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Whittier Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-6

Summary

Whittier Elementary School is a public elementary school in Mesa, Arizona, serving 486 students in grades PK-6. The school is part of the Mesa Unified District, which is ranked 264 out of 540 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating.

Whittier Elementary consistently underperforms compared to district and state averages on standardized tests, with proficiency rates significantly lower than the district and state in English Language Arts and Mathematics across all grade levels. For example, in 3rd grade ELA, Whittier had a 7% proficiency rate compared to 40% for the district and 41% for the state. The school also has a high percentage of Hispanic (52.47%) and Native American (12.55%) students, as well as a large population of students from low-income families, with 67.9% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Whittier Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom quarter of Arizona elementary schools, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Whittier Elementary's academic performance has been declining over the years, and the school struggles with specific student subgroups, such as Hispanic students and students with low socioeconomic status. In comparison, nearby schools like Adams Elementary and Whitman Elementary, which are also part of the Mesa Unified District, have higher academic proficiency rates and better statewide rankings. The high poverty rate and diverse student population at Whittier Elementary may contribute to the school's academic challenges, underscoring the need for targeted resources and support to address these factors and improve student outcomes.

443

Students ?

16.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,937

Per pupil spending ?

67.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

733 N Longmore
Mesa, AZ 85201-4525

(480) 472-4900

District: Mesa Unified District

Students who attend Whittier Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Carson Junior High School
High:	Westwood High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

57.3%

White:

18.5%

American Indian:

11.5%

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Compare Whittier Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 43rd percentile in 2013 → 11th in 2023

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Arizona average (23% vs 41% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 32 percentile points since 2013

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school23%

District avg43%

Arizona avg41%

Not ranked this year

Whittier Elementary School did not have enough recent test-score data to be ranked. Check the trend below for past years.

177^th of 289Mesa Unified District among Arizona districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	15.0	1110 of 1245	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	9.5	957 of 1000	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	21.7	955 of 1226	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.9	711 of 1039	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.1	697 of 1109	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2017	57.4	430 of 1106	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2016	47.0	513 of 1079	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	39.1	511 of 955	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2014	57.8	464 of 1079	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2013	45.9	658 of 1158	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2012	57.1	484 of 1141	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2011	47.6	551 of 1075	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2010	39.7	664 of 1090	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2009	49.7	544 of 1062	48.8%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	60.7	192 of 895	78.5%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	30.8	250 of 316	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.2	549 of 620	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	39.3	545 of 975	44.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	13.2	1144 of 1219	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	22.4	966 of 1219	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	31.8	560 of 862	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.2	655 of 1023	36.0%	★★☆☆☆

Foster Care

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	38.7	175 of 306	42.8%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	12.2	1138 of 1170	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	21.8	1028 of 1198	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	42.0	386 of 709	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	45.1	455 of 911	50.1%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	17.3	1024 of 1116	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	40.8	476 of 820	42.0%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	18.6	1024 of 1216	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.3	965 of 1220	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	48.3	411 of 850	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	33.3	656 of 1032	36.4%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	10.3	606 of 617	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	33.0	730 of 1027	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	30.5	473 of 654	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.0	56 of 62	9.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	39.2	655 of 1201	45.5%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	35.2	678 of 1024	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.0	766 of 1161	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	33.0	431 of 595	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.7	585 of 720	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

African American (2021)79th percentile+56 vs school

Special Education (2021)45th percentile+23 vs school

English Language Learner (2021)44th percentile+22 vs school

Foster Care (2021)43rd percentile+21 vs school

White (2023)34th percentile+23 vs school

Native American (2021)28th percentile+6 vs school

Asian (2023)21st percentile+10 vs school

Male (2023)16th percentile+5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2023)8th percentile-3 vs school

Female (2023)6th percentile-5 vs school

Hispanic (2023)3rd percentile-8 vs school

Multi-racial (2023)2nd percentile-9 vs school

5.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Saturday, July 3, 2021

The school has been great for my kids all teachers they had so far have been great. We love the community and the new curriculum that was implemented. Close Quote

Schools Near Whittier Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				AASA English Language Arts (2025)				AASA Mathematics (2025)			AzSCI Science (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	AASA English Language Arts 3rd Grade	AASA English Language Arts 4th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 5th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 6th Grade	AASA Mathematics 3rd Grade	AASA Mathematics 4th Grade	AASA Mathematics 5th Grade	AzSCI Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Personnel Spending from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Sub-total Spending from State and Local Funds
Whittier Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	733 N Longmore	Mesa	85201	Maricopa County	Mesa Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 472-4900	443	27	16.7		82 (18.5%)	15 (3.4%)	254 (57.3%)	11 (2.5%)	51 (11.5%)	3 (0.7%)	27 (6.1%)								(n/a)				23.0					$9,937	$1,080	$81	$2,240	$8,275	$501	$8,776
Webster Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	202 N Sycamore	Mesa	85201	Maricopa County	Mesa Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 472-4860	591	35	17.1		76 (12.9%)	60 (10.2%)	372 (62.9%)	2 (0.3%)	57 (9.6%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (3.9%)	15.3	777^th of 909 public elementary schools	14.5%		8.6	888^th of 912 public elementary schools	2.6%	111		22.0		23.0	32.0				$9,239	$531	$96	$1,157	$8,288	$325	$8,613
Emerson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	415 N Westwood	Mesa	85201	Maricopa County	Mesa Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 472-4700	717	37	19.6		187 (26.1%)	46 (6.4%)	397 (55.4%)	2 (0.3%)	28 (3.9%)	17 (2.4%)	40 (5.6%)	15.2	782^nd of 909 public elementary schools	14.0%		11.3	853^rd of 912 public elementary schools	6.5%	71	19.0	34.0	23.0	25.0	26.0	30.0	14.0	21.0	$7,225	$625	$52	$1,302	$6,147	$402	$6,548
Concordia Charter School	Public, Charter	K-6	142 N Date	Mesa	85201	Maricopa County	Concordia Charter School Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 461-0555	106	7	15.1		13 (12.3%)	6 (5.7%)	75 (70.8%)	1 (0.9%)	2 (1.9%)	1 (0.9%)	8 (7.5%)								(n/a)									$9,568	$00	$1,565	$1,565	$7,956	$47	$8,002
Guerrero Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	463 S Alma School Rd	Mesa	85210	Maricopa County	Mesa Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 472-9220	424	25	17.3		22 (5.2%)	36 (8.5%)	341 (80.4%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.9%)								(n/a)						27.0			$9,465	$1,135	$108	$2,377	$7,985	$237	$8,222
Adams Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	738 S Longmore	Mesa	85202	Maricopa County	Mesa Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 472-4300	667	37	18.2		83 (12.4%)	61 (9.1%)	394 (59.1%)	3 (0.4%)	84 (12.6%)	7 (1.0%)	35 (5.2%)	18.1	729^th of 909 public elementary schools	19.8%		11.6	845^th of 912 public elementary schools	7.3%	116		25.0	28.0	30.0	21.0		30.0		$8,921	$904	$192	$2,000	$7,604	$221	$7,825
Flora Thew Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2130 E Howe Ave	Tempe	85281	Maricopa County	Tempe School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 894-5574	501	34	14.7		30 (6.0%)	63 (12.6%)	344 (68.7%)	5 (1.0%)	20 (4.0%)	21 (4.2%)	18 (3.6%)	9.9	877^th of 909 public elementary schools	3.5%					(n/a)	26.0	20.0	22.0		18.0	15.0	15.0	16.0		$00			$00
Step Up School	Public, Charter	K-8	44 E 5th St	Mesa	85201	Maricopa County	STEP UP Schools Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 344-2600	62	7	8.8		0 (0.0%)	13 (21.0%)	46 (74.2%)	1 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.2%)								(n/a)										$00			$00
Heritage Academy Pinnacle	Public, Charter	K-8	32 S Center St	Mesa	85210	Maricopa County	Heritage Academy Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(623) 537-3535	124	8	15.5		74 (59.7%)	3 (2.4%)	32 (25.8%)	2 (1.6%)	2 (1.6%)	1 (0.8%)	10 (8.1%)								(n/a)		74.0
Mesa Center for Success	Public	PK, KG-8	855 W 8th Ave	Mesa	85210	Maricopa County	Mesa Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 472-3802	52	8	6.5		22 (42.3%)	6 (11.5%)	17 (32.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (5.8%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Whittier Elementary School

How many students attend Whittier Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 443 students attended Whittier Elementary School.

What district is Whittier Elementary School in?

Mesa Unified District

What is the racial makeup of Whittier Elementary School?

Students at Whittier Elementary School are 57% Hispanic, 19% White, 12% American Indian, 6% Two or more races, 3% African American, 2% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Whittier Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Carson Junior High School
High : Westwood High School

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