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Whittier Elementary School

Q: Is Whittier Elementary School a good school?

Whittier Elementary School ranks 225 th of 2056 Illinois elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

225^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,056 Illinois Elementary Schools

Better than 89% of Illinois elementary schools

Summary

Whittier Elementary School is a public elementary school in Oak Park, Illinois, serving 370 students in grades PK-5. It is part of the Oak Park Education Service District 97, which is ranked 85 out of 811 districts in Illinois and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Whittier Elementary consistently ranks among the top 15% of Illinois elementary schools, with impressive academic performance. In the 2024-2025 school year, 74.3% of students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, and 68.4% were proficient or better in Mathematics, significantly outperforming the state averages of 53.1% and 38.5%, respectively. The school's performance is also stronger than the Oak Park Education Service District 97 average. Whittier's diverse student population, with 31% Hispanic, 26% African American, 33% White, and 10% multi-racial students, suggests a commitment to equity and inclusion.

When compared to nearby schools, Whittier Elementary stands out. It consistently outperforms other district schools on the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) exams, with higher proficiency rates in both English Language Arts and Mathematics. The nearby Brunson Math & Sci Specialty Elementary in the Chicago Public Schools District 299 serves a significantly higher proportion of low-income and minority students, with lower academic performance compared to Whittier. Whittier's higher per-student spending and smaller class sizes may contribute to its academic success.

386

Students ?

10.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$25,698

Per pupil spending ?

20.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

715 N Harvey Ave
Oak Park, IL 60302-1741

(708) 524-3115

District: Oak Park Education Service District 97

Students who attend Whittier Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School
High:	Oak Park & River Forest High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

52.8%

African American:

18.4%

Two or more races:

14.5%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare Whittier Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 94th percentile in 2015 → 89th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Illinois average (67% vs 44% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 11% of Illinois elementary schools

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 5 percentile points since 2015

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school67%

District avg67%

Illinois avg44%

225^th of 2,056

Illinois public elementary schools ?

Top 11%▼ down 5 pts since 2015

From top 6% (2015) to top 11% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 8Elementary Schools in the Oak Park Education Service District 97

85^th of 811Oak Park Education Service District 97 among Illinois 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	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	87.8	225 of 2056	89.1%	★★★★☆
2024	81.4	330 of 2067	84.0%	★★★★☆
2023	85.6	263 of 2077	87.3%	★★★★☆
2022	88.5	209 of 2082	90.0%	★★★★★
2021	76.1	401 of 1948	79.4%	★★★★☆
2019	51.9	936 of 2086	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.8	652 of 2037	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2017	76.1	444 of 2044	78.3%	★★★★☆
2016	84.1	289 of 2046	85.9%	★★★★☆
2015	93.8	115 of 2052	94.4%	★★★★★
2014	83.8	301 of 2093	85.6%	★★★★☆
2013	84.1	296 of 2167	86.3%	★★★★☆
2012	80.4	343 of 2166	84.2%	★★★★☆
2011	72.4	631 of 2147	70.6%	★★★★☆
2010	76.2	513 of 2139	76.0%	★★★★☆
2009	63.5	949 of 2120	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2008	57.5	1103 of 2092	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2007	53.4	1241 of 2095	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2006	58.3	1097 of 2086	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2005	73.4	554 of 2022	72.6%	★★★★☆
2004	75.2	514 of 2030	74.7%	★★★★☆
2003	75.3	525 of 2020	74.0%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	82.1	62 of 688	91.0%	★★★★★
2024	79.6	67 of 655	89.8%	★★★★☆
2022	69.8	105 of 684	84.6%	★★★★☆
2019	25.4	605 of 711	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	84.9	51 of 698	92.7%	★★★★★

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	86.5	85 of 1049	91.9%	★★★★★
2024	72.1	129 of 886	85.4%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	85.5	244 of 1942	87.4%	★★★★☆
2024	82.0	280 of 1942	85.6%	★★★★☆
2023	80.0	328 of 1957	83.2%	★★★★☆
2022	76.8	398 of 1970	79.8%	★★★★☆
2021	63.3	534 of 1680	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	51.9	910 of 2019	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	69.2	548 of 1964	72.1%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	94.6	31 of 982	96.8%	★★★★★
2023	93.0	33 of 970	96.6%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	51.5	831 of 1800	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.4	914 of 1793	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	23.3	1530 of 1808	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	34.1	1162 of 1763	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	16.9	1699 of 1816	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	52.5	742 of 1765	58.0%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	86.3	227 of 1947	88.3%	★★★★☆
2024	75.4	419 of 1959	78.6%	★★★★☆
2023	85.3	237 of 1984	88.1%	★★★★☆
2022	89.2	166 of 1977	91.6%	★★★★★
2021	79.3	269 of 1707	84.2%	★★★★☆
2019	52.0	876 of 2019	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.5	727 of 1972	63.1%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2023	50.1	45 of 93	51.6%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	86.8	117 of 1292	90.9%	★★★★★
2024	70.7	232 of 1195	80.6%	★★★★☆
2023	86.5	90 of 1156	92.2%	★★★★★
2022	87.5	63 of 1113	94.3%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	87.8	108 of 1389	92.2%	★★★★★
2024	75.8	267 of 1392	80.8%	★★★★☆
2023	90.7	72 of 1419	94.9%	★★★★★
2022	90.8	65 of 1425	95.4%	★★★★★
2021	68.9	341 of 1308	73.9%	★★★★☆
2019	49.2	748 of 1462	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	63.6	490 of 1463	66.5%	★★★☆☆

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 (2025)97th percentile+8 vs school

White (2025)92nd percentile+3 vs school

Disabled (2025)92nd percentile+3 vs school

African American (2025)91st percentile~ school

Special Education (2025)91st percentile~ school

Male (2025)88th percentile~ school

Female (2025)87th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)54th percentile-35 vs school

Multi-racial (2023)52nd percentile-36 vs school

By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts74%+21 vs state

Mathematics68%+30 vs state

Science58%+17 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, June 6, 2019

Whittier is one of the smaller schools in Oak Park, which has been a plus for us. Our two kids have had just a wonderful experience with this school. We've been very impressed with the caliber of teaching and the warmth of the community. Parents are very involved, and the PTO is active and vibrant. The school is racially and economically diverse, and has a good number of special needs kids as well, and works hard to ensure that everyone has a sense of belonging. We'd had some unfortunate experiences with private schools in the city and are SO glad we landed here. Be aware that Whittier has a high opt out rate for the PARCC ( about 20), as do many of the Oak Park schools, which makes it difficult to assess if you look at test scores. You might be able to get other data from the school if you are concerned. Our kids are high achievers and we have been really pleased. Close Quote

Schools Near Whittier Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ISA Science (2025)		IAR English Language Arts (2025)							IAR Mathematics (2025)							% Polio (2024)	% Measles (2024)	% Mumps (2024)	% Rubella (2024)	% Hepatitis B (2024)	% Varicella (2024)	% DTP (2024)	% Pneumococcal (2024)	% Meningococcal (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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	ISA Science 5th Grade	ISA Science 8th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 3rd Grade	IAR English Language Arts 4th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 5th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 6th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 7th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 8th Grade	IAR English Language Arts All Grades	IAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	IAR Mathematics 4th Grade	IAR Mathematics 5th Grade	IAR Mathematics 6th Grade	IAR Mathematics 7th Grade	IAR Mathematics 8th Grade	IAR Mathematics All Grades	% Polio All Grades	% Measles All Grades	% Mumps All Grades	% Rubella All Grades	% Hepatitis B All Grades	% Varicella All Grades	% DTP All Grades	% Pneumococcal All Grades	% Meningococcal All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Whittier Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	715 N Harvey Ave	Oak Park	60302	Cook County	Oak Park Education Service District 97	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(708) 524-3115	386	37	10.3	20.7%	204 (52.8%)	71 (18.4%)	44 (11.4%)	8 (2.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (14.5%)	87.8	225^th of 2056 public elementary schools	89.1%		81.4	330^th of 2067 public elementary schools	84.0%	105	57.6		73.4	73.0	76.7				74.3	75.0	69.8	60.0				68.4	98.6	98.4	98.4	98.4	98.6	98.4	98.6	17.7		$25,698	$1,198	$24,500
William Hatch Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1000 N Ridgeland Ave	Oak Park	60302	Cook County	Oak Park Education Service District 97	No	(n/a)	No	No	(708) 524-3095	358	27	13.1	18.2%	175 (48.9%)	66 (18.4%)	51 (14.2%)	6 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	52 (14.5%)	85.1	280^th of 2056 public elementary schools	86.4%		73	509^th of 2067 public elementary schools	75.4%	229	64.1		62.5	69.6	73.0				68.9	75.5	58.2	65.6				66.1	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0			$19,824	$1,009	$18,815
William Beye Elementary School	Public	K-5	230 N Cuyler Ave	Oak Park	60302	Cook County	Oak Park Education Service District 97	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(708) 524-3070	397	28	14.0	17.6%	222 (55.9%)	58 (14.6%)	59 (14.9%)	12 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (11.3%)	88	220^th of 2056 public elementary schools	89.3%		80.1	360^th of 2067 public elementary schools	82.6%	140	65.0		81.2	67.2	76.7				75.1	73.9	61.9	65.0				67.2	98.1	99.2	99.2	99.2	98.9	98.9	98.4			$21,315	$1,010	$20,305
Oliver W Holmes Elementary School	Public	K-5	508 N Kenilworth Ave	Oak Park	60302	Cook County	Oak Park Education Service District 97	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(708) 524-3100	513	42	12.2	25.9%	233 (45.4%)	91 (17.7%)	72 (14.0%)	30 (5.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	79 (15.4%)	85.3	275^th of 2056 public elementary schools	86.6%		75.7	464^th of 2067 public elementary schools	77.6%	189	77.6		58.0	77.4	78.9				71.6	63.8	64.5	56.6				61.8	96.5	96.7	96.7	96.7	96.9	96.7	96.7			$19,919	$1,200	$18,720
Brunson Math & Sci Specialty Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	932 N Central Ave	Chicago	60651	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 534-6025	452	35	13.1	94.0%	7 (1.5%)	320 (70.8%)	117 (25.9%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.7%)	5.6	2041^st of 2056 public elementary schools	0.7%		13	1946^th of 2067 public elementary schools	5.9%	95	0.0	11.1	8.3	19.4	2.7	12.1	19.4	21.6	13.4	6.1	6.7	0.0	0.0	6.5	2.8	3.7	80.2	82.3	82.3	82.3	90.9	82.1	78.6	14.9	17.3	$21,450	$3,852	$17,598
Horace Mann Elementary School	Public	K-5	921 N Kenilworth Ave	Oak Park	60302	Cook County	Oak Park Education Service District 97	No	(n/a)	No	No	(708) 524-3082	419	31	13.6	4.3%	267 (63.7%)	28 (6.7%)	45 (10.7%)	27 (6.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (12.2%)	95.2	62^nd of 2056 public elementary schools	97.0%		96.1	70^th of 2067 public elementary schools	96.6%	8	88.7		72.2	77.3	94.4				81.3	81.9	84.8	85.9				84.2	98.0	98.3	98.3	98.3	28.7	98.3	98.3			$19,747	$994	$18,754
Young Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	1434 N Parkside Ave	Chicago	60651	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 534-6200	417	29	14.3	96.2%	3 (0.7%)	277 (66.4%)	130 (31.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16.2	1755^th of 2056 public elementary schools	14.6%		14.9	1854^th of 2067 public elementary schools	10.3%	99	18.2	17.9	51.4	19.0	23.8	20.5	9.8	17.9	22.7	24.3	4.7	0.0	0.0	5.7	10.5	7.8	89.5	91.8	91.8	91.8	97.3	90.5	87.5	7.5	27.3	$19,385	$2,411	$16,973
Lovett Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	6333 W Bloomingdale Ave	Chicago	60639	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 534-3130	342	29	11.6	83.3%	6 (1.8%)	244 (71.3%)	89 (26.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	41.6	1174^th of 2056 public elementary schools	42.9%		28.3	1455^th of 2067 public elementary schools	29.6%	281	10.0	34.1	52.0	46.2	56.7	57.1	37.5	52.3	50.2	32.0	30.8	13.3	31.4	3.1	27.3	23.4	77.9	81.5	81.5	81.5	89.7	80.0	78.8	3.5	16.8	$20,106	$2,581	$17,525
Howe Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	720 N Lorel Ave	Chicago	60644	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 534-6060	341	31	10.9	82.7%	7 (2.1%)	267 (78.3%)	66 (19.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	7.8	2003^rd of 2056 public elementary schools	2.6%		8.3	2061^st of 2067 public elementary schools	0.3%	58	9.4	20.6	8.8	10.3	9.4	24.3	20.0	38.2	18.8	2.9	0.0	0.0	13.5	4.0	5.9	4.7	86.1	89.1	89.1	89.1	95.8	88.9	84.7	7.0	20.3	$21,845	$3,453	$18,392
Ellington Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	243 N Parkside Ave	Chicago	60644	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 534-6361	510	40	12.9	95.1%	0 (0.0%)	422 (82.7%)	81 (15.9%)	2 (0.4%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	10.7	1920^th of 2056 public elementary schools	6.6%		10.5	2022^nd of 2067 public elementary schools	2.2%	102	8.1	17.9	16.2	17.1	29.7	31.0	14.6	46.3	25.9	13.5	2.4	5.4	4.8	2.4	2.4	5.0	75.0	78.6	78.6	78.6	88.3	78.6	73.6	13.3	13.1	$20,830	$2,418	$18,412

Frequently Asked Questions about Whittier Elementary School

Is Whittier Elementary School a good school?

Whittier Elementary School ranks 225^th of 2056 Illinois elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Whittier Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School
High : Oak Park & River Forest High School

What district is Whittier Elementary School in?

Oak Park Education Service District 97

What is the racial makeup of Whittier Elementary School?

Students at Whittier Elementary School are 53% White, 18% African American, 15% Two or more races, 11% Hispanic, 2% Asian.

How many students attend Whittier Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 386 students attended Whittier Elementary School.

Rate Whittier Elementary School!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Board 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.