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Downey Unified: Downey Unified schools score 2.9 points above the state average. The trajectory from grade 3 to 5 falls 2.8 points.

Near Average2024–25 data17 schools · avg 47.7/100

Downey Unified has 17 ranked schools across elementary, middle and high levels with an average Scope Score of 47.7/100 — 2.9 points above the state average of 44.8. The highest-scoring school is Warren (Earl) High at 56/100, where 25.4% of students exceed the state standard. The district spends $14,339 per student (below the state average of $14,815). 3 schools show positive growth trajectories. Chronic absenteeism averages 21.5%, above the state average. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025 and NCES fiscal data, analyzed by SchoolScope.

Avg Scope Score
47.7
State avg: 44.8
SchoolScope composite
Score Range
22.5
33.4 – 55.9
Avg Exceeded %
21.5%
State avg: 21.3%
Chronic Absenteeism
21.5%
State avg: 17.9%
Schools Ranked
17
With Scope Scores
LevelAvg ScoreSchoolsExceededAbsent
ElementaryDeveloping
48.8/100
1024.1%19.0%
MiddleDeveloping
45.2/100
419.6%19.0%
HighDeveloping
47.3/100
315.6%33.0%

Downey Unified's elementary schools average 48.8/100 — 4.0 points above the state average with a −2.8pp declining trajectory.

K–12 pipeline

The typical school path in Downey Unified, top-scoring shown first.

Elementary
48.8
avg score · 10 schools
+7 more elementary schools
Middle
45.2
avg score · 4 schools
+1 more middle schools
High
47.3
avg score · 3 schools
Downey High
Solid
53/100

District Analysis

Downey Unified has 17 ranked schools with an average Scope Score of 47.7/100 — 2.9 points above the state average of 44.8 (CDE CAASPP 2025).

Strongest level: Downey Unified's elementary schools lead the district with an average Scope Score of 48.8.

District-wide elementary growth averages -2.8pp (state avg: -2.9pp) — a declining trend worth examining school by school.

Score range of 22.5 points — showing notable variation between schools.

District chronic absenteeism averages 21.5%, 3.6pp above the state average of 17.9%.

District suspension rate averages 2.5%, near the state average of 1.6%.

Warren (Earl) High leads the district at 56 with 25.4% exceeding standard.

How we score · Scope Score methodology

School archetypes in Downey Unified

3 Growth Engine1 Culture First1 On the Rise12 Building Momentum

Hidden gems: 4 schools in Downey Unified are classified as Growth Engine (3) or On the Rise — showing positive growth trajectories that raw proficiency scores alone don't capture. These are schools where students leave with more than they arrived with.

Archetypes are data-driven labels based on Scope Score dimensions. Learn more

Student demographics

Hispanic
88.2%
White
5.7%
Asian
1.6%
Black
2.6%
Other
1.8%
Free/Reduced Lunch
78%
Economic need indicator · district avg

District averages · California Department of Education enrollment data

District Funding

Downey Unified spends $14,339 per student in current expenditures — $476 below the state average of $14,815.

Per-Pupil Spending
$14,339
State avg: $14,815
District Enrollment
22,216
Students for funding calc
2016–2020 Trend
↑ 15.1%
$12,462 → $14,339
Spending Efficiency
3.33
Scope Score per $1K spent
Spending Breakdown
Instruction 67%Support 30%Other 3%
NCES F-33 Finance · District-level data — not school-specific

Data source: NCES Common Core of Data, Fiscal Survey (F-33) · 2019–2020

Teacher compensation

Salary Range
$70,532–$144,379
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
Teaching Staff
1,160
Full-time equivalent teachers

CDE Form J-90 salary schedule · 2024–25

For the data nerds

Every school in Downey Unified

ranked by Scope Score · 2024–25 CAASPP

Elementary Schools (10)

Downey Unified has 10 ranked elementary schools averaging a Scope Score of 48.8 — 4.0 points above the state average of 44.8.

Growth averages -2.8pp district-wide — a declining trend worth examining.

The highest-scoring elementary school is Unsworth (Edith) Elementary with a Scope Score of 56 and 32.6% exceeding standard.

#SchoolExceededScore
1Unsworth (Edith) Elementary
Downey Unified Building Momentum
32.6%Solid
56/100
2Price (Maude) Elementary
Downey Unified Growth Engine
25.8%Solid
51/100
3Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary
Downey Unified Culture First
21.6%Solid
50/100
4Ward (E. W.) Elementary
Downey Unified Growth Engine
20.2%Developing
50/100
5Lewis (Ed C.) Elementary
Downey Unified Building Momentum
31.6%Developing
49/100
6Rio Hondo Elementary
Downey Unified On the Rise
24.0%Developing
48/100
7Alameda Elementary
Downey Unified Building Momentum
22.7%Developing
47/100
8Gallatin Elementary
Downey Unified Building Momentum
22.4%Developing
46/100
9Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary
Downey Unified Building Momentum
13.2%Developing
46/100
10Rio San Gabriel Elementary
Downey Unified Building Momentum
26.6%Developing
46/100

Middle Schools (4)

Downey Unified has 4 ranked middle schools averaging a Scope Score of 45.2 — 2.5 points above the state average of 42.6.

Growth averages -4.4pp district-wide — a declining trend worth examining.

The highest-scoring middle school is Griffiths (Gordon) Middle with a Scope Score of 53 and 27.0% exceeding standard.

#SchoolExceededScore
1Griffiths (Gordon) Middle
Downey Unified Building Momentum
27.0%Solid
53/100
2Doty (Wendy Lopour) Middle
Downey Unified Growth Engine
18.5%Developing
48/100
3Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle
Downey Unified Building Momentum
18.8%Developing
43/100
4Sussman (Edward A.) Middle
Downey Unified Building Momentum
14.0%Developing
37/100

High Schools (3)

Downey Unified has 3 ranked high schools averaging a Scope Score of 47.3 — 3.5 points above the state average of 43.7.

The highest-scoring high school is Warren (Earl) High with a Scope Score of 56 and 25.4% exceeding standard.

#SchoolExceededScore
1Warren (Earl) High
Downey Unified Building Momentum
25.4%Solid
56/100
2Downey High
Downey Unified Building Momentum
21.0%Solid
53/100
3Columbus (Christopher) High
Downey Unified Building Momentum
0.4%Developing
33/100
Source: CDE CAASPP 2025 · 17 schoolsMethodology · Explore all schools

Data source: California Department of Education · CAASPP 2024-25 · Methodology

Scores are SchoolScope's analysis of public data, not official CDE ratings. They represent one way of interpreting test results and should not be the sole basis for school decisions.

What Scope Scores can't tell you about Downey Unified

Numbers tell you whether students are clearing the bar. A school visit tells you whether they're happy doing it. These metrics are intentionally missing from the Scope Score: class sizes and student-teacher interaction quality; arts, music, athletics, and enrichment programs; teacher experience and turnover; campus safety and social-emotional support; parent and community engagement; quality of special education and gifted programs; how resources are distributed across schools within the district. Full methodology

Frequently asked questions

Is Downey Unified a good school district?
Downey Unified has 17 ranked schools averaging a Scope Score of 47.7/100, which is 2.9 points above the state average. 21.5% of students exceed the state standard on average. The Scope Score measures academic performance and school climate across seven dimensions. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.
What is the best school in Downey Unified?
The highest-scoring school in Downey Unified is Warren (Earl) High with a Scope Score of 56/100 and 25.4% exceeding standard. See methodology.
How much does Downey Unified spend per student?
Downey Unified spends $14,339 per student in current expenditures. The state average is $14,815. Spending data comes from the NCES Common Core of Data Fiscal Survey (F-33). Higher spending does not automatically mean better outcomes — the Scope Score measures what happens in the classroom regardless of budget.
What is the teacher salary range in Downey Unified?
Teacher salaries in Downey Unified range from $70,532–$144,379 based on the district's salary schedule (CDE Form J-90). The California statewide median teacher salary is approximately $98,000.
What does the Scope Score measure?
The Scope Score is SchoolScope's proprietary composite rating (0–100) based on seven dimensions of publicly available California school data: the exceeded-vs-met standard split, overall proficiency, grade-level growth, chronic absenteeism, suspension rate, ELPAC English Learner proficiency, and baseline proficiency. Full methodology and weights.