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Average

#885 of 1,280 schools in IA

Whittier Elementary School

Elementary School · Indianola Comm School District · Indianola, IA

An Indianola Comm School District elementary school serving grades Pre-K – 5th.

1306 W Salem, Indianola, IA 50125

  • Math 73% vs IA 75% (2025)
  • Reading 78% vs IA 72% (2025)
  • 18:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress6.0Average50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data15
Annual Change-0.78 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendStable
Academics6.1Average30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency73.1% (2025 ISASP)
Reading/ELA Proficiency78% (2025 ISASP)
Math vs. State Avg-3.6 pts
Reading vs. State Avg+8.9 pts
Overall Proficiency76% (2025 ISASP, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)79% (model expectation from 2025 ISASP)
vs. Expected-3.0 pts
Adjusted Percentile44th
Resources & Environment3.3Needs Improvement20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio18:1
District spending per student$11,822
Chronic Absenteeism17.4%

Students at Whittier Elementary School score 76% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 78%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 ISASP proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. IA average.

Math Proficiency73%(2025 ISASP)
School
State
75%(2025 ISASP)
ELA Proficiency78%(2025 ISASP)
School
State
72%(2025 ISASP)

Trend

→ Steady

Proficiency is down 9 points across the 17-year record (2009–2025) and has held near 76% recently.

Show all 15 years
2009
Math
82%
ELA
87%
2010
Math
82%
ELA
92%
2011
Math
77%
ELA
82%
2012
Math
82%
ELA
82%
2013
Math
87%
ELA
77%
2014
Math
87%
ELA
87%
2015
Math
87%
ELA
92%
2016
Math
87%
ELA
87%
2017
Math
87%
ELA
87%
2018
Math
82%
ELA
72%
2019
Math
82%
ELA
72%
2020*
Math
82%
ELA
67%
2021*
Math
82%
ELA
67%
2022
Math
77%
ELA
67%
2025
Math
73%
ELA
78%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 81% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 80% (multi-year average, 2009-2025)

* COVID-affected year — test participation was uneven nationwide. This data is weighted at 50% in the Growth score calculation.

Based on 35 test records from IA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

29.7%

Students qualifying for federal meal assistance

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

The neighborhood

Where Whittier Elementary School sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries.

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 36Car-Dependent
  • Bike 38Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: High1,751/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Indianola), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. Freshness not available.

Area profileU.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

Median income

$86,463

Median home value

$248,700

Median rent

$975/mo

College educated

33.7%

Homeownership

74.6%

Poverty rate

6.4%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 50125; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Programs & students

Programs & Offerings

Gifted & Talented ProgramAvailable
This school offers a gifted and talented program for qualifying students.·CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

3 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
Irving Elementary SchoolEnrollment path unverified8.3K–50.6 mi392Compare →
Wilder Elementary SchoolEnrollment path unverified6.0K–50.7 mi471Compare →
Victory Christian AcademyPrivate · tuition3.9privatePK–61.1 mi66Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Private · tuition: Potential private option; tuition and admission requirements have not been verified.

Public and private scores come from different models and are shown side by side, not blended into one ranking.

Indianola Comm School District

Schools in district
6
Rank in district
#5 of 6
District spending per student
$11,822NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
6.0%Census SAIPE · 2024

Whittier Elementary School is listed in Indianola Comm School District; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Whittier Elementary School

Whittier Elementary School is a public elementary school in Indianola, IA, part of Indianola Comm School District, serving approximately 397 students in grades Pre-K-5th with a 18:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 5.5 out of 10 and ranks #885 of 1,280 schools in IA. State assessment records show 81% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 80% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Whittier Elementary School

What grades does Whittier Elementary School serve?

Whittier Elementary School serves students in grades Pre-K through 5th.

How many students attend Whittier Elementary School?

Whittier Elementary School has an enrollment of approximately 397 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Whittier Elementary School?

The student-teacher ratio at Whittier Elementary School is 18:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Whittier Elementary School rank in IA?

Whittier Elementary School ranks #885 of 1,280 schools in IA.

What is Whittier Elementary School's MySchoolScout rating?

Whittier Elementary School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 5.5 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Whittier Elementary School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Whittier Elementary School has 81% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 80% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Whittier Elementary School a charter school?

No, Whittier Elementary School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Whittier Elementary School a Title I school?

No, Whittier Elementary School is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Whittier Elementary School?

29.7% of students at Whittier Elementary School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School factsNCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24)

Grades
Pre-K – 5th
Enrollment
397
Student-Teacher Ratio
18:1
Teachers (FTE)
22
Type
regular
Setting
Fringe Town
County
Warren County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
17.4%
Area population (ZIP 50125)
20,009
Area average commute
23 min
Area median age
38.4
About this school's data

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named below.

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 ISASP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 ISASP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 ISASP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 ISASP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 50125; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

Related reading

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