Downey Unified
Public school district · Los Angeles County · California · NCES district ID 0611460
Downey Unified spent $18,148 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 66% of the other California districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $16,855). Its 21 schools enrolled 22,405 students in 2024-25; 69.3% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $19,524 per student, up 7.5% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 95% (California: 86.2%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among California districts of similar size
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Downey Unified in enrollment (21,776 to 23,145 students) and Downey Unified itself.
Where the money came from
$534,475,000 in revenue: 69.3% state, 20.9% local and 9.8% federal. Total spending including $31,709,000 of capital outlay was $486,276,000, or $21,749 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$370,508,000 69%
- Local$111,809,000 21%
- Federal$52,158,000 10%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 646 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment held steady from 2022-23 to 2024-25
22,328 students in 2022-23, 22,358 students in 2023-24, 22,405 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 22,328 | 935.0 | 23.9 |
| 2023-24 | 22,358 | 921.5 | 24.3 |
| 2024-25 | 22,405 | 946.8 | 23.7 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$132,476,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $5,925 per student
Downey Unified booked $132,476,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 935 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $141,681 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 97 in 100 California districts with a figure (state median $99,744, 1,149 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average California teacher salary at $87,275 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $104,597,000 | 79.0% |
| Special education | $24,335,000 | 18.4% |
| Vocational | $3,544,000 | 2.7% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $4,741 in 2018-19, $4,822 in 2019-20, $4,917 in 2020-21, $5,217 in 2021-22, $5,925 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in Downey Unified scored proficient or above: 44% in reading and 33% in math, against 45% in reading and 34% in math across California. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within California, not across states. Where a state published results by grade only, the grades tested are combined, weighted by the students tested in each.
| Subject | This district | California | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 44% | 45% | 9,511 |
| Math | 33% | 34% | 9,514 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
95% of the 2,024 students in Downey Unified's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 86.2% across California. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | California | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 95% | 86.2% |
| Students in the class | 2,024 | 495,492 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
13 elementary schools, 9,226 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rio Hondo Elementary | 838 | 23.3 | 69.7% | Not reported |
| Lewis (Ed C.) Elementary | 810 | 23.1 | 62.3% | Not reported |
| Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary | 796 | 27.4 | 39.2% | Not reported |
| Gallatin Elementary | 788 | 25.4 | 54.6% | Not reported |
| Price (Maude) Elementary | 757 | 24.4 | 57.3% | Not reported |
| Rio San Gabriel Elementary | 747 | 25.8 | 59.6% | Not reported |
| Alameda Elementary | 744 | 24.0 | 74.1% | Not reported |
| Williams (Spencer V.) Elementary | 736 | 23.0 | 62.0% | Not reported |
| Imperial Elementary | 653 | 23.3 | 63.2% | Not reported |
| Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary | 641 | 22.1 | 77.7% | Not reported |
| Unsworth (Edith) Elementary | 633 | 21.8 | 61.8% | Not reported |
| Ward (E. W.) Elementary | 543 | 22.6 | 74.6% | Not reported |
One more elementary school
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old River Elementary | 540 | 30.0 | 67.8% | Not reported |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
4 middle schools, 5,137 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle | 1,329 | 23.7 | 68.5% | Not reported |
| Doty (Wendy Lopour) Middle | 1,304 | 24.7 | 64.8% | Not reported |
| Griffiths (Gordon) Middle | 1,264 | 23.3 | 63.0% | Not reported |
| Sussman (Edward A.) Middle | 1,240 | 20.9 | 69.6% | Not reported |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
4 high schools, 8,042 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Downey High | 4,051 | 23.9 | 63.4% | Not reported |
| Warren (Earl) High | 3,609 | 24.4 | 65.6% | Not reported |
| Columbus (Christopher) High | 368 | 16.2 | 77.2% | Not reported |
| Woodruff Academy | 14 | 7.9 | 78.6% | Not reported |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
One more school on file: small, closed or in an earlier directory
These records carry fewer federal fields than a full school page needs, so each is summarized here with what NCES reports.
Downey Unified Virtual Acad at Lynn L. Pace Ed Center
School in Bellflower; last listed in the 2024-25 NCES directory (closed); 331 students; 14.6 students per teacher.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 and earlier directories: the last year each school was listed, its students and its teachers.
Contact Downey Unified
- Website: web.dusd.net
- Phone: (562) 469-6500
- Office: 11627 Brookshire Ave., Downey, CA 90241
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about Downey Unified
- California districts by spending per studentDowney Unified ranks 223 of 646 California districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($18,148).#223 of 646
- Every school district in CaliforniaDowney Unified is the number 48 by size of 1,991 California districts, with 22,359 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#48 of 1,991
- Murrieta Valley UnifiedThe next larger California district: 22,365 students in fall 2022, $15,012 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$15,012
- Chula Vista Elementary School DistrictThe next smaller California district: 22,226 students in fall 2022, $15,904 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$15,904
- Compare Downey Unified with Murrieta Valley UnifiedEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Downey High, its largest high school4,051 students in 2024-25, 23.9 per teacher.4,051
- Teacher salary spending across CaliforniaDowney Unified spent $141,681 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $99,744); spending, not a salary.$141,681
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about Downey Unified
How many schools and students are in Downey Unified?
21 schools were open in 2024-25 (13 elementary, 4 middle, 4 high), enrolling 22,405 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Downey Unified spend per student?
$18,148 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the California median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $16,855 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $19,524 per student, up 7.5% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Downey Unified's money come from?
$534,475,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 69.3% state, 20.9% local and 9.8% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Downey Unified live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 2,742 of the 19,928 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 13.8%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does Downey Unified spend on teacher salaries?
$132,476,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $5,925 per student. Divided by the 935 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $141,681 per teacher, more than 97 in 100 California districts (state median $99,744). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average California teacher salary at $87,275 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in Downey Unified do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Downey Unified scored proficient or above: 44% in reading and 33% in math, against 45% in reading and 34% in math across California. California's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in Downey Unified?
95% of the 2,024 students in Downey Unified's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 86.2% across California. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is Downey Unified's NCES district ID?
0611460. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25