John G Whittier #2

Located at 700 Orchard St, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, John G Whittier #2 is a moderately sized primary school that serves 442 students (grades K through 4), part of Scranton SD.

Across the 15 schools in Scranton SD (9,165 students total), John G Whittier #2 accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

In terms of who attends, John G Whittier #2 logs that the most-represented group is Hispanic (48%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups; the rest looks like 20% White, 13% Black, 10% multiracial, 10% Asian. By comparison, Lackawanna County as a whole is about 10% Hispanic, so the school skews considerably more Hispanic than its surroundings.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Staff filings list 33 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 13.4:1 students per teacher. The state averages about 13.1:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. Around 102% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. That share is higher than Lackawanna County's rate of about 72%.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, John G Whittier #2 tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 33.8% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 36.4%.

In the area at large, census data for Lackawanna County shows the typical household earns roughly $66,223 per year, roughly 31% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 10% of residents live below the federal poverty line. John G Whittier #2 is one of 47 public schools in Lackawanna County (combined enrollment of about 27,006 students).

McNichols Plaza is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.6 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around John G Whittier #2. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts John G Whittier #2 at 3rd of 7; the average score across the group is 32.2%.

The campus sits in a high-density setting.

Over the past 7-year window. Over the past 7-year window, the student count ticked down 34%: 672 students in 2018 compared to 442 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 31% to 20% across the same window. Class-load math has narrowed: from 17.5:1 in 2018 to 13.4:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, posts here usually surface around school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.