Downing Elementary School

Public elementary school, pre-kindergarten to grade 5 · Tacoma, Washington

Downing Elementary School in Tacoma, Washington enrolled 298 students in 2024-25 with 16.5 full-time teachers, 18.1 students per teacher against the Washington elementary-school median of 15.7. It was eligible for Title I in 2021-22 but ran no program; every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision (2024-25). On the state tests, 65-69% of its students tested were proficient in reading in 2021-22 and 60-64% proficient in math in 2022-23 (Washington: 53.4% and 41.1%).

NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 · Title I status CCD 2021-22 · method

Enrollment rose 17% from 2022-23 to 2024-25; full-time teachers rose 8%

255 students in 2022-23, 283 students in 2023-24, 298 students in 2024-25. Full-time teachers went from 15.3 to 16.5.

Students enrolled at Downing Elementary School by school year2022-23: 255, 2023-24: 283, 2024-25: 29801002003002022-232552023-242832024-25298
Students enrolled at Downing Elementary School by school year2022-23: 255, 2023-24: 283, 2024-25: 29801002003002022-232552023-242832024-25298
Students enrolled at Downing Elementary School by school year2022-23: 255, 2023-24: 283, 2024-25: 29801002003002022-232552023-242832024-25298
Students enrolled at Downing Elementary School by school year2022-23: 255, 2023-24: 283, 2024-25: 29801002003002022-232552023-242832024-25298
The numbers as a table
School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-2325515.316.7
2023-2428317.416.3
2024-2529816.518.1

18.1 students per teacher, a higher ratio than 89 of every 100 Washington elementary schools

Among the 1,209 Washington elementary schools that reported teachers for 2024-25 the median is 15.7; the national median for elementary schools is 14.6. A ratio counts every teacher, so it is not the size of a class.

Students per teacher, Washington elementary schools, 2024-25240 values from 3.4 to 68.0; This school 18.1; state median 15.7.2 more above 30.0 →0102030students per full-time teacherThis school 18.1state median 15.7U.S. 14.6
Students per teacher, Washington elementary schools, 2024-25240 values from 3.4 to 68.0; This school 18.1; state median 15.7.2 more above 30.0 →0102030students per full-time teacherThis school 18.1state median 15.7U.S. 14.6
Students per teacher, Washington elementary schools, 2024-25240 values from 3.4 to 68.0; This school 18.1; state median 15.7.2 more above 30.0 →0102030students per full-time teacherThis school 18.1state median 15.7U.S. 14.6
Students per teacher, Washington elementary schools, 2024-25240 values from 3.4 to 68.0; This school 18.1; state median 15.7.2 more above 30.0 →0102030students per full-time teacherThis school 18.1state median 15.7U.S. 14.6

Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; the comparison counts schools with a 2024-25 teacher count and a ratio from 3 to 99 (lower values are reporting errors).

One counselor per 222 students in 2021-22

In the 2021-22 civil rights collection Downing Elementary School enrolled 222 students and had 1.0 counselor (full-time equivalent); it reported 0 out-of-school suspensions that year.

  • Advanced Placement coursesNone
  • Gifted and talented programYes
  • Counselors (FTE)1.0, one per 222 of the 222 students enrolled in 2021-22
  • Out-of-school suspensions0
  • Chronically absent36.5% (2022-23)

Who attends

58.4% of students were White, 19.8% of two or more races, 11.4% Hispanic in 2024-25.

  1. White58.4%
  2. Two or more races19.8%
  3. Hispanic11.4%
  4. Black6.7%
  5. Asian1.7%
  6. Pacific Islander1.7%
  7. American Indian0.3%

Source: U.S. Department of Education, Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22; chronic absenteeism from EDFacts 2022-23; every count and the counselor ratio are for that school year. Who attends: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25, membership by race and ethnicity.

State test results, 2021-22 and 2022-23

The students tested at Downing Elementary School scored proficient or above: 65-69% in reading in 2021-22 and 60-64% in math in 2022-23, against 53.4% in reading in 2021-22 and 41.1% in math in 2022-23 across Washington. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Washington, not across states. ED Data Express holds no district results after 2021-22, so the district column gives its 2021-22 figure. Where a state published results by grade only, the grades tested are combined, weighted by the students tested in each.

Students proficient or above, 2021-22 and 2022-23
Subject and yearThis schoolIts districtWashington
Reading and language arts, 2021-2265‑69%47%53.4%
Math, 2022-2360‑64%31% (2021-22)41.1%

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22 and 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express (2021-22 through the Data Rescue Project archive); for 2022-23 ED published math by school and reading only by state: ED shows school and district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.

Elementary schools in Tacoma

50 public elementary schools in Tacoma report 2024-25 enrollment.

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunch
Fife Elementary School86616.747.9%
Clover Creek Elementary61715.939.7%
Katherine G. Johnson Elementary School59217.444.3%
Sheridan Elementary School52517.651.0%
Geiger Montessori School52121.029.2%
Naches Trail Elementary51916.547.8%
Boze Elementary School48517.353.4%
Brookdale Elementary48315.161.1%

All public schools in Tacoma →

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25.

What to look at next about Downing Elementary School

  1. Jefferson Elementary SchoolThe nearest public elementary school, 0.8 miles away: 358 students, 18.5 per teacher (2024-25).0.8 mi
  2. Skyline Elementary SchoolThe next nearest public elementary school, 0.8 miles away: 329 students, 15.2 per teacher (2024-25).0.8 mi
  3. Compare Downing Elementary School with Jefferson Elementary SchoolStudents, teachers, meals, test results and who attends, side by side.
  4. How much Tacoma School District spends per student$19,679 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (U.S. $16,260), with its revenue sources and teacher pay.$19,679
  5. The largest public schools in WashingtonDowning Elementary School is the number 951 by size of 1,223 Washington elementary schools open in 2024-25.#951 of 1,223
  6. Washington schools by students per teacher18.1 students per teacher here against the Washington median of 15.7 for elementary schools.18.1:1
  7. Find the school district for an addressA home's district, not its city, decides which public schools it can enroll in.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (locations, enrollment, teachers); NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23. Distances are straight lines between the schools' NCES coordinates, not travel routes.

Questions about Downing Elementary School

  1. How many students attend Downing Elementary School?
    298 in the 2024-25 school year, according to the NCES Common Core of Data; 255 in 2022-23. It is an elementary school in Tacoma, WA.
  2. What is the student-teacher ratio at Downing Elementary School?
    18.1 students per full-time teacher (2024-25); the Washington median for elementary schools is 15.7. A ratio counts every teacher, so it is not the size of a class.
  3. Is Downing Elementary School a Title I school?
    Downing Elementary School was eligible for Title I in 2021-22 but ran no Title I program (2021-22 is the last year NCES published school Title I status).
  4. How do students at Downing Elementary School do on state tests?
    The students tested at Downing Elementary School scored proficient or above: 65-69% in reading in 2021-22 and 60-64% in math in 2022-23, against 53.4% in reading in 2021-22 and 41.1% in math in 2022-23 across Washington. Washington'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 and 2022-23; ED publishes school results as ranges to protect small groups.
  5. What district is Downing Elementary School in?
    Tacoma School District, NCES district ID 5308700. The first seven digits of the school's NCES ID 530870001461 are the district's.

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 state assessment results, 2021-22 and 2022-23: reading and math proficiency for the school, its district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.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: NCES Common Core of Data Directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25

Source: Civil Rights Data Collection School-level files (AP, gifted, counselors, discipline) · 2021-22

District spending on the district page is from the NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23.

Compiled from official source data by .