Enrollment
540
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Downey, CA
Old River Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Old River Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 11/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 061146007107
👥 S:T ratio 2
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Old River Elementary earns 11/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #8 of 13
- elementary schools in Downey · Resource Index
- 11
- Resource Index · Lower
- 24.5:1
- large classes for California
- 58.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Old River Elementary has class sizes larger than 76% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Old River Elementary ranks #8 of 13 elementary schools in Downey, CA.
School address
District: Downey Unified · California
NCES ID 061146007107 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
+5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Old River Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Old River Elementary
Old River Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Downey, California, enrolling 540 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.5:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 58.3% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 540 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 1,786 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,630, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (90% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 19/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.2% 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): Old River Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (24.5:1 vs 25.4:1).
Downey Unified also operates Downey High (4,051 students) and Warren (Earl) High (3,609 students) alongside Old River 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 Old River Elementary compares
Old River 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 | 24.5:1 | ▲ 14% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.3% | ▲ 5% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 540 | top 40% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.5:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
540
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
58.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 5% 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
24.5:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 76% in California - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
45.2%
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 + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.3 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 89.6%
White 6.1%
African American 2.2%
Asian 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 89.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 19.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 19.3, Old River 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 Old River 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 Old River Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downey High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar 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 | Higher S:T ratio |
| Griffiths (Gordon) Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Old River 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 (~540 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Old River Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Old River 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 Old River Elementary
How many students attend Old River Elementary?
Old River Elementary has 540 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Downey, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Old River Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Old River Elementary is 24.5:1, which is 14% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 56% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Old River Elementary?
58.3% of students at Old River Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Old River Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Old River Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 89.6% of enrollment, in Downey, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Old River Elementary?
Old River Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 11/100 (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 Old River Elementary rank among elementary schools in Downey?
By Resource Investment Index, Old River Elementary ranks #8 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 Old River Elementary a good school?
Old River Elementary earns 11/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% 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 Old River 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.