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Whitney Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-6
293rd
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 337 Idaho Elementary Schools
Better than 13% of Idaho elementary schools
Summary

Whitney Elementary School is a public elementary school in Boise, Idaho, serving 520 students in grades PK-6. The school is part of the Boise Independent District, which is ranked 33 out of 96 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While the school's student population faces significant challenges, with consistently high rates of chronic absenteeism (ranging from 15.0% to 28.5%) and an extremely high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (98.68% to 99.04%), the academic performance at Whitney Elementary School is consistently lower than the district and state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school's proficiency rates in Math (34.4%), Science (28.8%), and English Language Arts (34.1%) were all well below the district and state averages.

When comparing Whitney Elementary School to nearby schools within the Boise Independent District, such as Hawthorne Elementary and White Pine Elementary, it becomes clear that Whitney is an outlier in terms of academic performance and student demographics. Addressing the underlying factors contributing to these challenges, such as high rates of chronic absenteeism and economic disadvantage, will be crucial in improving student outcomes and ensuring equitable educational opportunities for all students.

469
Students ?
17.0
Student/teacher ratio ?
$9,659
Per pupil spending ?
97.9%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 1609 South Owyhee Street
       Boise, ID  83705-3058

(208) 854-6580

District: Boise Independent District


Students who attend Whitney Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    South Junior High School
High:    Borah Senior High School
Racial breakdown:

White:
45.2%
Hispanic:
40.1%
African American:
8.3%
more
 See top rated Idaho elementary schools

 Compare Whitney Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Declining — 28th percentile in 2015 → 13th in 2025
Worth a look
!Test scores below the Idaho average (34% vs 47% meeting standards)
!In the lower quartile statewide (13th percentile)
!High chronic absenteeism (27% vs 15% Idaho)
Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?
This school34%
District avg49%
Idaho avg47%
293rd of 337
Idaho public elementary schools ?
Bottom 13%▼ down 15 pts since 2015
From bottom 28% (2015) to bottom 13% (2025)
See the entire ranking list of Idaho Elementary Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
25th of 32Elementary Schools in the Boise Independent District
33rd of 96Boise Independent District among Idaho 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIdaho percentileRating
202517.1293 of 33713.1%★☆☆☆☆
202413.9258 of 30114.3%★☆☆☆☆
202317.9207 of 25217.9%★☆☆☆☆
202212.7169 of 18810.1%★☆☆☆☆
20215.0164 of 1661.2%☆☆☆☆☆
201911.4160 of 1716.4%☆☆☆☆☆
201825.5192 of 25424.4%★☆☆☆☆
201717.0253 of 29213.4%★☆☆☆☆
201617.4205 of 24014.6%★☆☆☆☆
201531.0163 of 22627.9%★☆☆☆☆
201334.7277 of 35722.4%★☆☆☆☆
201226.7301 of 35415.0%★☆☆☆☆
201122.6317 of 35911.7%★☆☆☆☆
201027.5297 of 35616.6%★☆☆☆☆
200911.4338 of 3493.2%☆☆☆☆☆
200814.9315 of 3356.0%☆☆☆☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIdaho percentileRating
201820.4104 of 12114.0%★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIdaho percentileRating
202453.516 of 5872.4%★★★★☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIdaho percentileRating
201810.8116 of 1214.1%☆☆☆☆☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIdaho percentileRating
202420.5107 of 13520.7%★☆☆☆☆
202222.226 of 3729.7%★★☆☆☆
201816.726 of 3116.1%★☆☆☆☆
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)
Hispanic (2024)72nd percentile+58 vs school
White (2024)21st percentile+6 vs school
Female (2018)14th percentile-10 vs school
Male (2018)4th percentile-20 vs school
By subject vs Idaho (2024-2025) ?
Math34%-9 vs state
English Language Arts34%-20 vs state
Science29%-14 vs state

4.5
2 ratings · 1 written review
51
41
30
20
10
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What people are saying
by a parent
Thursday, March 20, 2014

Open Quote TEACHERS are exceptional and are very easy to communicate with. The problem for low ratings is because of so many different ethnic children, which I suspect whose parents do not take the time to help their children with their homework, because they are not literate in the English language.

My great grandson has been attending this school (3 yrs) and does his homework every evening and has always been at least two grade levels above required score in reding. He has a single Dad that cares and loves him to ensue he is doing his required homework.

A teacher can only instruct them, the rest is up to the student and parent. Close Quote





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Frequently Asked Questions about Whitney Elementary School

Whitney Elementary School ranks in the bottom 13.1% of Idaho elementary schools.

In the 2024-25 school year, 469 students attended Whitney Elementary School.

Students at Whitney Elementary School are 45% White, 40% Hispanic, 8% African American, 4% Two or more races.

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

Middle : South Junior High School
High : Borah Senior 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 Idaho 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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