- Enrollment
- 4,051
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
High school (grades 9-12) · Downey, CA
Columbus (Christopher) High
Federal NCES profile for Columbus (Christopher) High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 21/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 061146001262
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 8
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbus (Christopher) High earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 91% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #3 of 3
- high schools in Downey · Resource Index
- 21
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13.6:1
- small classes for California
- 66.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Columbus (Christopher) High has class sizes smaller than 91% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbus (Christopher) High ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Downey, CA.
School address
District: Downey Unified · California
NCES ID 061146001262 Verify on NCES CCD record →
CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24
-26 students YoY
Columbus (Christopher) High shrank from 492 students in 2022-23 to 466 in 2023-24 (-5.3%).
Teacher FTE lost 27.9 → 26.0 across the same CCD years.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).
Shrinking CCD campus
-26 students YoY 061146001262 · Downey, CA High · SMALL · TRAD
368 enr · 13.6:1 · 66.1% lunch · RII 21
Nearest enrollment peer: Downey High (4,051 students)
Columbus (Christopher) High shrank from 492 students in 2022-23 to 466 in 2023-24 (-5.3%). Teacher FTE lost 27.9 → 26.0 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · California schools → · Find another →
Columbus (Christopher) High in the enrollment neighbourhood
Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers
- Downey High
Downey High
4,051 students
- Warren (Earl)
Warren (Earl) High
3,609 students
- Stauffer (Mary 1,329
Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle
1,329 students
- Doty (Wendy Lo 1,304
Doty (Wendy Lopour) Middle
1,304 students
- Griffiths (Gor 1,264
Griffiths (Gordon) Middle
1,264 students
- This school 368
Columbus (Christopher) High
368 students
What this shows Columbus (Christopher) High reports 368 students on the CCD universe file.
How Columbus (Christopher) High compares
Columbus (Christopher) High is a shrinking campus on CCD: ratios and free-lunch share vs California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.6:1 | ▼ 37% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 66.1% | ▲ 19% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 368 | top 65% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.6:1
Leaner classes than 61% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
368
Bigger than 42% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators methodology
Economic need
66.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.6:1
students per teacher
- 37% below state mean
Top 9% in California - lower ratio than 91% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
81.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$18,148
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $18,665
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.8 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 26 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 91.0%
White 4.3%
African American 2.4%
Asian 1.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Two or More 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 91.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.9, Columbus (Christopher) High is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP program Not offered
District finance for Downey Unified reports $18,148 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.
How Columbus (Christopher) High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downey High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Warren (Earl) High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Doty (Wendy Lopour) Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Griffiths (Gordon) Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Columbus (Christopher) High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- 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 high schools in Downey
2 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Nationwide high schools with similar size or staffing
Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.
Similar enrollment (~368 students)
Frequently asked questions about Columbus (Christopher) High
How many students attend Columbus (Christopher) High?
Columbus (Christopher) High has 368 students enrolled. It is a high school in Downey, CA. CCD year-over-year: 492 (2022-23) → 466 (2023-24), down 26.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbus (Christopher) High?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbus (Christopher) High is 13.6:1, which is 37% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 13% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Columbus (Christopher) High?
66.1% of students at Columbus (Christopher) High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Columbus (Christopher) High?
The largest demographic group at Columbus (Christopher) High is Hispanic or Latino at 91.0% of enrollment, in Downey, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbus (Christopher) High?
Columbus (Christopher) High has a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Columbus (Christopher) High rank among high schools in Downey?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbus (Christopher) High ranks #3 of 3 high 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 high schools in Downey on the city page.
What other schools are in Downey Unified?
Besides Columbus (Christopher) High, 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.