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B+

Whittier Union High School District

Public school districtGrades 9–12Regional · 7 towns

Serves Downey, Norwalk, Whittier, Pico Rivera, La Mirada, Santa Fe Springs and Industry, and parts of La Habra Heights.

Downey’s School Grade B+ better than 68% of California school districts

Students
9,798
Schools
7
Spent per student
$23,421
CA $21,206
Students per teacher
22:1
Free or reduced lunch
76%
Debt
$178.6M
fiscal 2024
The gist

What stands out about Whittier Union High School District

  • Its letter, B+: results better than 72% of California districts
  • Reading proficiency 14 pts above the state
  • Spends 10% more per student than the CA average
  • 22 students per teacher
  • Enrollment down 12.5% since 2020–21
  • Debt of $178.6M, about $18,230 per student
The School Grade

What this district adds to its towns’ grade

B+: better than 72% of the 1,872 California school districts we grade. Each town’s School Grade weighs its districts by the students they test; spending and class size are shown but don’t count.

Test scoresReading and math well above the state, 2021–22
B+
GraduationFour-year graduation above the state, class of 2023
B−
The towns it serves, and their School Grades
B+Downey 108,468B+Norwalk 97,104B+Whittier 85,815BPico Rivera 58,915BLa Mirada 45,952B+Santa Fe Springs 18,793Industry 199

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where would my kid go?

The school path for Downey. Grade by grade →

K–512 elementary schoolsDowney Unified School District
6–84 middle schoolsDowney Unified School District
9–122 high schoolsDowney Unified School District

Test scores vs. CA

2021–22 · class of 2023
Math proficiency31%
State average 33.1% · 2,519 students tested
Reading / language arts61%
State average 46.7% · 2,556 students tested
Graduation rate (4-year)91%
State average 86.2% · 2,679 in the class

94% of students in the tested grades sat the 2022 tests.

Reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute); the newest year for each measure.

Where the money goes

fiscal 2024
$23,421 per student · 10% above CA
Spending
Classroom instruction 57%Support & administration 38%Other 5%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 34%State 61%Federal 5%

Fiscal 2022–24 includes federal pandemic relief (ESSER).

U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.

Enrollment over time
11,201’20
10,767’21
10,568’22
10,179’23
9,798’24

Down 12.5% since 2020–21.

Students
Hispanic 90%White 6%Asian 2%Black <1%Two or more races <1%American Indian/Alaska Native <1%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander <1%

Schools in the district

7 public schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with California’s other public schools.

La Serna High
High · Grades 9–12 · Whittier
A−
2,372 students26:1
California High
High · Grades 9–12 · Whittier
A−
2,261 students22:1
Santa Fe High
High · Grades 9–12 · Santa Fe Springs
A−
1,865 students24:1
Whittier High
High · Grades 9–12 · Whittier
A−
1,652 students21:1
Pioneer High
High · Grades 9–12 · Whittier
B+
1,000 students19:1
Frontier High (Continuation)
High · Grades 9–12 · Whittier
364 students13:1
Sierra Vista High (Alternative)
High · Grades 9–12 · Whittier
C−
284 students22:1

Nearby districts

Compare spending and schools next door.

Montebello Unified School DistrictBell Gardens, Commerce, Montebello
$24,212per student
ABC Unified School DistrictCerritos
$19,156per student
Bellflower Unified School DistrictBellflower
$21,569per student
El Monte Union High School DistrictBaldwin Park, El Monte
$23,420per student

District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES school directory 2024–25 and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau’s school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: state results reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute). The letters are our own summary, graded within California.