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Public school district · California

Downey Unified.Many schools. Many different stories.

Compare elementary, middle, and high schools across Downey Unified—and look beyond a single district average.

Warren (Earl) HighDowney HighUnsworth (Edith) ElementaryGriffiths (Gordon) MiddlePrice (Maude) ElementaryDoty (Wendy Lopour) MiddleCarpenter (C. C.) ElementaryLewis (Ed C.) ElementaryWard (E. W.) ElementaryRio Hondo ElementaryAlameda ElementaryGallatin ElementaryRio San Gabriel ElementaryGauldin (A.L.) ElementaryStauffer (Mary R.) MiddleColumbus (Christopher) HighSussman (Edward A.) MiddleDowney UnifiedN ↑
17 schools mapped · Location contextOpen map →
Census district boundary
The K–12 path at a glance
Elementary10 schools
avg 43.0/1009 Solid, 1 Strong
Middle4 schools
avg 40.6/1002 Solid, 1 Strong, +1 more
High3 schools
avg 51.2/1002 Solid, 1 Strong

Each level is scored on its own scale — elementary, middle, and high are never ranked against each other.

Stage 1 of 3

The elementary years

The elementary schools sit at the state line (43.0 vs 38.9) — the 12-point school-to-school spread is where the choice lives.

0100
Strong Solid Developing Needs Support district avg state avg

10 elementary schools span 12 points around an average of 43.0.

The strength

Unsworth (Edith) Elementary (51/100) holds the Strong band — 32.6% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 24.1%.

The catch

What these numbers can't see: class sizes, arts, teacher turnover, how a hallway feels at 8 a.m. Strong scores are the start of the question, not the answer.

77th percentile · StrongScope Score 51/100
70th percentile · SolidScope Score 46/100
68th percentile · SolidScope Score 44/100

All 10 elementary schools, ranked, in the appendix →

Stage 2 of 3

The middle years

The middle schools sit at the state line (40.6 vs 38.6) — the 19-point school-to-school spread is where the choice lives.

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4 middle schools span 19 points around an average of 40.6.

The strength

Griffiths (Gordon) Middle (50/100) holds the Strong band — 27.0% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 19.6%.

The catch

The suspension rate averages 5.7% against 3.6% statewide — worth a direct question on a visit.

Griffiths (Gordon) Middle
Building Momentum
77th percentile · StrongScope Score 50/100
69th percentile · SolidScope Score 44/100
Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle
Building Momentum
53rd percentile · SolidScope Score 38/100

All 4 middle schools, ranked, in the appendix →

Stage 3 of 3

The high school years

The high schools sit at the state line (51.2 vs 54.0) — the 26-point school-to-school spread is where the choice lives.

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3 high schools span 26 points around an average of 51.2.

1 continuation/alternative school not plotted — it ranks within its own class, not on this statewide axis.

The strength

Warren (Earl) High is the strongest option at 61/100 — 25.4% of its students exceed the state standard.

The catch

33.0% of students are chronically absent (state: 23.1%) — chronic means missing 10% or more of the school year. Whatever the scores say, ask each school what it is doing about attendance.

Warren (Earl) High
Building Momentum
73rd percentile · SolidScope Score 61/100
Downey High
Building Momentum
64th percentile · SolidScope Score 57/100
94th percentile · StrongWithin its own school classScope Score 35/100

High school detail in the appendix →

What it means for your family

If you're choosing a neighborhood

Compare schools at your child’s level before deciding on an address. The strongest attendance-zone candidate is Unsworth (Edith) Elementary at 51/100 — confirm the exact boundary with the district before the house.

If you already live here

No charters or magnets among the ranked schools here, so the main lever is an intra-district transfer — California districts run them on their own windows and criteria. If your zoned school sits low in the appendix below, ask the district office for this year's dates.

If your kid is enrolled now

A band is a position, not a prophecy — 5 campuses here rank as On the Rise, their returning cohorts gaining more than most schools statewide. Ask your school two questions: what happens for a kid who arrives behind, and what the classroom looks like for one who arrives ahead.

The strongest-scoring run through the district:

Unsworth (Edith) Elementary 77th percentile · StrongScope Score 51/100Griffiths (Gordon) Middle 77th percentile · StrongScope Score 50/100Warren (Earl) High 73rd percentile · SolidScope Score 61/100

Top scorers at each level — not necessarily one zoned sequence. Confirm feeder patterns and enrollment zones with the district, and visit before you decide.

What this page can't see: whether a campus feels safe and glad at 8 a.m. If a path above looks workable, the next step is a visit.

Downey Unified has 17 public schools in this SchoolScope results directory. Compare schools by their primary reporting level below.

2024–25 CAASPP reporting · SchoolScope analysis. Directory coverage, not a complete inventory of every campus. Each school appears at its primary reporting level; K–8 and K–12 campuses can serve additional grades. Sources and methodology →

One district, three stages

The average changes with the journey.

Elementary schools

Explore elementary →
Lower reported resultsHigher reported results

10 comparable schools · average 43.0/100 · range 38.9–50.9

Middle schools

Explore middle →
Lower reported resultsHigher reported results

4 comparable schools · average 40.6/100 · range 30.8–49.6

High schools

Explore high →
Lower reported resultsHigher reported results

2 comparable schools · average 59.2/100 · range 57.2–61.1

Explore Downey Unified by place.

Districts nearby

DistrictAverage scoreRanked schoolsTop schoolDistance
Downey Unifiedthis district44.4 / 10016Warren (Earl) High—
Whittier Union High61.1 / 1005La Serna High4.9 mi
Cypress Elementary61.3 / 1006Margaret Landell Elementary8.9 mi
Los Alamitos Unified67.8 / 1007Jack L. Weaver Elementary9.8 mi
Anaheim Union High68.7 / 1005Oxford Academy9.8 mi
San Gabriel Unified57.5 / 1002Gabrielino High10.4 mi

Averages blend every school level in a district and carry no score band. Compare a level at a time in the spreads above, then open the schools. Distances run between school-location centers.

Cities served

City pages include schools from other districts too. Check the district named on each school profile.

Patterns across the district

What kinds of schools are here?

Patterns worth exploring.

Choose a pattern to find matching schools in the lists below. Open a profile to see the underlying measures and questions to ask on a visit.

How patterns are defined →

Archetypes describe reported patterns, not school quality or fit. Available measures differ by school level.

Schools in Downey Unified

Browse by level, then compare the evidence behind each profile.

Map ↗

Elementary schools in Downey Unified · 10 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
Unsworth (Edith) Elementary
Downey Unified Building Momentum
32.6%77th percentile · StrongScope Score 51/100
Price (Maude) Elementary
Downey Unified Culture First
25.8%70th percentile · SolidScope Score 46/100
Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary
Downey Unified On the Rise
21.6%68th percentile · SolidScope Score 44/100
Lewis (Ed C.) Elementary
Downey Unified Building Momentum
31.6%68th percentile · SolidScope Score 44/100
Ward (E. W.) Elementary
Downey Unified On the Rise
20.2%66th percentile · SolidScope Score 43/100
Rio Hondo Elementary
Downey Unified Building Momentum
24.0%64th percentile · SolidScope Score 42/100

Middle schools in Downey Unified · 4 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
Griffiths (Gordon) Middle
Downey Unified Building Momentum
27.0%77th percentile · StrongScope Score 50/100
Doty (Wendy Lopour) Middle
Downey Unified On the Rise
18.5%69th percentile · SolidScope Score 44/100
Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle
Downey Unified Building Momentum
18.8%53rd percentile · SolidScope Score 38/100
Sussman (Edward A.) Middle
Downey Unified Building Momentum
14.0%37th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 31/100

High schools in Downey Unified · 3 schools

CompareSchoolExceededScore
Warren (Earl) High
Downey Unified Building Momentum
25.4%73rd percentile · SolidScope Score 61/100
Downey High
Downey Unified Building Momentum
21.0%64th percentile · SolidScope Score 57/100
Columbus (Christopher) High
Downey Unified continuation high school
0.4%94th percentile · StrongWithin its own school classScope Score 35/100
Compare selected schools

Select two to four schools at the same level. Rankings and score bands compare each school with its own enrollment group.

District finance · FY 2024–25

Where the district's dollars go.

Downey Unified spent $19,955 per student in FY 2024–25 — close to the median California district ($20,491). About 69 cents of every dollar goes to classroom instruction.

Current expense per student

Current expense of education per unit of average daily attendance, from the district's annual SACS filing to the California Department of Education. District-wide: it includes central administration and costs never assigned to one campus. Spending is context, not a measure of school quality.

Share by function

  • Instruction69%
  • Instruction support11%
  • Student services9%
  • Administration4%
  • Buildings & maintenance7%
  • Other1%

Shares of the same current-expense total, by SACS function. Names are simplified from the filing's own categories.

The system behind the schools

The people behind the classrooms — district-grain context that never enters a school's score.

People
Teacher salary range$70,532–$144,379
Teaching staff1,160 · FTE
District enrollment22,216 · students
Who attends
Hispanic 88.2% · White 5.7% · Black 2.6% · Asian 1.6% · Other 1.8%
Free/reduced lunch78% · economic need indicator

CDE Form J-90 salary schedule 2024–25 · CDE enrollment (district averages)

See how the school years fit together.

Explore the next stage, then verify the schools available for your address.

These are browsing links, not a feeder path. Assignments vary by residence, program, permits, and available space.

Looking beyond Downey Unified?

Explore public, private, and early-learning options.

Know what you’re comparing.

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.

Source: CDE CAASPP 2025 · 17 schoolsMethodology · Download this data (CSV)

Free to download, CC BY 4.0 with attribution.

Frequently asked questions

How many schools are listed in Downey Unified?
This SchoolScope directory lists 17 public schools in Downey Unified with 2024–25 reporting records. This is directory coverage, not a complete campus inventory. Each school appears under its primary reporting level; a K–8 or K–12 campus may serve additional grades.
Which schools have the highest scores in Downey Unified?
Among comprehensive public schools listed here, the highest Scope Score at each primary reporting level is: Elementary: Unsworth (Edith) Elementary (51/100). Middle: Griffiths (Gordon) Middle (50/100). High: Warren (Earl) High (61/100). These are separate level rankings, not a single cross-level league table. A score does not establish fit or enrollment eligibility. See the methodology.
Can I compare elementary, middle, and high schools directly?
Compare schools at the same level and within the same enrollment group. Scope Score formulas and available measures differ by level. The plots show comprehensive public schools separately for each level; individual profiles explain their comparison group.
Does living in Downey Unified guarantee a particular school?
A district outline does not establish assignment to an individual school. Attendance boundaries, programs, permits, and available space can affect enrollment. Confirm the requirements directly with the district.
What does a SchoolScope pattern mean?
Archetypes summarize patterns in publicly reported academic and school-climate measures. They describe reported results, not a school’s quality or a child’s fit. Open the school profile for reporting years, missing measures, and questions to ask. Read how the patterns are defined.
Where do these results come from?
The underlying public data comes from the California Department of Education, including CAASPP reporting for 2024–25. Scope Scores and archetypes are SchoolScope calculations, not official CDE ratings. View CDE data and SchoolScope’s methodology and limitations.