Alternative school · San Diego Unified · San Diego, California
Whittier K-12
San Diego · Pre-K–12 · 77 students (2024–25)
Whittier K-12 is an alternative school: students are enrolled through a placement, application, or referral process specific to the program. We have no 2026 Scope Score for it.
Campus map · © OpenStreetMap
Drawn from OpenStreetMap. Volunteers map it, so a new building may be missing. Buildings with no mapped height are drawn one storey high.
A picture of the campus, not an attendance boundary or a rating.
Schools maintain a closed campus policy. For students’ safety, visitors may enter a campus only with the school’s official permission; this drawing implies no permission to enter.
Common questions
How do I get in?
Ask Whittier K-12 how students enroll. Evidence ↓
How often do students miss school or get suspended?
36 in 100 students were chronically absent in 2025–26 (30 of 83), meaning they missed 10% or more of school days. 2.4% of students (2 of 85) were suspended at least once in 2025–26. Evidence ↓
How do I visit Whittier K-12?
Call the office at (858) 490-2770 to ask about a visit. Questions to bring are under Next steps. Evidence ↓
What you can do
Who can act on Whittier K-12’s results?
The state has Whittier K-12 in targeted support; San Diego Unified’s board decides its plan.
What has the state flagged?
The state named it because results were low for students with disabilities. This support comes with a school improvement plan, which must use approaches with evidence behind them. Ask the principal to see the school improvement plan.
Federal designation under the Every Student Succeeds Act, 2025–26. Source
The state is giving San Diego Unified extra help in 2026. It qualified on the 2025 California School Dashboard. The county office must help the district for at least three years, including a review of its yearly plan.
Extra help for San Diego Unified: CDE’s assistance status file for the 2025 California School Dashboard. Source
When is the plan set, and how can you take part?
San Diego Unified’s board must adopt its yearly plan (LCAP) by July 1, after at least one public hearing at an earlier meeting.
How to take part
- Watch the board’s agenda: the hearing is posted at least 72 hours ahead.
- Send written comments on the actions and spending the plan proposes.
- Raise questions through the district’s parent advisory committee; the superintendent must answer its comments in writing.
- Read the midyear report, due by February 28.
- Read San Diego Unified’s 2026–27 plan (LCAP, PDF)
Reading screening in kindergarten through grade 2What the law requires, and what to ask
California law requires schools to screen kindergartners through second graders for reading difficulties every year, with some exceptions. You get notice at least 15 days before, results within 45 days, and can opt out in writing.
Kindergartners can’t be screened before the 91st school day; transitional kindergarten isn’t covered.
If screening shows your child may be at risk for reading difficulties, the school must provide supports. That result isn’t a diagnosis, and screening can’t be used to delay a special-education evaluation.
Ask how many K–2 students screening found at risk last year, and how many got extra reading help.
California Education Code § 53008. Source
Life at school
How often do students miss school or get suspended?
36 in 100 students were chronically absent in 2025–26.
State attendance and suspension records, 2025–26
That means they missed 10% or more of school days. 2.4% of students were suspended at least once in 2025–26.
Source
- Source
- CDE chronic absenteeism and suspension files, 2025–26
- Students
- chronic absence: 30 of 83 students counted for it; suspension: 2 of 85 students enrolled during the year
Chronically absent, 2025–26
30 of 83 students were chronically absent, meaning they missed 10% or more of school days.
Suspensions, 2025–26
2.4%
of students were suspended at least once (2 of 85).
Ask: When a child starts missing school, who calls the family, and how soon?
Chronic absence by grade2025–26 · per 100 students, with counts
- Grades 4–6: 40 in 100, 8 of 20
- Grades 7–8: 40 in 100, 6 of 15
- Grades 9–12: 34 in 100, 12 of 35
Ask families and staff yourselfWhat to ask the people at Whittier K-12
Ask current families how the school keeps them informed, and what happened when their child needed help. Ask staff how long teachers tend to stay.
Work here? Answer the staff questions.
Every learner
Who goes here?
Hispanic or Latino students are the largest group here: 47%.
Students, families and teachers
Who are the students?
2025–26 · students counted- Hispanic or Latino47%
- Black or African American16%
- White13%
- Asian—
- Filipino—
- Two or more races—
- American Indian or Alaska Native—
- Pacific Islander—
- Not reported—
- Unallocated share24%
Who are the families and teachers?
65%of students qualified for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25, 50 of 77.
11teachers, 2024–25
9 yearsaverage experience, 2024–25
18%in their first year, 2024–25
68%of teaching positions with proper credential and placement, 2021–22
Are English learners moving up on the state’s English test?
54% of English learners here moved up at least one level on the state’s English test (ELPAC), or stayed at the top, spring 2025 to spring 2026.
Spring 2025 to spring 2026 · English learners with state English test (ELPAC) scores in both years
It counts students moving up the test’s levels, so a student can count here before becoming fluent. Data source: California Department of Education, 2026 Dashboard ↗.
Ask: How does the school set learning goals for each student placed here, and how does it share progress with families?
Full student mix, comparisons and sources, 2025–26
| Students, 2025–26 | Here |
|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino | 47% |
| Black or African American | 16% |
| White | 13% |
| Asian | — |
| Filipino | — |
| Two or more races | — |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | — |
| Pacific Islander | — |
| Not reported | — |
Data source: California Department of Education chronic-absence file, 2025–26. Shares are of the students the file counts for attendance (CDE’s “eligible enrollment”); unavailable categories are shown as a dash.
How the credential rate is counted
CDE SARC report 2024–25, measured 2021–22: 68% of teaching positions, 6.4 properly credentialed teaching-position FTE out of 9.5 total position FTE (FTEs as rounded by the source; the share is CDE’s own). This measures positions, not individual teachers.
Next steps
How do I get in?
Ask Whittier K-12 how students enroll.
Location and visiting
Get directions (opens Google Maps in a new tab)Directory location · Explore nearby schools on the map. Confirm enrollment with San Diego Unified.
Questions for your visit
- When a child starts missing school, who calls the family, and how soon?
- How does the school set learning goals for each student placed here, and how does it share progress with families?
- Which courses and career pathways does the school run, and who can enroll?
- How do counselors help students plan for college, training or work?
- What support is available when a student falls behind on graduation requirements?
Office (858) 490-27703401 Clairemont Drive, directions (opens Google Maps in a new tab)
Source records
Every figure on this page, with its source, grades, year and count.
CDE assessment recordsCDE CAASPP 2026 · every level, as published · raw grade–subject rows
What each level means: California's level descriptions.
All Grades is an aggregate, not another group of students. Same-year grade groups are not matched children. A grade the school doesn't teach has no row. “Suppressed” marks a result CDE blanks because fewer than 11 students tested (CDE’s reporting rule); “none tested” marks a grade CDE lists with no students tested; “not on file” marks a result missing from the records we hold. None of them means zero.
The spring 2026 CAASPP records we hold have no English or math rows for this school. Its earlier results are under Every tested year.
Every tested year2015–2024 · rates, tested counts, and each grade
A grade the school doesn't teach has no row. “Suppressed” marks a result CDE blanks because fewer than 11 students tested (CDE’s reporting rule); “none tested” marks a grade CDE lists with no students tested; “not on file” marks a result missing from the records we hold. None of them means zero.
English and math by test year · all tested grades
| Year · subject | Students with scores | Exceeded | Met or exceeded |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 · English | 0 | — | — |
| 2024 · Math | 0 | — | — |
| 2022 · English | 0 | — | — |
| 2022 · Math | 0 | — | — |
| 2019 · English | — | — | — |
| 2019 · Math | — | — | — |
| 2018 · English | — | — | — |
| 2018 · Math | — | — | — |
| 2017 · English | — | — | — |
| 2017 · Math | — | — | — |
| 2016 · English | 0 | — | — |
| 2016 · Math | 0 | — | — |
| 2015 · English | 0 | — | — |
| 2015 · Math | 0 | — | — |
Each year names its school year end (2026 = 2025–26). “Students with scores” counts each subject on its own, so don’t add the English and math counts together. A dash is unavailable, not zero.
Earlier years · grade and subject
| Year · grade · subject | Students with scores | Met or exceeded |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 · Grade 4 · English | 0 | — |
| 2024 · Grade 11 · English | 0 | — |
| 2024 · Grade 4 · Math | 0 | — |
| 2024 · Grade 11 · Math | 0 | — |
| 2022 · Grade 11 · English | 0 | — |
| 2022 · Grade 11 · Math | 0 | — |
| 2019 · Grade 6 · English | — | — |
| 2019 · Grade 8 · English | — | — |
| 2019 · Grade 6 · Math | — | — |
| 2019 · Grade 8 · Math | — | — |
| 2018 · Grade 5 · English | — | — |
| 2018 · Grade 7 · English | — | — |
| 2018 · Grade 5 · Math | — | — |
| 2018 · Grade 7 · Math | — | — |
| 2017 · Grade 6 · English | — | — |
| 2017 · Grade 8 · English | — | — |
| 2017 · Grade 11 · English | — | — |
| 2017 · Grade 6 · Math | — | — |
| 2017 · Grade 8 · Math | — | — |
| 2017 · Grade 11 · Math | — | — |
| 2016 · Grade 3 · English | 0 | — |
| 2016 · Grade 4 · English | 0 | — |
| 2016 · Grade 5 · English | 0 | — |
| 2016 · Grade 8 · English | 0 | — |
| 2016 · Grade 11 · English | 0 | — |
| 2016 · Grade 3 · Math | 0 | — |
| 2016 · Grade 4 · Math | 0 | — |
| 2016 · Grade 5 · Math | 0 | — |
| 2016 · Grade 8 · Math | 0 | — |
| 2016 · Grade 11 · Math | 0 | — |
| 2015 · Grade 5 · English | 0 | — |
| 2015 · Grade 11 · English | 0 | — |
| 2015 · Grade 5 · Math | 0 | — |
| 2015 · Grade 11 · Math | 0 | — |
“Students with scores” counts the students tested in that grade, subject and year. A missing result is not zero, and each year’s row is a different group of children.
Graduation and readinessstate records · each rate for its own year and class of students
| Measure | Source record |
|---|---|
| This school · CCI overall Prepared | CDE College/Career Indicator · CCI source year 2025 · all students · all students in the current four-year graduation cohort, plus only Prepared fifth-year graduates from the prior cohort. Overall CCI Prepared percentage and Prepared count not reported in this school row · denominator 6 CCI students. |
This CDE-reported school CCI record has its own population and period. It does not recalculate a SchoolScope score, factor, or rank.
Attendance and suspensionsState records · this school and each student group · 2018–19 and 2025–26
CDE’s all-students school rates for 2024–25 and 2025–26; the change is the difference between the two rates as printed.
| Year-over-year school rates |
|---|
| Chronic absenteeism2024–25 · 53 in 100 → 2025–26 · 36 in 100 · −17 in 100 |
| Suspension rate2024–25 · 4.4% (4 of 90) → 2025–26 · 2.4% (2 of 85) · −2.0 percentage points |
| Group | 2018–19 | 2025–26 |
|---|---|---|
| Male | 22 in 100 | 34 in 100 |
| Black or African American | 27 in 100 | 46 in 100 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 30 in 100 | 44 in 100 |
| White | 8 in 100 | 18 in 100 |
| Students with disabilities | 24 in 100 | 36 in 100 |
| Low-income | 21 in 100 | 36 in 100 |
| All students | 25 in 100 | 36 in 100 |
| English learners | — | 24 in 100 |
Two reported school years only; no intervening-year result is implied. Source: CDE school-level chronic absenteeism by student group.
Advanced coursework, federal snapshot2023–24 · Civil Rights Data Collection · dated historical snapshot
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| AP offered | not reported |
| AP course count | not reported |
| AP enrollment (male/female) | not reported |
| IB participation | not reported |
| Dual enrollment | not offered |
| Algebra I in grade 8 | not reported |
| Calculus sections | 0 |
| Physics sections | 0 |
| Chemistry sections | 0 |
| Reported male/female enrollment (CRDC) | 70 |
Shown, never scored. Participation counts use reported male and female categories in both course and enrollment records. A missing value means not reported, never zero.
Fundingschool and district spending, from state and federal finance records · each row names its fiscal year and measure
Per-pupil spending
NCES F-33 · FY 2020–21 (2021) · fall district membership: 97,968 pupils
NCES F-33 · FY 2020–21 (2021) · SchoolScope’s unweighted mean across 818 selected California district finance records
CDE ESSA · school-attributed per-pupil record · FY 2024–25 (2025) · source denominator: 77
CDE ESSA · central expenditures attributed to this school · FY 2024–25 (2025) · source denominator: 77
CDE SACS Current Expense of Education · district fiscal year ending 2025 · average daily attendance denominator
| Group | Dollars | Share, to two decimals | Printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instruction | $1,223,482,460 | 63.42% | 63% |
| Instruction support | $225,845,212 | 11.71% | 12% |
| Student services | $233,097,572 | 12.08% | 12% |
| Administration | $95,033,783 | 4.93% | 5% |
| Buildings & maintenance | $141,086,586 | 7.31% | 7% |
| Other | $10,769,286 | 0.56% | 1% |
| Total | $1,929,314,899 | 100.00% | 100% |
Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →
Staffing recordsstate teacher credential-and-placement and district salary records · each for its own year
Additional workforce records
CDE 2024–25 SARC, Teacher Preparation and Placement table; measured school year 2021–22. Share of reported school teaching-position full-time equivalents assigned to properly assigned intern credential holders. A reported 0.0% is shown; unavailable rates are omitted. This is a position share, not a count of current teachers or of emergency permits.
The surrounding ZIP codeCensus Bureau survey, 2020–2024 · ZIP 92117 · not the school’s students
| Measure | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $103,661 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) | 52% |
| ZIP-area population | 52,275 |
| Median age | 39.5 years |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2020–2024 5-year estimates. Median household income covers the past 12 months and is reported in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars. Bachelor's degree or higher uses adults age 25 and over as its population. A dash is unavailable, not zero; a reported zero remains zero. ZIP-area figures do not establish the school's attendance area or describe its enrolled students. See all schools in ZIP code 92117 →
Downloads and methodologyCSV · sources · corrections
Data sources: public data sources, including the California Department of Education · state tests (CAASPP) 2025–26 · Census survey (ACS) 2020–2024 · school type “Opportunity Schools” in the state school directory, which we call an alternative school · staffing and finance name their own sources and years beside each figure · Data updated October 15, 2026.
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