Summary
Whitman Elementary is a public PK–5 school in Spokane serving 362 students in a high-need area, with 86.19% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch and a 12.3-to-1 student-teacher ratio. The school is part of the Spokane School District, which ranks around the 50th percentile statewide. Whitman’s latest ranking is 814th of 1,138 Washington elementary schools, placing it at the 28th percentile. That is below the state midpoint, but Whitman is currently the third-highest-ranked nearby Spokane district school, behind Longfellow Elementary and Cooper Elementary.
Whitman’s 2025–26 math proficiency rate was 37.36%, close to the district’s 39.62% and higher than several nearby schools, while its ELA rate was 37.57%, below the district’s 48.23% but still stronger than most schools in the local comparison. Fourth grade is a clear bright spot: 47.76% were proficient in ELA and 52.24% in math, with fourth-grade math exceeding both district and state results. Fifth grade is the main academic concern, with proficiency of 28.57% in ELA, 16% in math, and 20% in science. Science overall is Whitman’s weakest area at 20%, compared with 48.27% districtwide, and has fallen substantially from 50.77% in 2023–24. Because scores can vary by cohort and participation, this sharp decline deserves further investigation.
Whitman’s student outcomes are uneven across groups. Hispanic students ranked at the 64th statewide percentile, a notable strength, while students receiving special education services ranked at the 6th percentile, signaling a need to review special education supports and progress monitoring. The school’s overall ranking improved from the 24th percentile in 2024–25 to 28th percentile in 2025–26, although it remains below its stronger 38th-percentile showing in 2023–24. For families comparing nearby options, Whitman appears to be a relative local performer despite modest statewide results, with especially promising fourth-grade performance and competitive math results. The most important questions for the school are whether fifth-grade and science weaknesses are persistent patterns and how successful fourth-grade practices might be extended to other grades.
Thank you for your feedback!