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Whitman Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5
1023rd
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 1,160 Washington Elementary Schools
Better than 12% of Washington elementary schools
Summary

Whitman Elementary School is a public elementary school (PK-5) serving 365 students in the Tacoma School District, operating in a high-need environment where over 70% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

Academically, Whitman faces significant challenges, consistently ranking in the bottom quartile of Washington elementary schools, with its statewide ranking recently declining to the 12th percentile. The school spends more per student than many nearby schools, such as Fawcett Elementary School and Sheridan Elementary School, but achieves lower proficiency rates in English Language Arts and math. A notable exception is science, where Whitman's students outperform both the district and state averages, suggesting a potential area of strength. Performance varies widely across different student groups and grade levels, with fifth-grade math proficiency being a particular concern.

Comparisons with nearby schools highlight that improvement is possible despite demographic similarities. For instance, Mann Elementary School, located less than a mile away, has a similar student population and spending level but achieves dramatically better academic outcomes, ranking at the 52nd percentile. Similarly, the charter school Impact Public Schools serves a comparable community with lower spending but higher proficiency. These comparisons suggest that factors like instructional practices, school culture, or resource allocation may be key areas for Whitman to address to improve student outcomes.

365
Students ?
16.6
Student/teacher ratio ?
$23,334
Per pupil spending ?
71.2%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 1120 S 39th St
       Tacoma, WA  98408

(253) 571-7272

District: Tacoma School District


Students who attend Whitman Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Angelo Giaudrone Middle School
High:    Lincoln High School
Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
27.4%
White:
24.7%
Two or more races:
19.5%
more
 See top rated Washington elementary schools

 Compare Whitman Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Holding steady — 8th percentile in 2015 → 12th in 2025
Worth a look
!Test scores below the Washington average (32% vs 48% meeting standards)
!In the lower quartile statewide (12th percentile)
!English Language Arts scores 25 pts below the Washington average
Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?
This school32%
District avg40%
Washington avg48%
1,023rd of 1,160
Washington public elementary schools ?
Bottom 12%▲ up 4 pts since 2015
From bottom 8% (2015) to bottom 12% (2025)
See the entire ranking list of Washington Elementary Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
27th of 34Elementary Schools in the Tacoma School District
157th of 247Tacoma School District among Washington 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 rankWashington percentileRating
202515.11023 of 116011.8%★☆☆☆☆
202422.6933 of 116820.1%★☆☆☆☆
202322.2945 of 116919.2%★☆☆☆☆
202221.6947 of 116919.0%★☆☆☆☆
202110.31035 of 11076.5%☆☆☆☆☆
201925.4888 of 113021.4%★☆☆☆☆
201817.2909 of 105413.8%★☆☆☆☆
201720.0875 of 105617.1%★☆☆☆☆
201611.7976 of 10537.3%☆☆☆☆☆
201511.9984 of 10677.8%☆☆☆☆☆
201310.11057 of 11064.4%☆☆☆☆☆
201213.71009 of 10978.0%☆☆☆☆☆
201111.91024 of 10926.2%☆☆☆☆☆
201019.6950 of 108812.7%★☆☆☆☆
200921.5899 of 107216.1%★☆☆☆☆
200829.5815 of 106723.6%★☆☆☆☆
200732.8773 of 106927.7%★☆☆☆☆
200622.2888 of 105115.5%★☆☆☆☆
200542.5642 of 103137.7%★★☆☆☆
200427.3799 of 102622.1%★☆☆☆☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWashington percentileRating
201835.580 of 10725.2%★☆☆☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWashington percentileRating
202514.2988 of 10929.5%☆☆☆☆☆
202421.8881 of 109319.4%★☆☆☆☆
202323.9858 of 109421.6%★☆☆☆☆
202225.7846 of 110023.1%★☆☆☆☆
201924.2865 of 106819.0%★☆☆☆☆
201821.9822 of 100418.1%★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWashington percentileRating
202362.4193 of 63369.5%★★★☆☆
201847.0270 of 54050.0%★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWashington percentileRating
202517.2909 of 101310.3%★☆☆☆☆
202422.1883 of 102413.8%★☆☆☆☆
202325.0836 of 101317.5%★☆☆☆☆
202233.3724 of 101928.9%★☆☆☆☆
201937.9654 of 97933.2%★★☆☆☆
201823.6712 of 83514.7%★☆☆☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWashington percentileRating
202521.0903 of 109817.8%★☆☆☆☆
202425.7835 of 109924.0%★☆☆☆☆
202329.9784 of 109928.7%★☆☆☆☆
202218.4953 of 111314.4%★☆☆☆☆
201930.6779 of 107527.5%★☆☆☆☆
201814.8904 of 9999.5%☆☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWashington percentileRating
202420.9168 of 18810.6%★☆☆☆☆
202310.6191 of 1941.5%☆☆☆☆☆
202229.8188 of 25225.4%★☆☆☆☆
201927.2244 of 30319.5%★☆☆☆☆
201811.6195 of 2128.0%☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWashington percentileRating
201822.4533 of 63716.3%★☆☆☆☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankWashington percentileRating
202526.3804 of 100720.2%★☆☆☆☆
201939.4687 of 102733.1%★★☆☆☆
201817.5738 of 83311.4%★☆☆☆☆
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 (2023)70th percentile+50 vs school
African American (2018)25th percentile+11 vs school
White (2025)20th percentile+8 vs school
Male (2025)18th percentile+6 vs school
Special Education (2018)16th percentile+3 vs school
Multi-racial (2024)11th percentile-9 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2025)10th percentile~ school
Female (2025)10th percentile~ school
By subject vs Washington (2024-2025) ?
Science45%-4 vs state
English Language Arts28%-25 vs state
Math23%-19 vs state

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Frequently Asked Questions about Whitman Elementary School

Students at Whitman Elementary School are 27% Hispanic, 25% White, 19% Two or more races, 16% African American, 6% Asian, 5% Pacific Islander.

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

Middle : Angelo Giaudrone Middle School
High : Lincoln High School

In the 2024-25 school year, 365 students attended Whitman Elementary School.

Whitman Elementary School ranks in the bottom 11.8% of Washington elementary schools.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Washington State Department of Health and the Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction.

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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