Whittier Elementary

Whittier Elementary, a compact elementary school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, operated by Milwaukee School District, educates 146 students, covering grades pre-K through 5. Compared to the state average of about 323 students per school, that is 55% leaner than typical.

Within Milwaukee School District, which oversees 155 schools and 65,835 students, Whittier Elementary is one campus in the system.

On the student-mix side, Whittier Elementary lists that the largest single group is White at 34%, but no single group is in the majority. Other groups include 27% Hispanic, 23% Black, 9% multiracial, 8% Asian. That is visibly less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 51%.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Staff filings list 8 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 17.4:1 students per teacher. That figure is higher than the state norm's 14.7:1 average. Roughly 54% of students at Whittier Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. That share is below Milwaukee County's rate of about 64%.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Whittier Elementary sits in the top 10% of Wisconsin schools after the BeatsExpectations adjustment. Predicted proficiency for the school's FRL share is roughly 44.5%; actual is 65.0%, +20.5 points clear of the demographic baseline.

Around the school, census data for Milwaukee County shows median household income runs about $64,435, about 35% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and the poverty rate sits near 13%. In all, Milwaukee County runs 284 public schools (combined enrollment of about 122,496 students), of which Whittier Elementary is one.

The closest other public school is Burdick Elementary, roughly 0.5 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Whittier Elementary ranks 1st on composite proficiency, above the local average of 43.3%.

The campus sits in a metropolitan setting. As a public charter, Whittier Elementary runs on public funding but with greater curricular and operational autonomy than a typical district school.

Looking at the recent track record. Whittier Elementary's enrollment has ticked down 34% since 2018, when it stood at 220 (now 146). White enrollment moved from 54% to 34% across the same window. The student-to-teacher ratio narrowed from 37.3:1 in 2018 to 17.4:1 today.

On the community side, the feed for Whittier Elementary typically covers open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.