- Enrollment
- 4,051
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Downey, CA
Ward (E. W.) Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Ward (E. W.) Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 12/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 061146001277
👥 S:T ratio 6
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ward (E. W.) Elementary earns 12/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #6 of 13
- elementary schools in Downey · Resource Index
- 12
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23.6:1
- students per teacher
- 68.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Ward (E. W.) Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ward (E. W.) Elementary ranks #6 of 13 elementary schools in Downey, CA.
School address
District: Downey Unified · California
NCES ID 061146001277 Verify on NCES CCD record →
CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24
+49 students YoY
Ward (E. W.) Elementary grew from 576 students in 2022-23 to 625 in 2023-24 (+8.5%).
Teacher FTE added 23.0 → 25.0 across the same CCD years.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).
Growing CCD campus
+49 students YoY 061146001277 · Downey, CA Elementary · MID · TRAD
543 enr · 23.6:1 · 68.1% lunch · RII 12
Nearest enrollment peer: Downey High (4,051 students)
Ward (E. W.) Elementary grew from 576 students in 2022-23 to 625 in 2023-24 (+8.5%). Teacher FTE added 23.0 → 25.0 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · California schools → · Find another →
Ward (E. W.) Elementary 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 543
Ward (E. W.) Elementary
543 students
What this shows Ward (E. W.) Elementary reports 543 students on the CCD universe file.
How Ward (E. W.) Elementary compares
Ward (E. W.) Elementary is a growing 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 | 23.6:1 | ▲ 10% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 68.1% | ▲ 23% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 543 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.6:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
543
Bigger than 67% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators methodology
Economic need
68.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 23% 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
23.6:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 68% in California - lower ratio than 32% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
54.3%
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 87.5%
White 6.4%
Asian 2.8%
African American 1.5%
Two or More 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 87.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.9, Ward (E. W.) Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
District finance for Downey Unified reports $18,148 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.
How Ward (E. W.) Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downey High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Warren (Earl) High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar 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 Ward (E. W.) Elementary'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 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
Nationwide elementary 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 (~543 students)
Frequently asked questions about Ward (E. W.) Elementary
How many students attend Ward (E. W.) Elementary?
Ward (E. W.) Elementary has 543 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Downey, CA. CCD year-over-year: 576 (2022-23) → 625 (2023-24), up 49.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ward (E. W.) Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Ward (E. W.) Elementary is 23.6:1, which is 10% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 50% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ward (E. W.) Elementary?
68.1% of students at Ward (E. W.) Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ward (E. W.) Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Ward (E. W.) Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 87.5% of enrollment, in Downey, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ward (E. W.) Elementary?
Ward (E. W.) Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 12/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Ward (E. W.) Elementary rank among elementary schools in Downey?
By Resource Investment Index, Ward (E. W.) Elementary ranks #6 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.
What other schools are in Downey Unified?
Besides Ward (E. W.) 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.