Whittaker Elementary

Summary:

Whittaker Elementary is a public elementary school in Orangeburg, South Carolina, serving 415 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Orangeburg School District, which is ranked 65 out of 75 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Whittaker Elementary faces significant challenges in academic performance, with consistently lower proficiency rates in SC READY English Language Arts and Mathematics compared to state and district averages across all grade levels. For example, in 2023-2024, only 28.3% of 3rd graders were proficient or better in ELA, compared to the state average of 53.8%. The school has a notably higher percentage of African American students (88.92%) compared to the state average, and a 100% free and reduced lunch rate, indicating a low socioeconomic status of the student population. While the school's overall performance is low, its African American students rank 154 out of 369 South Carolina elementary schools, significantly higher than the school's overall ranking of 478 out of 638.

When comparing Whittaker Elementary to nearby schools within the Orangeburg district, such as Elloree Elementary, St. Matthews K-8 School, and Bethune-Bowman Elementary, it becomes evident that Whittaker Elementary's performance is generally lower across various metrics, including academic achievement, student subgroup performance, and school rankings. While the school spends more per student than the state average, the challenges it faces suggest that a more comprehensive approach, including targeted interventions and support, may be necessary to address the school's performance issues.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 790 Whittaker Parkway
       Orangeburg, SC  29115


(803) 534-6559

District: Orangeburg

SchoolDigger Rank:
478th of 638 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $12,157 Help


Students who attend Whittaker Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Robert E. Howard Middle
High:    Orangeburg Wilkinson High

Student/teacher ratio:  17.8 Help
Number of students:  415

Racial breakdown:

African American:
88.9%
Two or more races:
4.6%
Hispanic:
3.6%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  100% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Whittaker Elementary ranks worse than 74.9% of elementary schools in South Carolina. It also ranks 4th among 14 ranked elementary schools in the Orangeburg School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 25.68. (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 Whittaker Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Orangeburg School District.  (See more...)
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Whittaker Elementary is $12,157. 10 elementary schools in the Orangeburg School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Whittaker Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Whittaker Elementary 478th of 638 South Carolina public elementary schools. (See Whittaker Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:


Orangeburg:

SchoolDigger ranks Orangeburg 65th of 75 South Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Whittaker Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Whittaker Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 20.02 501st 625 19.8%
2023 24.68 492nd 644 23.6%
2024 25.68 478th 638 25.1%
See the entire list of South Carolina Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Whittaker Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 24.50 472nd 600 21.3%
2023 25.58 484th 608 20.4%
2024 34.83 408th 599 31.9%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Whittaker Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 22.19 445th 573 22.3%
2023 23.48 456th 580 21.4%
2024 25.19 432nd 565 23.5%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Whittaker Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 17.25 485th 579 16.2%
2023 25.38 446th 582 23.4%
2024 26.99 419th 568 26.2%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Whittaker Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 48.46 191st 393 51.4%
2023 48.87 190th 394 51.8%
2024 53.96 154th 369 58.3%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Data source: test scores: South Carolina 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.

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





Data source: South Carolina Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Whittaker Elementary

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2020 5 382 1 23 0 0 7 0 418
2021 9 369 2 22 0 1 7 0 410
2022 10 355 1 15 1 1 10 0 393
2023 11 369 0 15 0 1 19 0 415

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 Whittaker Elementary

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2020 418 25.0 16.7 100
2021 410 24.0 17.0 100
2022 393 25.5 15.4 100
2023 415 23.2 17.8 100

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 Whittaker Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2020 418 25.0 16.7 100
2021 410 24.0 17.0 100
2022 393 25.5 15.4 100
2023 415 23.2 17.8 100

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 Whittaker Elementary

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YearPersonnel Expenditures from Federal FundsNon-Personnel Expenditures from Federal FundsTotal Expenditures from Federal FundsPersonnel Expenditures from State and Local FundsNon-Personnel Expenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $882 (8.9%) $345 (3.5%) $1,227 (12.3%) $7,727 (77.7%) $987 (9.9%) $8,713 (87.7%) $9,940
2021 $298 (2.4%) $780 (6.4%) $1,078 (8.8%) $9,798 (79.9%) $1,389 (11.3%) $11,187 (91.2%) $12,265
2022 $1,368 (10.2%) $1,521 (11.3%) $2,889 (21.5%) $9,358 (69.6%) $1,202 (8.9%) $10,560 (78.5%) $13,449
2023 $1,389 (11.4%) $937 (7.7%) $2,327 (19.1%) $8,656 (71.2%) $1,175 (9.7%) $9,831 (80.9%) $12,157

Data source: South Carolina Department of Education


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Frequently Asked Questions about Whittaker Elementary

Whittaker Elementary ranks 478th of 638 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 415 students attended Whittaker Elementary.

Students at Whittaker Elementary are 89% African American, 5% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic, 3% White.

Students who attend Whittaker Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Robert E. Howard Middle
High : Orangeburg Wilkinson High


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