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B+

Downey Unified School District

Public school districtGrades K–12

Serves Downey, and parts of South Gate, Bellflower and Bell Gardens.

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

Students
22,405
Schools
21
Spent per student
$19,524
CA $21,206
Students per teacher
24:1
Free or reduced lunch
78%
Debt
$353.8M
fiscal 2024
The gist

What stands out about Downey Unified School District

  • Its letter, B+: results better than 67% of California districts
  • Graduation rate 9 pts above the state
  • Spends 8% less per student than the CA average
  • 24 students per teacher
  • Debt of $353.8M, about $15,791 per student
The School Grade

What this district adds to its towns’ grade

B+: better than 67% 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 close to the state, 2021–22
B
GraduationFour-year graduation well above the state, class of 2023
B+
The town it serves, and its School Grade

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where would my kid go?

The school path for Downey. Grade by grade →

K–512 elementary schoolsThis district
6–84 middle schoolsThis district
9–122 high schoolsThis district

Test scores vs. CA

2021–22 · class of 2023
Math proficiency31%
State average 33.1% · 11,433 students tested
Reading / language arts47%
State average 46.7% · 11,454 students tested
Graduation rate (4-year)95%
State average 86.2% · 2,024 in the class

97% 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
$19,524 per student · 8% below CA
Spending
Classroom instruction 65%Support & administration 30%Other 5%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 23%State 67%Federal 10%

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

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

Enrollment over time
22,162’20
21,357’21
21,997’22
22,358’23
22,405’24

About steady since 2020–21.

Students
Hispanic 89%White 5%Black 3%Asian 2%Two or more races <1%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander <1%American Indian/Alaska Native <1%

Schools in the district

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

Rio Hondo Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–5 · Downey
838 students23:1
Lewis (Ed C.) Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–5 · Downey
810 students23:1
Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–5 · Downey
796 students27:1
Gallatin Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–5 · Downey
788 students25:1
Price (Maude) Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–5 · Downey
757 students24:1
Rio San Gabriel Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–5 · Downey
747 students26:1
Alameda Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–5 · Downey
744 students24:1
Williams (Spencer V.) Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–3 · Downey
736 students23:1
Imperial Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–3 · Downey
653 students23:1
Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–5 · Downey
641 students22:1
Unsworth (Edith) Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–5 · Downey
633 students22:1
Ward (E. W.) Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–5 · Downey
543 students23:1
Old River Elementary
Elementary · Grades 4–5 · Downey
540 students30:1
Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Downey
1,329 students24:1
Doty (Wendy Lopour) Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Downey
1,304 students25:1
Griffiths (Gordon) Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Downey
1,264 students23:1
Sussman (Edward A.) Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Downey
1,240 students21:1
Woodruff Academy
High · Grades 7–12 · Downey
14 students8:1
Downey High
High · Grades 9–12 · Downey
4,051 students24:1
Warren (Earl) High
High · Grades 9–12 · Downey
3,609 students24:1
Columbus (Christopher) High
High · Grades 9–12 · Downey
368 students16:1

Nearby districts

Compare spending and schools next door.

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.