Enrollment
796
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Downey, CA
Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 061146001261
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #1 of 13
- elementary schools in Downey · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 39.8:1
- large classes for California
- 32.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary has class sizes larger than 99% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary ranks #1 of 13 elementary schools in Downey, CA.
School address
District: Downey Unified · California
NCES ID 061146001261 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
39.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+85% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
-41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary
Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Downey, California, enrolling 796 students.
Class loads run heavy: 39.8:1 is larger than about 99% of California schools and 85% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 32.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 796 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,184 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #701.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (89% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 20/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Downey's elementary schools, it stands alongside Rio Hondo Elementary (838 students): Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (39.8:1 vs 25.4:1).
Downey Unified also operates Downey High (4,051 students) and Warren (Earl) High (3,609 students) alongside Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary compares
Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 39.8:1 | ▲ 85% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.8% | ▼ 41% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 796 | top 18% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
39.8:1
Leaner classes than 1% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
796
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
39.8:1
students per teacher
- 85% above state mean
Top 99% in California - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
19.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$15,382
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 89.4%
White 6.3%
African American 1.9%
Two or More 1.5%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 89.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 19.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 19.6, Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Downey Unified, which includes Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary.
$15,382
Per student
-7%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.5%
State 67.1%
Federal 12.4%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downey High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Warren (Earl) High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Doty (Wendy Lopour) Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Griffiths (Gordon) Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,051
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 3,609
- Students per teacher
- 24.9:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,329
- Students per teacher
- 24.2:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,304
- Students per teacher
- 26.1:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 1,264
- Students per teacher
- 25.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
Similar elementary schools in Downey
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Rio Hondo Elementary
Standard public school
838 students 25.4:1 students per teacher
Lewis (Ed C.) Elementary
Standard public school
810 students 24.5:1 students per teacher
Gallatin Elementary
Standard public school
788 students 27.2:1 students per teacher
Price (Maude) Elementary
Standard public school
757 students 25.2:1 students per teacher
Rio San Gabriel Elementary
Standard public school
747 students 24.1:1 students per teacher
Alameda Elementary
Standard public school
744 students 24.8:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of California, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~796 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Downey Unified's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary
How many students attend Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary?
Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary has 796 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Downey, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary is 39.8:1, which is 85% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 154% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary?
32.8% of students at Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 89.4% of enrollment, in Downey, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary?
Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary rank among elementary schools in Downey?
By Resource Investment Index, Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary ranks #1 of 13 elementary schools in Downey, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Downey on the city page.
Is Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary a good school?
Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Downey Unified?
Besides Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary, Downey Unified also operates Downey High (4,051 students), Warren (Earl) High (3,609 students), and Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle (1,329 students). See the Downey Unified district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.