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Whittier Elementary

Public Grades K-5

519^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 656 Kansas Elementary Schools

Better than 21% of Kansas elementary schools

Summary

Whittier Elementary is a public elementary school located in Kansas City, Kansas, serving grades K-5 with a total enrollment of 473 students. The school has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Kansas elementary schools over the past several years, maintaining a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger for most years, with a 0-star rating in the 2020-2021 school year.

Whittier Elementary students consistently underperform compared to the Kansas City and statewide averages in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science proficiency across all grade levels. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, only 33.62% of Whittier students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 21.63% for Kansas City and 44.47% for the state. Similarly, in Math, only 31.03% of Whittier students were proficient or better, compared to 14.56% for Kansas City and 38.73% for the state. However, the school has shown some promising results for specific student subgroups, particularly African American, Hispanic, and English Language Learner students.

Despite the overall low performance, Whittier Elementary's per-student spending and student-teacher ratio are on par with nearby schools, such as Douglass Elementary, Mark Twain Elementary, and Grant Elementary. One exception is Emerson Elementary, which outperforms Whittier and the other nearby schools across multiple metrics, including student proficiency in ELA and Math.

502

Students ?

13.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,529

Per pupil spending ?

96.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

295 S 10th Street
Kansas City, KS 66102

(913) 627-6400

District: Kansas City

Students who attend Whittier Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Central Middle
High:	Wyandotte High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

72.3%

African American:

17.1%

White:

4.4%

See top rated Kansas elementary schools

Compare Whittier Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 7th percentile in 2015 → 21st in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 14 percentile points since 2015

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Kansas City

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Kansas average (31% vs 42% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (21st percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (27% vs 20% Kansas)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school31%

District avg17%

Kansas avg42%

519^th of 656

Kansas public elementary schools ?

Bottom 21%▲ up 14 pts since 2015

From bottom 7% (2015) to bottom 21% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Kansas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 28Elementary Schools in the Kansas City

257^th of 264Kansas City among Kansas 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	Kansas percentile	Rating
2025	24.3	519 of 656	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.4	511 of 653	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.9	515 of 660	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	13.8	595 of 668	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	9.5	624 of 670	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	26.5	517 of 667	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	10.5	604 of 656	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	12.3	602 of 659	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	11.6	599 of 656	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	12.6	632 of 678	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	1.1	661 of 668	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	3.3	649 of 660	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	4.0	620 of 631	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	4.5	615 of 630	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	0.2	620 of 621	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	0.3	608 of 614	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	2.0	587 of 600	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	3.3	575 of 585	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2025	83.0	5 of 70	92.9%	★★★★★
2024	74.8	10 of 72	86.1%	★★★★☆
2022	31.4	50 of 68	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	37.1	43 of 73	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	60.0	21 of 73	71.2%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2021	55.2	81 of 214	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	35.2	131 of 193	32.1%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2025	73.3	9 of 129	93.0%	★★★★★
2024	87.0	2 of 124	98.4%	★★★★★
2023	75.7	10 of 117	91.5%	★★★★★
2022	62.0	23 of 117	80.3%	★★★★☆
2021	61.6	26 of 108	75.9%	★★★★☆
2019	74.7	16 of 122	86.9%	★★★★☆
2018	48.3	50 of 129	61.2%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2021	13.8	532 of 591	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	30.3	436 of 591	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	11.6	532 of 574	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2025	53.8	95 of 262	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	66.2	62 of 260	76.2%	★★★★☆
2023	63.8	58 of 245	76.3%	★★★★☆
2022	47.3	132 of 254	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	34.7	165 of 229	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	62.3	66 of 235	71.9%	★★★★☆
2018	39.2	131 of 207	36.7%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2025	46.9	282 of 533	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.3	307 of 546	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.2	283 of 541	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	29.9	406 of 512	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.8	432 of 494	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	52.4	220 of 509	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	23.0	438 of 512	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2021	9.8	567 of 605	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	26.3	460 of 586	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	12.9	522 of 575	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2025	41.3	173 of 313	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.0	153 of 306	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	45.2	161 of 296	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	63.5	88 of 305	71.1%	★★★★☆
2021	55.2	81 of 214	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	35.2	131 of 193	32.1%	★★☆☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2025)93rd percentile+72 vs school

African American (2025)93rd percentile+72 vs school

Hispanic (2025)64th percentile+43 vs school

Disabled (2021)62nd percentile+55 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)47th percentile+26 vs school

Special Education (2025)45th percentile+24 vs school

Female (2021)10th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2021)6th percentile~ school

By subject vs Kansas (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts34%-11 vs state

Mathematics31%-8 vs state

Science29%-12 vs state

★

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Schools Near Whittier Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				KAP English Language Arts (2025)				KAP Mathematics (2025)				KAP Science (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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	KAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	KAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	KAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	KAP English Language Arts All Grades	KAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	KAP Mathematics 4th Grade	KAP Mathematics 5th Grade	KAP Mathematics All Grades	KAP Science 5th Grade	KAP Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Whittier Elementary	Public	K-5	295 S 10th Street	Kansas City	66102	Wyandotte County	Kansas City	No	No	No	Yes	(913) 627-6400	502	37	13.6	96.2%	22 (4.4%)	86 (17.1%)	363 (72.3%)	9 (1.8%)	4 (0.8%)	8 (1.6%)	10 (2.0%)	24.3	519^th of 656 public elementary schools	20.9%		25.4	511^th of 653 public elementary schools	21.7%	8	42.0	30.6	29.5	33.6	36.6	33.3	24.7	31.0	29.2	29.2	$19,529	$6,022	$13,507
John Fiske Elementary	Public	K-5	625 S Valley	Kansas City	66105	Wyandotte County	Kansas City	No	No	No	Yes	(913) 627-4850	287	20	14.1	95.1%	27 (9.4%)	15 (5.2%)	243 (84.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	6.5	633^rd of 656 public elementary schools	3.5%		6	643^rd of 653 public elementary schools	1.5%	10	23.4	4.1	25.6	17.0	6.1	6.0	19.5	10.0	21.9	21.9	$23,971	$6,768	$17,203
M E Pearson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	310 N 11th St	Kansas City	66102	Wyandotte County	Kansas City	No	No	No	Yes	(913) 627-3150	606	43	14.1	94.7%	30 (5.0%)	46 (7.6%)	492 (81.2%)	23 (3.8%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	13 (2.1%)	7.4	627^th of 656 public elementary schools	4.4%		7.3	632^nd of 653 public elementary schools	3.2%	5	13.6	25.3	22.7	20.7	4.8	16.7	22.6	15.0	9.6	9.6	$19,497	$6,499	$12,998
McKinley Elementary School	Public	K-5	1301 Armstrong	Kansas City	66102	Wyandotte County	Kansas City	No	No	No	Yes	(913) 627-7350	243	21	11.4	92.6%	7 (2.9%)	28 (11.5%)	185 (76.1%)	14 (5.8%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.3%)	16.5	572^nd of 656 public elementary schools	12.8%		11.3	597^th of 653 public elementary schools	8.6%	25	16.3	35.7	30.4	26.5	25.0	20.0	31.3	26.2	22.9	22.9	$21,787	$6,922	$14,865
School for Blind Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1100 State Avenue	Kansas City	66102	Wyandotte County	School for Blind	No	No	No	No	(913) 305-3000	11	6	1.7	36.4%	6 (54.5%)	1 (9.1%)	3 (27.3%)	1 (9.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Douglass Elementary	Public	K-5	1310 N 9th Street	Kansas City	66101	Wyandotte County	Kansas City	No	No	No	Yes	(913) 627-5100	285	25	11.3	83.5%	8 (2.8%)	68 (23.9%)	181 (63.5%)	11 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (6.0%)	5.3	641^st of 656 public elementary schools	2.3%		6.4	640^th of 653 public elementary schools	2.0%	1	8.8	10.3	21.7	13.4	3.4	15.0	19.1	11.7	10.6	10.6	$22,800	$7,390	$15,409
Mark Twain Elementary	Public	K-5	2300 Minnesota Avenue	Kansas City	66102	Wyandotte County	Kansas City	No	No	No	Yes	(913) 627-5200	222	18	12.3	92.3%	14 (6.3%)	38 (17.1%)	151 (68.0%)	14 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.3%)	20.1	549^th of 656 public elementary schools	16.3%		13.9	583^rd of 653 public elementary schools	10.7%	34	28.9	17.1	44.1	29.2	8.7	26.2	33.3	21.8	34.3	34.3	$20,840	$5,980	$14,860
Grant Elementary	Public	K-5	1510 N 4th St	Kansas City	66101	Wyandotte County	Kansas City	No	No	No	Yes	(913) 627-4300	289	21	13.5	95.8%	16 (5.5%)	122 (42.2%)	126 (43.6%)	8 (2.8%)	2 (0.7%)	9 (3.1%)	6 (2.1%)	3.8	653^rd of 656 public elementary schools	0.5%		5.5	648^th of 653 public elementary schools	0.8%	5	20.9	17.8	16.3	18.3	7.1	2.1	13.6	7.5	4.5	4.5	$18,694	$6,576	$12,117
Frances Willard Elementary	Public	K-5	3400 Orville	Kansas City	66102	Wyandotte County	Kansas City	No	No	No	Yes	(913) 627-6100	434	34	12.9	89.6%	23 (5.3%)	28 (6.5%)	361 (83.2%)	9 (2.1%)	5 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.8%)	10.9	605^th of 656 public elementary schools	7.8%		20.1	549^th of 653 public elementary schools	15.9%	56	13.8	23.1	19.4	18.3	10.0	35.8	21.0	21.5	8.2	8.2	$20,843	$7,016	$13,826
Emerson Elementary	Public	K-5	1429 S 29th	Kansas City	66106	Wyandotte County	Kansas City	No	No	No	Yes	(913) 627-5900	171	16	10.3	92.4%	11 (6.4%)	39 (22.8%)	107 (62.6%)	3 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (6.4%)	53.1	307^th of 656 public elementary schools	53.2%		50.2	324^th of 653 public elementary schools	50.4%	17	54.8	52.4	36.7	47.6	51.6	52.4	63.3	56.1	20.0	20.0	$23,089	$6,813	$16,275

Frequently Asked Questions about Whittier Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Whittier Elementary?

Students at Whittier Elementary are 72% Hispanic, 17% African American, 4% White, 2% Two or more races, 2% Asian, 2% Pacific Islander.

What district is Whittier Elementary in?

Kansas City

Is Whittier Elementary a good school?

Whittier Elementary ranks in the bottom 20.9% of Kansas elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Whittier Elementary attend?

Students who attend Whittier Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Central Middle
High : Wyandotte High

How many students attend Whittier Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 502 students attended Whittier Elementary.

Rate Whittier 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 Kansas State 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.