Enrollment
653
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Downey, CA
Imperial Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Imperial Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 10/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 061146001269
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Imperial Elementary earns 10/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #11 of 13
- elementary schools in Downey · Resource Index
- 10
- Resource Index · Lower
- 25.1:1
- large classes for California
- 60.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Imperial Elementary has class sizes larger than 80% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Imperial Elementary ranks #11 of 13 elementary schools in Downey, CA.
School address
District: Downey Unified · California
NCES ID 061146001269 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
60.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
+10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Imperial Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Imperial Elementary
Imperial Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Downey, California, enrolling 653 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25.1:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 60.9% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 653 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 98% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 1,770 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,640, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (89% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 20/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 44.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Downey's elementary schools, it stands alongside Rio Hondo Elementary (838 students): Imperial Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (25.1:1 vs 25.4:1).
Downey Unified also operates Downey High (4,051 students) and Warren (Earl) High (3,609 students) alongside Imperial 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 Imperial Elementary compares
Imperial 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 | 25.1:1 | ▲ 17% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 60.9% | ▲ 10% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 653 | top 27% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.1:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
653
Bigger than 77% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
60.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 10% 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
25.1:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 80% in California - lower ratio than 20% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
44.1%
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
$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 + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.3 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 89.0%
White 6.1%
Asian 2.6%
African American 1.4%
Two or More 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 89.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 20.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 20.3, Imperial 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 Imperial 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 Imperial Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downey High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Warren (Earl) High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Doty (Wendy Lopour) Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Griffiths (Gordon) Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Imperial 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
Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary
Standard public school
796 students 39.8:1 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
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 (~653 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Imperial Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Imperial 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 Imperial Elementary
How many students attend Imperial Elementary?
Imperial Elementary has 653 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Downey, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Imperial Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Imperial Elementary is 25.1:1, which is 17% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 60% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Imperial Elementary?
60.9% of students at Imperial Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Imperial Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Imperial Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 89.0% of enrollment, in Downey, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Imperial Elementary?
Imperial Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 10/100 (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 Imperial Elementary rank among elementary schools in Downey?
By Resource Investment Index, Imperial Elementary ranks #11 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 Imperial Elementary a good school?
Imperial Elementary earns 10/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% 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 Imperial 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.