Is Whittier Elementary School a good school?

Yes. Whittier Elementary School ranks in the top 9.9% of Illinois elementary schools.

How many students attend Whittier Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 311 students attended Whittier Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Whittier Elementary School?

Students at Whittier Elementary School are 81% White, 9% Hispanic, 5% Asian, 3% Two or more races, 1% African American.

What schools do graduates of Whittier Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Whittier Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Herrick Middle School High : Community High School District 99 - North High School

Whittier Elementary School

Summary:

Whittier Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Downers Grove, Illinois, serving grades PK-6 with a student population of 307. The school is part of the Downers Grove GSD 58 district, which is ranked 95 out of 813 districts in Illinois and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Whittier Elementary School consistently performs well on state assessments, with a high percentage of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and Mathematics across all grade levels. In the 2023-2024 school year, Whittier's proficiency rates were 58.8% in ELA and 60.1% in Math, outperforming the state averages of 41.2% and 28.4%, respectively. The school has a strong statewide ranking, placing in the top 10% of Illinois elementary schools, and has demonstrated consistent high performance across different student subgroups, including male students, white students, and students with disabilities. Whittier Elementary School has also maintained relatively low chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 2.0% in the 2019-2020 school year to 7.8% in the 2023-2024 school year, which is lower than the district and state averages.

While Whittier Elementary School's overall performance is strong, its proficiency rates for students with disabilities in the 2023-2024 school year (3 out of 5 stars) suggest an area for potential improvement, as this subgroup's performance lags behind the school's overall performance and the state average. However, Whittier's performance is generally on par with or exceeds that of the other nearby elementary schools in the Downers Grove GSD 58 district, and the school has maintained a high level of academic performance over the years, with a consistent 4- or 5-star rating from SchoolDigger and a statewide ranking in the top 20% of Illinois elementary schools for the past several years.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

536 Hill St
Downers Grove, IL 60515-5126

(630) 719-5865

District: Downers Grove GSD 58

SchoolDigger Rank:
205^th of 2,067 Illinois Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,716

Students who attend Whittier Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Herrick Middle School
High:	Community High School District 99 - North High School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.8

Number of students: 311

Racial breakdown:

White:

81.4%

Hispanic:

9.3%

Asian:

4.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 11.4%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare Whittier Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Whittier Elementary School ranks better than 90.1% of elementary schools in Illinois. It also ranks 6^th among 11 ranked elementary schools in the Downers Grove GSD 58 School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 89.19. (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: White (81.4%), Hispanic (9.3%), Asian (4.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Whittier Elementary School is 16.8. 9 elementary schools in the Downers Grove GSD 58 School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Whittier Elementary School employs 18.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Whittier Elementary School is $16,716. 6 elementary schools in the Downers Grove GSD 58 School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Whittier Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Whittier Elementary School 205^th of 2067 Illinois public elementary schools. (See Whittier Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

White students:

Downers Grove GSD 58:

SchoolDigger ranks Downers Grove GSD 58 95^th of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

What do you think?

Your rating for Whittier Elementary School?

(Ranking FAQ)

Rank History for Whittier Elementary School

Compare

Rank History for all students at Whittier Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	86.15	143^rd	2020	92.9%
2004	89.67	35^th	2030	98.3%
2005	85.73	109^th	2022	94.6%
2006	80.24	291^st	2086	86.0%
2007	75.60	472^nd	2095	77.5%
2008	76.97	454^th	2092	78.3%
2009	79.59	358^th	2120	83.1%
2010	81.53	279^th	2139	87.0%
2011	79.06	398^th	2147	81.5%
2012	82.54	253^rd	2166	88.3%
2013	90.12	131^st	2167	94.0%
2014	85.57	249^th	2093	88.1%
2015	73.10	474^th	2052	76.9%
2016	71.97	514^th	2046	74.9%
2017	75.69	457^th	2044	77.6%
2018	90.51	152^nd	2037	92.5%
2019	89.57	168^th	2086	91.9%
2021	91.41	138^th	1948	92.9%
2022	89.81	175^th	2082	91.6%
2023	86.74	242^nd	2077	88.3%
2024	89.19	205^th	2067	90.1%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Whittier Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2022	81.61	110^th	1113	90.1%
2023	75.00	191^st	1156	83.5%
2024	59.61	364^th	1195	69.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at Whittier Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	91.28	116^th	1964	94.1%
2019	85.69	211^th	2019	89.5%
2021	80.55	255^th	1680	84.8%
2022	81.84	313^th	1970	84.1%
2023	73.69	442^nd	1957	77.4%
2024	85.38	230^th	1942	88.2%

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	79.82	101^st	907	88.9%
2024	72.28	128^th	886	85.6%

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
2018	87.96	175^th	1972	91.1%
2019	91.58	119^th	2019	94.1%
2021	93.50	86^th	1707	95.0%
2022	91.82	124^th	1977	93.7%
2023	87.76	195^th	1984	90.2%
2024	86.99	218^th	1959	88.9%

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

Rank History for White students at Whittier Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	82.44	193^rd	1463	86.8%
2019	78.96	226^th	1462	84.5%
2021	82.39	153^rd	1308	88.3%
2022	76.48	251^st	1425	82.4%
2023	76.04	264^th	1419	81.4%
2024	80.84	204^th	1392	85.3%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for White 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.

Data source: Illinois State Board of Education

We're sorry, but no reviews have been submitted for Whittier Elementary School.

If you have first-hand knowledge about Whittier Elementary School, submit a rating!

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Whittier Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	257	2	14	7	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	280
1989	203	n/a	2	4	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	209
1990	219	n/a	5	2	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	226
1991	209	0	4	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	222
1992	227	0	9	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	243
1993	222	4	9	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	241
1994	242	3	13	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	269
1995	251	4	8	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	270
1996	251	4	8	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	270
1997	240	2	9	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	258
1998	234	3	11	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	254
1999	233	5	16	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	256
2000	238	5	8	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	253
2001	229	3	7	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	244
2002	209	4	6	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	227
2003	209	4	6	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	227
2004	212	2	6	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	228
2005	202	4	3	11	0	n/a	n/a	4	224
2006	224	4	5	21	0	n/a	n/a	1	255
2007	241	7	9	20	0	n/a	n/a	3	280
2008	247	9	10	17	0	n/a	n/a	6	289
2009	260	6	11	17	0	n/a	n/a	6	300
2010	264	4	10	8	0	n/a	n/a	10	296
2011	259	2	10	21	0	0	8	0	300
2012	255	3	10	24	0	0	8	0	300
2013	251	2	7	17	0	0	10	0	287
2014	269	3	8	15	0	0	14	0	309
2015	276	8	12	20	0	0	15	0	331
2016	256	2	8	21	0	0	15	0	302
2017	250	9	8	21	1	0	14	0	303
2018	250	4	7	20	1	0	21	0	303
2019	266	1	8	24	0	0	21	0	320
2020	268	2	12	28	0	1	17	0	328
2021	257	1	15	29	0	1	12	0	315
2022	254	2	15	24	0	0	11	0	306
2023	261	1	16	20	0	0	9	0	307
2024	253	4	15	29	0	0	10	0	311

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

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	280	12.0	23.3	n/a
1989	209	12.3	16.9	n/a
1990	226	11.3	20.0	n/a
1991	222	11.5	19.3	n/a
1992	243	12.0	20.2	n/a
1993	241	13.0	18.5	n/a
1994	269	13.9	19.4	n/a
1995	270	14.5	18.6	n/a
1996	270	14.5	18.6	n/a
1997	258	15.6	16.5	n/a
1998	254	15.9	16.0	n/a
1999	256	15.5	16.5	n/a
2000	253	16.4	15.4	n/a
2001	244	15.4	15.8	n/a
2002	227	15.3	14.8	0
2003	227	15.3	14.8	0
2004	228	15.2	15.0	0
2005	224	14.4	15.6	0
2006	255	14.2	18.0	0
2007	280	15.0	18.7	0
2008	289	15.0	19.3	0
2009	300	15.7	19.1	0
2010	296	15.7	18.8	0
2011	300	13.1	22.7	0
2012	300	13.3	22.4	5.7
2013	287	19.8	14.4	4.5
2014	309	14.5	21.3	6.5
2015	331	17.0	19.4	12.4
2016	302	18.0	16.7	5
2017	303	20.5	14.7	8.3
2018	303	15.7	19.2	6.3
2019	320	19.0	16.8	5.3
2020	328	18.2	18.0	9.1
2021	315	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	306	19.2	15.9	11.4
2023	307	18.1	16.9	n/a
2024	311	18.4	16.8	n/a

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

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	280	12.0	23.3	n/a
1989	209	12.3	16.9	n/a
1990	226	11.3	20.0	n/a
1991	222	11.5	19.3	n/a
1992	243	12.0	20.2	n/a
1993	241	13.0	18.5	n/a
1994	269	13.9	19.4	n/a
1995	270	14.5	18.6	n/a
1996	270	14.5	18.6	n/a
1997	258	15.6	16.5	n/a
1998	254	15.9	16.0	n/a
1999	256	15.5	16.5	n/a
2000	253	16.4	15.4	n/a
2001	244	15.4	15.8	n/a
2002	227	15.3	14.8	0
2003	227	15.3	14.8	0
2004	228	15.2	15.0	0
2005	224	14.4	15.6	0
2006	255	14.2	18.0	0
2007	280	15.0	18.7	0
2008	289	15.0	19.3	0
2009	300	15.7	19.1	0
2010	296	15.7	18.8	0
2011	300	13.1	22.7	0
2012	300	13.3	22.4	5.7
2013	287	19.8	14.4	4.5
2014	309	14.5	21.3	6.5
2015	331	17.0	19.4	12.4
2016	302	18.0	16.7	5
2017	303	20.5	14.7	8.3
2018	303	15.7	19.2	6.3
2019	320	19.0	16.8	5.3
2020	328	18.2	18.0	9.1
2021	315	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	306	19.2	15.9	11.4
2023	307	18.1	16.9	n/a
2024	311	18.4	16.8	n/a

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