The top reported proficiency rate is 19% in English language arts. The lowest is 8% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Whittier Elementary
Whittier Elementary sits on Quincy Street in Albuquerque's southeast quadrant, part of Albuquerque Public Schools, one of the largest districts in the country. The school serves pre-kindergarten through fifth grade and operates as a regular public school. Its location places it in a part of the city shaped by major federal installations, Sandia National Laboratories and Kirtland Air Force Base, both on the southeast side. The surrounding neighborhood is within a sprawling, car-oriented metropolitan area where walkable street life clusters in specific nodes rather than spreading evenly across the grid.
The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with smaller representation from Black, American Indian or Alaska Native, white, and multiracial students. Nearly every student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, a figure that reflects the economic conditions of the surrounding community. The school enrolls a modest number of children across its grade bands, with pre-kindergarten through fifth grade all represented. Data on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not available, so those populations cannot be characterized here.
State assessment results from the most recent school year show proficiency rates that are low. In math, the share of tested students reaching proficiency was in the single digits. In English language arts, the proficient share was higher but still well below what most schools in the state post. Science results were reported in a range that tops out at a low ceiling, with a small number of students tested. No multi-year trend data was available, so there is no way to tell from the provided data whether these numbers represent a decline, stability, or an upward trajectory. A parent weighing this school may want to look into what instructional supports and interventions the school has in place, and how leadership describes its approach to moving proficiency upward.
The broader academic context is thin in the provided data. No information on course access, staffing ratios, attendance patterns, discipline data, or program offerings was available. Title I status was not reported. The district brief returned no parent-relevant changes such as curriculum shifts, policy updates, or facility investments. These gaps mean the picture of Whittier is incomplete on several fronts families often care about, and the missing fields reflect what was in the data rather than a judgment about the school.
The housing market around Whittier's zip code is relatively affordable compared with both state and national benchmarks. Home values sit below the statewide typical and well below the national figure. Rents are modest, and renting costs less per month than carrying a mortgage at current rates. The estimated monthly mortgage on a typical home in this area exceeds the typical rent by a meaningful margin, which shapes who can buy versus who must rent in the neighborhood. Home values have ticked down slightly over the past year, while rents have risen modestly. For families considering the area, the cost of living is lower than in many parts of Albuquerque and substantially lower than national averages.
Albuquerque itself is New Mexico's largest city, with a metro area that has grown modestly while the city proper has seen a slight population decline. The economy rests on federal research and military installations, the University of New Mexico, healthcare, state government, and a growing film and media sector anchored by a Netflix production hub. The Rio Grande bosque runs through the center of the city, with the Sandia Mountains to the east and Petroglyph National Monument on the west mesa. The southeast quadrant, where Whittier sits, contains both residential stretches and the large federal campuses that drive much of the area's employment.
For a family considering Whittier, the school serves a high-poverty community in an affordable corner of a large, sprawling city. Academic results as measured by state tests are weak across all three reported subjects, and the absence of trend data makes it hard to judge direction. The strengths and supports a family would want to know about, staffing, programs, attendance, discipline, and special populations, were not available in the data provided, so engaging directly with the school and district would be the next step for anyone evaluating whether this is the right fit.
See more original research from School Decision →