0 208 0 n/a n/a 0 268
2007 26 34 0 194 0 n/a n/a 0 254
2008 31 36 0 169 0 n/a n/a 5 241
2009 28 38 0 163 0 n/a n/a 7 236
2010 20 32 0 171 0 n/a n/a 9 232
2011 12 29 0 199 2 0 3 0 245
2012 12 30 0 175 2 0 2 0 221
2013 15 33 0 169 0 0 3 0 220
2015 11 33 0 154 0 0 3 0 201
2016 11 32 0 157 1 0 2 0 203
2017 10 33 0 163 1 0 2 0 209
2018 14 32 0 153 1 0 3 0 203
2019 15 35 0 138 0 0 1 0 189
2020 18 29 0 142 0 0 1 0 190
2021 18 22 0 146 0 0 0 0 186
2022 13 33 0 140 0 0 1 0 187
2023 16 24 0 131 0 0 1 0 172
2024 13 20 0 119 0 0 1 0 153

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 School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 274 11.1 24.6 n/a
1989 276 11.8 23.3 n/a
1990 345 13.8 25.0 n/a
1991 310 13.8 22.4 n/a
1992 333 11.8 28.2 n/a
1993 332 11.0 30.2 n/a
1994 288 10.0 28.8 n/a
1995 217 10.0 21.7 n/a
1996 217 10.0 21.7 n/a
1997 218 9.0 24.2 n/a
1998 235 10.1 23.3 n/a
1999 226 9.8 23.1 n/a
2000 225 11.8 19.1 n/a
2001 250 15.0 16.7 n/a
2002 224 14.0 16.0 81.7
2003 224 14.0 16.0 81.7
2004 261 13.0 20.1 83.1
2005 243 12.0 20.3 87.7
2006 268 12.0 22.3 89.6
2007 254 11.0 23.1 90.9
2008 241 10.0 24.1 90.7
2009 236 14.0 16.9 90.4
2010 232 15.0 15.4 93.7
2011 245 17.0 14.4 94.7
2012 221 15.0 14.7 94.1
2013 220 18.5 11.8 95
2015 201 14.0 14.3 94.5
2016 203 15.0 13.5 98
2017 209 16.0 13.0 79.9
2018 203 17.0 11.9 83.3
2019 189 17.0 11.1 89.4
2020 190 14.6 12.9 80
2021 186 n/a n/a n/a
2022 187 15.2 12.3 84
2023 172 15.2 11.2 85.5
2024 153 10.7 14.2 86.3

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 School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 274 11.1 24.6 n/a
1989 276 11.8 23.3 n/a
1990 345 13.8 25.0 n/a
1991 310 13.8 22.4 n/a
1992 333 11.8 28.2 n/a
1993 332 11.0 30.2 n/a
1994 288 10.0 28.8 n/a
1995 217 10.0 21.7 n/a
1996 217 10.0 21.7 n/a
1997 218 9.0 24.2 n/a
1998 235 10.1 23.3 n/a
1999 226 9.8 23.1 n/a
2000 225 11.8 19.1 n/a
2001 250 15.0 16.7 n/a
2002 224 14.0 16.0 81.7
2003 224 14.0 16.0 81.7
2004 261 13.0 20.1 83.1
2005 243 12.0 20.3 87.7
2006 268 12.0 22.3 89.6
2007 254 11.0 23.1 90.9
2008 241 10.0 24.1 90.7
2009 236 14.0 16.9 90.4
2010 232 15.0 15.4 93.7
2011 245 17.0 14.4 94.7
2012 221 15.0 14.7 94.1
2013 220 18.5 11.8 95
2015 201 14.0 14.3 94.5
2016 203 15.0 13.5 98
2017 209 16.0 13.0 79.9
2018 203 17.0 11.9 83.3
2019 189 17.0 11.1 89.4
2020 190 14.6 12.9 80
2021 186 n/a n/a n/a
2022 187 15.2 12.3 84
2023 172 15.2 11.2 85.5
2024 153 10.7 14.2 86.3

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.

Immunization Rates

Whittier Elementary School

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Compare
YearPolioMeaslesMumpsRubellaVaricellaDTPHepatitis B
201598.5%99.0%99.0%99.0%99.0%99.0%
201699.5%99.5%99.5%99.5%99.5%100.0%
201799.5%99.1%99.1%99.1%99.5%98.6%
2018100.0%100.0%100.0%100.0%100.0%100.0%
201999.5%99.5%99.5%99.5%99.5%99.5%
202198.9%98.4%98.4%98.4%98.4%98.9%97.9%
202298.9%98.9%98.9%98.9%98.4%98.9%98.9%
202399.4%99.4%99.4%99.4%97.7%99.4%99.4%
2024100.0%100.0%100.0%100.0%98.7%100.0%100.0%

Data source: Illinois State Board of Education
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Whittier Elementary School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $981 (6.8%) $13,474 (93.2%) $14,456
2020 $1,465 (9.6%) $13,740 (90.4%) $15,205
2021 $1,468 (9.9%) $13,304 (90.1%) $14,772
2022 $1,468 (9.9%) $13,304 (90.1%) $14,772
2023 $3,277 (16.1%) $17,087 (83.9%) $20,364
2024 $4,625 (20.5%) $17,959 (79.5%) $22,584

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Whittier 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 1599th of 2086 Elementary schoolsRanks 1578th of 2077 Elementary schools
 0.7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 % proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
4th Grade English Language Arts (Whittier Elementary School)23.528
 4.5%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Cook County School District 130)26.619.9
 6.7%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Illinois)36.735.4
 1.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Whittier Elementary School)12.98
 4.9%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Cook County School District 130)18.99.7
 9.2%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Illinois)33.527.7
 5.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Whittier Elementary School)25.722
 3.7%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Cook County School District 130)27.226.6
 0.6%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Illinois)37.935.2
 2.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Whittier Elementary School)6.92.2
 4.7%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Cook County School District 130)11.710.5
 1.2%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Illinois)29.825.6
 4.2%
5th Grade Science (Whittier Elementary School)41.221.5
 19.7%
   5th Grade Science (Cook County School District 130)43.334.9
 8.4%
   5th Grade Science (Illinois)54.452.4
 2%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Total Students189172
 9%
African American3524
 31.4%
American Indian00
Asian00
Hispanic138131
 5.1%
Pacific Islander00
White1516
 6.7%
Two or More Races11
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients89.4%85.5%
 4%

Schools Near Whittier Elementary School








Frequently Asked Questions about Whittier Elementary School

Whittier Elementary School ranks 1492nd of 2067 Illinois elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

In the 2023-24 school year, 153 students attended Whittier Elementary School.

Students at Whittier Elementary School are 78% Hispanic, 13% African American, 8% White.

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

Middle : Everett F Kerr Middle School
High : A B Shepard High School (Campus)


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Board 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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