James A. Whitaker Elementary

Public K-5

 8401 Montana St.
       Buena Park, CA  90621-3629


(714) 521-9770

District: Buena Park Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
4774th of 5,868 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $7,823 Help


Students who attend James A. Whitaker Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Gordon H. Beatty Middle
High:    Buena Park High

Student/teacher ratio:  23.6 Help
Number of students:  639

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
79.3%
Asian:
8.3%
White:
4.2%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  89.8% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details James A. Whitaker Elementary ranks worse than 81.4% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks last among 5 ranked elementary schools in the Buena Park Elementary School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 20.83. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a high 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 Racial makeup is: Hispanic (79.3%), Asian (8.3%), White (4.2%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 89.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at James A. Whitaker Elementary is 23.6. 2 elementary schools in the Buena Park Elementary School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare James A. Whitaker Elementary employs 27 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at James A. Whitaker Elementary is $7,823. 2 elementary schools in the Buena Park Elementary School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

James A. Whitaker Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks James A. Whitaker Elementary 4774th of 5868 California public elementary schools. (See James A. Whitaker Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:


Buena Park Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Buena Park Elementary 865th of 1560 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for James A. Whitaker Elementary

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Rank History for all students at James A. Whitaker Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 42.88 2508th 4809 47.8%
2005 42.31 2583rd 4822 46.4%
2006 39.49 2742nd 4818 43.1%
2007 38.06 3041st 5113 40.5%
2008 33.14 3381st 5113 33.9%
2009 39.18 3099th 5193 40.3%
2010 37.29 3333rd 5314 37.3%
2011 39.19 3312th 5377 38.4%
2012 39.23 3313th 5390 38.5%
2013 30.65 3994th 5530 27.8%
2015 30.97 3628th 5611 35.3%
2016 34.41 3450th 5614 38.5%
2017 33.65 3543rd 5692 37.8%
2018 39.66 3174th 5662 43.9%
2019 37.88 3320th 5789 42.6%
2022 29.54 3904th 5883 33.6%
2023 20.83 4757th 5848 18.7%
See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at James A. Whitaker Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 80.35 332nd 3246 89.8%
2019 71.27 503rd 3275 84.6%
2022 54.51 979th 3311 70.4%
2023 46.62 1364th 3240 57.9%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at James A. Whitaker Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 21.93 2105th 2416 12.9%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at James A. Whitaker Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 56.69 1922nd 5084 62.2%
2019 52.19 2256th 5173 56.4%
2022 39.24 3074th 5264 41.6%
2023 26.19 4204th 5355 21.5%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at James A. Whitaker Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 39.61 3117th 5413 42.4%
2019 36.26 3330th 5492 39.4%
2022 32.96 3494th 5635 38.0%
2023 17.51 4910th 5595 12.2%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at James A. Whitaker Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 17.93 2503rd 2585 3.2%
2022 25.45 1718th 2227 22.9%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at James A. Whitaker Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 39.98 3049th 5431 43.9%
2019 39.90 3046th 5510 44.7%
2022 27.50 4001st 5663 29.3%
2023 24.72 4273rd 5627 24.1%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at James A. Whitaker Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 48.36 2330th 4830 51.8%
2019 47.14 2474th 4963 50.2%
2022 38.23 3036th 5084 40.3%
2023 24.53 4132nd 5079 18.6%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: California 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.

James A. Whitaker Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for James A. Whitaker Elementary

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 218 34 61 159 2 n/a n/a 0 474
1989 236 37 52 185 2 n/a n/a 0 512
1990 200 44 59 212 0 n/a n/a 0 515
1991 179 52 77 246 2 n/a n/a 0 556
1992 214 57 92 224 0 n/a n/a 0 587
1993 223 51 74 304 1 n/a n/a 0 653
1994 202 50 93 325 0 n/a n/a 0 670
1995 203 51 67 355 0 n/a n/a 0 676
1996 203 51 67 355 0 n/a n/a 0 676
1997 187 69 67 415 0 n/a n/a 0 738
1998 191 58 65 392 0 n/a n/a 0 706
1999 208 61 61 432 0 n/a n/a 0 762
2000 215 61 83 487 0 n/a n/a 0 846
2001 181 74 79 514 1 n/a n/a 67 916
2002 127 43 73 544 0 n/a n/a 12 799
2003 127 43 73 544 0 n/a n/a 12 799
2004 116 45 83 554 1 n/a n/a 15 814
2005 103 51 75 579 3 n/a n/a 28 839
2006 92 40 76 540 2 n/a n/a 33 783
2007 77 41 90 538 1 n/a n/a 46 793
2008 67 47 77 526 2 n/a n/a 0 719
2009 63 44 58 510 4 6 46 0 731
2010 56 48 57 482 5 4 16 0 668
2011 44 39 61 492 3 3 14 0 656
2012 50 28 63 507 3 0 12 0 663
2013 65 28 56 497 3 0 10 0 659
2014 55 21 43 483 1 3 10 0 616
2015 47 18 42 480 2 2 7 0 598
2016 34 19 37 445 2 5 7 0 549
2017 26 22 39 464 2 6 9 0 568
2018 24 20 36 437 2 3 9 0 531
2019 23 19 35 428 2 3 9 0 519
2020 12 15 33 438 2 6 7 0 513
2021 16 16 43 432 0 7 10 0 524
2022 16 19 51 470 3 10 14 0 583
2023 27 20 53 507 3 6 23 0 639

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 James A. Whitaker Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 474 18.0 26.3 n/a
1989 512 20.0 25.6 n/a
1990 515 21.0 24.5 n/a
1991 556 22.0 25.2 n/a
1992 587 22.4 26.2 54.5
1993 653 21.0 31.1 52.5
1994 670 23.0 29.1 56
1995 676 24.0 28.2 75.1
1996 676 24.0 28.2 75.1
1997 738 28.0 26.4 81.2
1998 706 30.0 23.5 74.5
1999 762 38.0 20.1 80.1
2000 846 38.0 22.3 74.2
2001 916 39.0 23.5 66.5
2002 799 40.0 20.0 84.1
2003 799 40.0 20.0 84.1
2004 814 38.0 21.4 80.7
2005 839 37.0 22.7 86.7
2006 783 36.0 21.8 95.1
2007 793 36.0 22.0 79.1
2008 719 37.0 19.4 77.9
2009 731 34.0 19.8 77
2010 668 26.0 25.6 86.4
2011 656 n/a n/a 87
2012 663 25.0 26.5 n/a
2013 659 24.0 27.4 90.1
2014 616 22.0 28.0 92.4
2015 598 23.0 26.0 90.1
2016 549 23.0 23.8 88.5
2017 568 22.0 25.8 86.6
2018 531 21.0 25.2 88.3
2019 519 21.0 24.7 87.7
2020 513 n/a n/a 90.1
2021 524 24.0 21.8 87
2022 583 26.4 22.0 85.6
2023 639 27.0 23.6 89.8

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 James A. Whitaker Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 474 18.0 26.3 n/a
1989 512 20.0 25.6 n/a
1990 515 21.0 24.5 n/a
1991 556 22.0 25.2 n/a
1992 587 22.4 26.2 54.5
1993 653 21.0 31.1 52.5
1994 670 23.0 29.1 56
1995 676 24.0 28.2 75.1
1996 676 24.0 28.2 75.1
1997 738 28.0 26.4 81.2
1998 706 30.0 23.5 74.5
1999 762 38.0 20.1 80.1
2000 846 38.0 22.3 74.2
2001 916 39.0 23.5 66.5
2002 799 40.0 20.0 84.1
2003 799 40.0 20.0 84.1
2004 814 38.0 21.4 80.7
2005 839 37.0 22.7 86.7
2006 783 36.0 21.8 95.1
2007 793 36.0 22.0 79.1
2008 719 37.0 19.4 77.9
2009 731 34.0 19.8 77
2010 668 26.0 25.6 86.4
2011 656 n/a n/a 87
2012 663 25.0 26.5 n/a
2013 659 24.0 27.4 90.1
2014 616 22.0 28.0 92.4
2015 598 23.0 26.0 90.1
2016 549 23.0 23.8 88.5
2017 568 22.0 25.8 86.6
2018 531 21.0 25.2 88.3
2019 519 21.0 24.7 87.7
2020 513 n/a n/a 90.1
2021 524 24.0 21.8 87
2022 583 26.4 22.0 85.6
2023 639 27.0 23.6 89.8

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.

Kindergarten Immunization Rates

James A. Whitaker Elementary

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Compare
YearCompletely ImmunizedReligious ExemptionMedical ExemptionConditionalPolioHepatitis BVaricellaDTPMMR
201295.0%1.0%0.0%4.0%96.0%97.0%99.0%95.0%95.0%
201399.0%0.0%0.0%1.0%100.0%100.0%100.0%99.0%99.0%
201497.0%0.0%0.0%3.0%99.0%99.0%100.0%99.0%99.0%
201597.0%1.0%0.0%2.0%98.0%98.0%98.0%97.0%98.0%
201699.0%0.0%0.0%1.0%100.0%99.0%100.0%99.0%99.0%
201794.0%0.0%1.0%3.0%≥98.0%≥98.0%≥98.0%95.0%97.0%
201897.0%0.0%1.0%2.0%≥98.0%≥98.0%≥98.0%≥98.0%97.0%
2019≥98.0%≤2.0%≤2.0%≥98.0%≥98.0%≥98.0%≥98.0%≥98.0%

Data source: California Department of Public Health
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for James A. Whitaker Elementary

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $7,823

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

Impact of COVID-19 on James A. Whitaker 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 3320th of 5789 Elementary schoolsRanks 4757th of 5848 Elementary schools
 24%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (James A. Whitaker Elementary)42.922.1
 20.7%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Buena Park Elementary)44.636.1
 8.5%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)48.543
 5.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (James A. Whitaker Elementary)42.929
 13.9%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Buena Park Elementary)53.944.1
 9.8%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (California)50.245.1
 5.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (James A. Whitaker Elementary)37.316.9
 20.5%
   4th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Buena Park Elementary)42.735.6
 7.1%
   4th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)49.543.7
 5.7%
4th Grade Mathematics (James A. Whitaker Elementary)44.218.9
 25.3%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Buena Park Elementary)45.139.4
 5.7%
   4th Grade Mathematics (California)44.940.8
 4.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (James A. Whitaker Elementary)36.727.1
 9.6%
   5th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Buena Park Elementary)39.442.4
 3%
   5th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)51.746.7
 5%
5th Grade Mathematics (James A. Whitaker Elementary)38.821.3
 17.5%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Buena Park Elementary)3637
 1%
   5th Grade Mathematics (California)3833.4
 4.6%
5th Grade Science (James A. Whitaker Elementary)12.516.8
 4.3%
   5th Grade Science (Buena Park Elementary)21.428.1
 6.7%
   5th Grade Science (California)31.731.9
 0.1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students519639
 23.1%
African American1920
 5.3%
American Indian23
 50%
Asian3553
 51.4%
Hispanic428507
 18.5%
Pacific Islander36
 100%
White2327
 17.4%
Two or More Races923
 155.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients87.7%89.8%
 2.2%


Schools Near James A. Whitaker Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about James A. Whitaker Elementary

Students who attend James A. Whitaker Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Gordon H. Beatty Middle
High : Buena Park High

James A. Whitaker Elementary ranks in the bottom 18.6% of California elementary schools.

Students at James A. Whitaker Elementary are 79% Hispanic, 8% Asian, 4% White, 4% Two or more races, 3% African American.

In the 2022-23 school year, 639 students attended James A. Whitaker 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 California Department of Education. Attendance Areas provided by ATTOM.

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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