Whitman Elementary School

Summary:

Whitman Elementary School is a public elementary school in Pontiac, Michigan, serving students from kindergarten to 5th grade. With a diverse student population, the school faces significant challenges, including high chronic absenteeism rates, low academic performance, and a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds.

Whitman Elementary School's chronic absenteeism rate has consistently been much higher than the state average and the rates of nearby schools like Owen Elementary and Herrington School. The school's academic performance, as measured by M-Step proficiency rates, is also consistently low across all grade levels and subject areas, significantly trailing the state averages and the performance of nearby schools such as Cooley Elementary and Waterford Montessori Academy.

Despite the high spending per student at Whitman Elementary School, which is significantly higher than the state average and the spending at nearby schools, the school's academic performance remains low. This suggests that simply increasing funding may not be the sole solution, and a more comprehensive approach to addressing the school's challenges, which are likely rooted in systemic inequities, may be necessary. Addressing the root causes of chronic absenteeism and targeting interventions to support the school's disadvantaged student population could be crucial in driving meaningful improvements at Whitman Elementary School and similar schools serving underserved communities.


Detail:

Public K-5

 125 W Montcalm St
       Pontiac, MI  48342-1141


(248) 451-7950

District: Pontiac City School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
1416th of 1,486 Michigan Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $25,659 Help


Students who attend Whitman Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Pontiac Middle School
High:    Pontiac High School

Student/teacher ratio:  12.7 Help
Number of students:  601

Racial breakdown:

African American:
44.8%
Hispanic:
43.9%
Two or more races:
4.3%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  81.2% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Whitman Elementary School ranks worse than 95.3% of elementary schools in Michigan. It also ranks 3rd among 5 ranked elementary schools in the Pontiac City School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 6.93. (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
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Compare Details Whitman Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Pontiac City School District. Racial makeup is: African American (44.8%), Hispanic (43.9%), two or more races (4.3%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 81.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Whitman Elementary School is 12.7, which is the lowest among 5 elementary schools in the Pontiac City School District! (See more...)
Help
Compare Whitman Elementary School employs 47 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Whitman Elementary School is $25,659, which is the highest among 5 elementary schools in the Pontiac City School District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Whitman Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Whitman Elementary School 1416th of 1486 Michigan public elementary schools. (See Whitman Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:


Pontiac City School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Pontiac City School District 592nd of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Whitman Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Whitman Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 3.08 1524th 1545 1.4%
2007 4.52 1543rd 1565 1.4%
2008 14.73 1459th 1577 7.5%
2009 4.65 1551st 1589 2.4%
2010 25.07 1365th 1552 12.0%
2011 12.95 1448th 1552 6.7%
2012 8.21 1504th 1566 4.0%
2014 4.74 1506th 1533 1.8%
2015 8.99 1477th 1580 6.5%
2016 7.27 1462nd 1548 5.6%
2017 8.35 1353rd 1466 7.7%
2018 10.30 1361st 1448 6.0%
2019 4.40 1379th 1408 2.1%
2022 4.55 1316th 1344 2.1%
2023 8.45 1350th 1470 8.2%
2024 6.93 1416th 1486 4.7%
See the entire list of Michigan Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Whitman Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 21.11 248th 270 8.1%
2023 20.23 151st 180 16.1%
2024 8.41 183rd 184 0.5%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

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

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 13.69 1278th 1397 8.5%
2019 5.38 1115th 1134 1.7%
2022 6.24 1076th 1099 2.1%
2023 10.70 1262nd 1350 6.5%
2024 10.06 1297th 1381 6.1%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Whitman Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 12.19 1300th 1443 9.9%
2019 9.48 1110th 1171 5.2%
2023 5.63 1288th 1321 2.5%
2024 4.94 1321st 1342 1.6%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Whitman Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 9.29 1350th 1446 6.6%
2019 2.09 1196th 1196 0.0%
2023 8.00 1262nd 1334 5.4%
2024 6.68 1296th 1347 3.8%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Whitman Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 24.25 399th 475 16.0%
2023 28.30 231st 321 28.0%
2024 18.68 304th 348 12.6%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Whitman Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 28.21 175th 222 21.2%
2023 12.90 176th 188 6.4%
2024 10.19 194th 201 3.5%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: Michigan 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.

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





Data source: Michigan Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Whitman Elementary School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1997 123 99 2 12 0 n/a n/a -28 208
1998 166 540 159 215 3 n/a n/a 0 1083
1999 175 496 176 211 4 n/a n/a 0 1062
2000 143 395 154 194 6 n/a n/a 0 892
2001 71 368 147 325 1 n/a n/a 0 912
2002 104 471 133 429 3 n/a n/a 0 1140
2003 104 471 133 429 3 n/a n/a 0 1140
2004 84 509 111 450 4 n/a n/a 0 1158
2005 48 372 75 439 0 n/a n/a 4 938
2006 40 255 61 310 0 n/a n/a 1 667
2007 40 268 35 260 1 n/a n/a 2 606
2008 43 217 28 302 1 n/a n/a 1 592
2009 43 243 31 325 0 n/a n/a 0 642
2010 33 279 6 108 0 n/a n/a 1 427
2011 35 276 11 96 4 0 1 0 423
2012 25 278 3 121 1 1 1 0 430
2013 55 573 20 170 4 0 10 0 832
2014 35 465 15 166 1 0 10 0 692
2015 48 399 17 166 1 0 7 0 638
2016 34 460 10 170 1 1 23 0 699
2017 42 303 6 208 0 0 15 0 574
2018 49 332 11 164 0 0 24 0 580
2019 48 332 10 188 1 0 27 0 606
2020 39 315 10 205 1 0 27 0 597
2021 31 298 14 180 2 0 29 0 554
2022 34 263 16 272 2 1 23 0 611
2023 24 269 16 264 2 0 26 0 601

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 Whitman Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1997 208 17.0 12.2 83.5
1998 1083 87.0 12.4 93.4
1999 1062 45.0 23.6 82.4
2000 892 63.0 14.2 99.7
2001 912 61.0 15.0 0
2002 1140 67.0 17.0 83.4
2003 1140 67.0 17.0 83.4
2004 1158 79.0 14.7 48.9
2005 938 74.0 12.7 73.4
2006 667 70.0 9.5 91.7
2007 606 48.0 12.6 82.6
2008 592 48.0 12.3 66.7
2009 642 40.0 16.1 89.7
2010 427 37.0 11.5 88.7
2011 423 50.5 8.3 85.1
2012 430 41.4 10.3 87.9
2013 832 37.5 22.1 78.5
2014 692 28.0 24.7 79
2015 638 32.0 19.9 80.9
2016 699 43.0 16.2 82.8
2017 574 44.4 12.9 74.4
2018 580 46.0 12.6 88.1
2019 606 45.5 13.3 82.7
2020 597 33.5 17.8 85.6
2021 554 41.8 13.2 81.9
2022 611 46.5 13.1 81
2023 601 47.0 12.7 81.2

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 Whitman Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1997 208 17.0 12.2 83.5
1998 1083 87.0 12.4 93.4
1999 1062 45.0 23.6 82.4
2000 892 63.0 14.2 99.7
2001 912 61.0 15.0 0
2002 1140 67.0 17.0 83.4
2003 1140 67.0 17.0 83.4
2004 1158 79.0 14.7 48.9
2005 938 74.0 12.7 73.4
2006 667 70.0 9.5 91.7
2007 606 48.0 12.6 82.6
2008 592 48.0 12.3 66.7
2009 642 40.0 16.1 89.7
2010 427 37.0 11.5 88.7
2011 423 50.5 8.3 85.1
2012 430 41.4 10.3 87.9
2013 832 37.5 22.1 78.5
2014 692 28.0 24.7 79
2015 638 32.0 19.9 80.9
2016 699 43.0 16.2 82.8
2017 574 44.4 12.9 74.4
2018 580 46.0 12.6 88.1
2019 606 45.5 13.3 82.7
2020 597 33.5 17.8 85.6
2021 554 41.8 13.2 81.9
2022 611 46.5 13.1 81
2023 601 47.0 12.7 81.2

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 Whitman Elementary School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $11,168 (26.3%) $31,326 (73.7%) $42,494
2020 $4,565 (28.6%) $11,414 (71.4%) $15,979
2021 $5,606 (27.6%) $14,730 (72.4%) $20,336
2022 $6,912 (31.5%) $15,021 (68.5%) $21,933
2023 $5,369 (20.9%) $20,290 (79.1%) $25,659

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Whitman 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 1379th of 1408 Elementary schoolsRanks 1350th of 1470 Elementary schools
 6.1%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Whitman Elementary School)9.919.3
 9.4%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Pontiac City School District)12.215.5
 3.3%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)45.140.9
 4.2%
3rd Grade Math (Whitman Elementary School)11.116.5
 5.4%
   3rd Grade Math (Pontiac City School District)15.217.8
 2.6%
   3rd Grade Math (Michigan)46.742.9
 3.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Whitman Elementary School)8.319.1
 10.8%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Pontiac City School District)13.320.4
 7.1%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)45.844.3
 1.5%
4th Grade Math (Whitman Elementary School)8.210.1
 1.9%
   4th Grade Math (Pontiac City School District)9.712.7
 3%
   4th Grade Math (Michigan)41.838.6
 3.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Whitman Elementary School)16.714.9
 1.8%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Pontiac City School District)14.916.5
 1.6%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)46.243.9
 2.3%
5th Grade Math (Whitman Elementary School)6.86.5
 0.3%
   5th Grade Math (Pontiac City School District)10.38.4
 1.9%
   5th Grade Math (Michigan)34.831.5
 3.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students606601
 0.8%
African American332269
 19%
American Indian12
 100%
Asian1016
 60%
Hispanic188264
 40.4%
Pacific Islander00
White4824
 50%
Two or More Races2726
 3.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients82.7%81.2%
 1.5%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Whitman Elementary School

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

Middle : Pontiac Middle School
High : Pontiac High School

In the 2022-23 school year, 601 students attended Whitman Elementary School.

Students at Whitman Elementary School are 45% African American, 44% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 4% White, 3% Asian.

Whitman Elementary School ranks in the bottom 4.7% of Michigan elementary schools.


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