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Whittier Elementary

Summary:

Whittier Elementary is a public elementary school in Kansas City, Missouri, serving 351 students in grades PK-6. The school is part of the Kansas City 33 school district, which is ranked 338 out of 386 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Whittier Elementary faces significant challenges, including consistently high chronic absenteeism rates (ranging from 34.5% to 55.0%) and poor academic performance, with only 12.4% of 3rd graders proficient or better in Math, compared to 20.3% for the district and 40.8% for the state. The school struggles to serve its diverse student population, ranking in the bottom 10-20% of Missouri elementary schools for African American, Hispanic, English Language Learner, and low-socioeconomic status students. Despite spending significantly more per student ($19,719 in 2021-2022) than the state average, the school's academic outcomes remain poor.

Interestingly, the nearby James Elementary, Trailwoods Elementary, and Garfield Elementary also perform poorly on academic measures, with similar chronic absenteeism rates and low proficiency levels, suggesting a systemic issue within the Kansas City 33 district. Addressing the root causes of chronic absenteeism and the specific needs of the student population, which includes high rates of poverty and English Language Learners, may be crucial for improving educational outcomes at Whittier Elementary and the surrounding schools.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

 1012 Bales
       Kansas City, MO  64127-1529

(816) 418-3850

District: Kansas City 33

SchoolDigger Rank:
891st of 906 Missouri Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $19,719 Help


Students who attend Whittier Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Northeast Middle School
High:    Northeast High

Student/teacher ratio:  12.9 Help
Number of students:  351

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
38.7%
African American:
33.9%
Asian:
17.4%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  99.1% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Whittier Elementary ranks worse than 98.3% of elementary schools in Missouri. It also ranks 19th among 20 ranked elementary schools in the Kansas City 33 School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 4.27. (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 has the largest elementary school student body size in the Kansas City 33 School District.  (See more...)
Teachers
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Whittier Elementary is $19,719. 10 elementary schools in the Kansas City 33 School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Whittier Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Whittier Elementary 891st of 906 Missouri public elementary schools. (See Whittier Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:


Kansas City 33:

SchoolDigger ranks Kansas City 33 338th of 386 Missouri school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Whittier Elementary

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Whittier Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 10.71 1027th 1074 4.4%
2007 11.88 1026th 1080 5.0%
2008 10.04 1037th 1084 4.3%
2009 6.66 1012th 1053 3.9%
2010 12.44 1000th 1066 6.2%
2011 7.05 1048th 1088 3.7%
2012 10.35 1011th 1085 6.8%
2013 21.04 967th 1108 12.7%
2014 13.67 990th 1089 9.1%
2015 8.20 992nd 1058 6.2%
2016 15.50 763rd 865 11.8%
2017 50.88 521st 1032 49.5%
2018 28.36 787th 1045 24.7%
2019 11.33 959th 1052 8.8%
2021 11.15 805th 901 10.7%
2022 10.17 823rd 908 9.4%
2023 5.05 872nd 898 2.9%
2024 4.27 891st 906 1.7%
See the entire list of Missouri Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Whittier Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 40.39 34th 52 34.6%
2023 18.24 47th 50 6.0%
2024 13.35 54th 54 0.0%
See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Whittier Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 41.86 555th 887 37.4%
2019 21.04 809th 907 10.8%
2021 28.52 444th 574 22.6%
2022 25.15 429th 532 19.4%
2023 11.16 587th 611 3.9%
2024 9.04 611th 625 2.2%
See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for African American students at Whittier Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 39.06 155th 243 36.2%
2019 29.38 190th 250 24.0%
2021 41.36 94th 163 42.3%
See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Whittier Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 61.92 26th 105 75.2%
2019 29.44 96th 120 20.0%
2021 19.40 40th 42 4.8%
2022 37.78 24th 45 46.7%
2023 12.25 40th 40 0.0%
See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary 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 Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 
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Data source: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

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Enrollment information for Whittier Elementary

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Compare
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 390 390
1992 161 189 8 17 1 n/a n/a 0 376
1993 159 194 11 13 3 n/a n/a 0 380
1994 143 228 14 22 2 n/a n/a 0 409
1995 105 209 18 29 1 n/a n/a 0 362
1996 105 209 18 29 1 n/a n/a 0 362
1997 129 325 26 52 3 n/a n/a 0 535
1998 135 332 23 48 1 n/a n/a 0 539
1999 144 250 27 79 0 n/a n/a 0 500
2000 206 126 26 76 4 n/a n/a 0 438
2001 114 219 29 160 1 n/a n/a 0 523
2002 81 222 45 203 1 n/a n/a 0 552
2003 81 222 45 203 1 n/a n/a 0 552
2004 75 117 48 254 1 n/a n/a 0 495
2005 75 74 32 225 1 n/a n/a 0 407
2006 66 86 26 236 1 n/a n/a 0 415
2007 58 67 28 210 1 n/a n/a 0 364
2008 62 70 24 276 1 n/a n/a 0 433
2009 63 80 18 248 1 n/a n/a 0 410
2010 51 77 23 221 0 n/a n/a 0 372
2011 64 174 17 234 1 0 0 0 490
2012 46 145 20 231 2 0 0 0 444
2013 40 157 51 265 1 3 2 0 519
2014 36 170 38 207 0 1 6 0 458
2015 46 172 47 199 2 2 7 0 475
2016 43 213 50 203 3 1 14 0 527
2017 56 167 53 189 1 2 8 0 476
2018 54 186 43 163 1 7 6 0 460
2019 47 172 43 144 1 2 5 0 414
2020 51 184 43 160 0 3 8 0 449
2021 33 145 44 130 0 5 5 0 362
2022 35 112 58 135 1 4 1 0 346
2023 26 119 61 136 0 6 3 0 351

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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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1991 390 30.4 12.8 n/a
1992 376 27.9 13.4 n/a
1993 380 29.6 12.8 81.3
1994 409 28.4 14.4 86.3
1995 362 31.9 11.3 94.8
1996 362 31.9 11.3 94.8
1997 535 28.4 18.8 54.8
1998 539 29.3 18.4 63.1
1999 500 29.0 17.2 62
2000 438 28.6 15.3 71.2
2001 523 25.6 20.4 68.3
2002 552 27.8 19.9 61.2
2003 552 27.8 19.9 61.2
2004 495 29.3 16.9 69.1
2005 407 28.7 14.2 76.9
2006 415 26.6 15.6 71.1
2007 364 25.5 14.3 75
2008 433 28.6 15.1 75.5
2009 410 22.4 18.3 85.9
2010 372 26.6 13.9 91.1
2011 490 29.0 16.8 84.7
2012 444 28.5 15.5 93.9
2013 519 29.2 17.7 n/a
2014 458 29.5 15.4 74
2015 475 30.0 15.8 100
2016 527 32.0 16.4 99.4
2017 476 32.2 14.7 100
2018 460 31.5 14.5 100
2019 414 30.8 13.4 99.3
2020 449 28.0 16.0 99.3
2021 362 30.2 11.9 99.2
2022 346 20.4 16.9 99.1
2023 351 27.2 12.9 99.1

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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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1991 390 30.4 12.8 n/a
1992 376 27.9 13.4 n/a
1993 380 29.6 12.8 81.3
1994 409 28.4 14.4 86.3
1995 362 31.9 11.3 94.8
1996 362 31.9 11.3 94.8
1997 535 28.4 18.8 54.8
1998 539 29.3 18.4 63.1
1999 500 29.0 17.2 62
2000 438 28.6 15.3 71.2
2001 523 25.6 20.4 68.3
2002 552 27.8 19.9 61.2
2003 552 27.8 19.9 61.2
2004 495 29.3 16.9 69.1
2005 407 28.7 14.2 76.9
2006 415 26.6 15.6 71.1
2007 364 25.5 14.3 75
2008 433 28.6 15.1 75.5
2009 410 22.4 18.3 85.9
2010 372 26.6 13.9 91.1
2011 490 29.0 16.8 84.7
2012 444 28.5 15.5 93.9
2013 519 29.2 17.7 n/a
2014 458 29.5 15.4 74
2015 475 30.0 15.8 100
2016 527 32.0 16.4 99.4
2017 476 32.2 14.7 100
2018 460 31.5 14.5 100
2019 414 30.8 13.4 99.3
2020 449 28.0 16.0 99.3
2021 362 30.2 11.9 99.2
2022 346 20.4 16.9 99.1
2023 351 27.2 12.9 99.1

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 Whittier Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,022 (7.3%) $12,979 (92.7%) $14,001
2020 $1,256 (9.2%) $12,346 (90.8%) $13,602
2021 $1,440 (8.7%) $15,181 (91.3%) $16,621
2022 $3,718 (18.9%) $16,000 (81.1%) $19,719

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Whittier Elementary

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 959th of 1052 Elementary schoolsRanks 872nd of 898 Elementary schools
 5.9%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 % proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Whittier Elementary)23.31.9
 21.4%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Kansas City 33)23.417.4
 6%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Missouri)4641.1
 4.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Whittier Elementary)14.36.5
 7.8%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Kansas City 33)21.217.8
 3.4%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)48.742.4
 6.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Whittier Elementary)22.86
 16.8%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Kansas City 33)22.118.3
 3.8%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)46.843.8
 3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Whittier Elementary)22.54.1
 18.4%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Kansas City 33)2216.6
 5.4%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)49.345.9
 3.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Whittier Elementary)16.27.5
 8.7%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Kansas City 33)20.814.7
 6.1%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)40.339.1
 1.2%
5th Grade Science (Whittier Elementary)20.67.6
 13%
   5th Grade Science (Kansas City 33)22.815.5
 7.3%
   5th Grade Science (Missouri)42.540.9
 1.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Whittier Elementary)17.410.8
 6.6%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Kansas City 33)22.818.1
 4.7%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)47.144.1
 3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Whittier Elementary)35.612.7
 22.9%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Kansas City 33)26.224.3
 1.9%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)42.543.7
 1.2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Whittier Elementary)25.511.4
 14.1%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Kansas City 33)25.820.8
 5%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)45.937.5
 8.4%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Total Students414351
 15.2%
African American172119
 30.8%
American Indian10
 100%
Asian4361
 41.9%
Hispanic144136
 5.6%
Pacific Islander26
 200%
White4726
 44.7%
Two or More Races53
 40%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients99.3%99.1%
 0.1%

Schools Near Whittier Elementary








Frequently Asked Questions about Whittier Elementary

Students who attend Whittier Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Northeast Middle School
High : Northeast High

Students at Whittier Elementary are 39% Hispanic, 34% African American, 17% Asian, 7% White, 2% Pacific Islander.

Whittier Elementary ranks in the bottom 1.7% of Missouri elementary schools.

In the 2022-23 school year, 351 students attended Whittier Elementary.


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