Daniel Phelan Language Academy

As a mid-tier K-5 school in Whittier, California, Daniel Phelan Language Academy educates 507 students from grades K through 5, run under Whittier City.

Daniel Phelan Language Academy is one of 12 schools operated by Whittier City, a district that educates 5,288 students overall.

On the student-mix side, Daniel Phelan Language Academy reports that nearly all students (96%) are Hispanic. That is considerably more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 48%.

On the income-and-resources front, Daniel Phelan Language Academy lists 21 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 24.6:1. That figure is higher than the state norm's 22.3:1 average. Around 64% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Daniel Phelan Language Academy sits in the top 10% of California schools after the BeatsExpectations adjustment. Predicted proficiency for the school's FRL share is roughly 41.1%; actual is 60.0%, +18.9 points clear of the demographic baseline.

In the area at large, Los Angeles County reports that median household earnings sit near $90,112, roughly 36% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 10%. Daniel Phelan Language Academy is one of 2244 public schools in Los Angeles County (combined enrollment of about 1,265,907 students).

Katherine Edwards Mid Sch STEAM & Dual Immersion Acad is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.3 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Daniel Phelan Language Academy. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Daniel Phelan Language Academy ranks 1st on composite proficiency, ahead of the local average of 43.6%.

The campus sits in an outer-ring setting.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count declined 8%: 550 students in 2018 compared to 507 in 2025.

On allk12, recent activity here tends to focus on fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.