operational schools · 2023–24
School district or education agency · NCES 0611460
Downey Unified
Downey, CA
Students22,421
Student membership reported by NCES for 2023–24.
students in linked records
federal comparable series
per student
District, state and country
How does this district compare?
State and national figures use the same measure and reporting period. They are weighted by students or staffing whenever the source provides a denominator.
MeasureDistrictCAUnited States
Academic standing2025
47th percentile42nd percentile45th percentileThis district is 5 percentile points higher than the state figure and 2 percentile points higher than the U.S. figure.
Students chronically absent2022–23
31.2%27.7%27.8%This district is 3.5 percentage points higher than the state figure and 3.4 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Revenue per studentFY 2023
$23,904$25,614$19,509This district is $1,710 per student lower than the state figure and $4,395 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Spending per studentFY 2023
$18,148$18,479$15,859This district is $331 per student lower than the state figure and $2,289 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Capital outlay per studentFY 2023
$1,418$2,019$1,964This district is $601 per student lower than the state figure and $546 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Equipment spending per studentFY 2023
$53$135$336This district is $82 per student lower than the state figure and $283 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Special-education spending per studentFY 2023
$3,859$2,978$1,793This district is $881 per student higher than the state figure and $2,066 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Salaries per studentFY 2023
$9,989$9,951$8,742This district is $38 per student higher than the state figure and $1,247 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Benefits per studentFY 2023
$4,770$4,693$3,769This district is $77 per student higher than the state figure and $1,001 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Debt outstanding per studentFY 2023
$17,265$18,517$11,715This district is $1,252 per student lower than the state figure and $5,550 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Debt retired per studentFY 2023
$0$916$869This district is $916 per student lower than the state figure and $869 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Students per teacher2023–24
24:122:115:1This district is 2.0 students per teacher higher than the state figure and 9.0 students per teacher higher than the U.S. figure.
Students per counselor2023–24
701:1443:1376:1This district is 258 students per counselor higher than the state figure and 325 students per counselor higher than the U.S. figure.
District staff per 1,000 students2023–24
92.9108.2138.9This district is 15.3 staff per 1,000 students lower than the state figure and 46.0 staff per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.
Instructional aides per 1,000 students2023–24
19.316.918.5This district is 2.4 aides per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 0.8 aides per 1,000 students higher than the U.S. figure.
School psychologists per 1,000 students2023–24
1.21.30.9This district is 0.1 psychologists per 1,000 students lower than the state figure and 0.3 psychologists per 1,000 students higher than the U.S. figure.
Regular diplomas among completers2023–24
98.9%98.6%99.0%This district is 0.3 percentage points higher than the state figure and 0.1 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–122023–24
0.6%2.7%2.6%This district is 2.1 percentage points lower than the state figure and 2.0 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students learning English2021–22 · reporting schools
14.7%19.3%12.0%This district is 4.6 percentage points lower than the state figure and 2.6 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · reporting schools
14.3%12.5%14.0%This district is 1.8 percentage points higher than the state figure and 0.3 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · reporting schools
1.2%2.1%3.9%This district is 0.9 percentage points lower than the state figure and 2.7 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Teachers reported as certified2021–22 · reporting schools
100.0%95.9%95.8%This district is 4.1 percentage points higher than the state figure and 4.2 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Enrollment change2021–22 to 2023–24
+4.9%-0.6%+0.5%This district is 5.5 percentage points higher than the state figure and 4.4 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals2021–22 · valid district records
67.6%57.8%50.6%This district is 9.8 percentage points higher than the state figure and 17.0 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students without disabilities2021–22 · matched enrollment
3.1%2.8%4.5%This district is 0.3 percentage points higher than the state figure and 1.4 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · matched enrollment
7.0%6.1%9.0%This district is 0.9 percentage points higher than the state figure and 2.0 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · matched enrollment
5.0%4.5%6.7%This district is 0.5 percentage points higher than the state figure and 1.7 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students enrolled in district distance education2021–22 · matched enrollment
3.7%5.7%5.1%This district is 2.0 percentage points lower than the state figure and 1.4 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
School-age children in poverty2024 Census estimate
13.8%13.9%14.4%This district is 0.1 percentage points lower than the state figure and 0.6 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Enrollment · 2023–24
Who attends this district?
Kindergarten–grade 59,321 students
41.6%Grades 6–85,168 students
23.0%Grades 9–127,932 students
35.4%See enrollment for every grade
Kindergarten2,005
Grade 11,405
Grade 21,489
Grade 31,469
Grade 41,462
Grade 51,491
Grade 61,688
Grade 71,707
Grade 81,773
Grade 91,910
Grade 102,017
Grade 111,956
Grade 122,049
Students by race and ethnicity
Final NCES Common Core of Data membership file, 2023–24. Suppressed or missing cells are not estimated.
Current staffing · 2023–24
How many staff members support students?
See detailed staffing
Kindergarten teachers93.6 FTE
Elementary teachers491.8 FTE
Secondary teachers340.6 FTE
Elementary school counselors12 FTE
Secondary school counselors19.9 FTE
Instructional coordinators8 FTE
District administrators18 FTE
District administrative support56 FTE
School administrative support85 FTE
Other support staff387.2 FTE
Final NCES Common Core of Data staff file, 2023–24. These are full-time-equivalent positions, not employee headcounts, vacancies or caseloads.
High-school outcomes · 2023–24
How many students completed school or dropped out?
Regular diplomas among completers
Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–12
Final NCES Common Core of Data completer and dropout files, 2023–24. The dropout rate divides the reported annual grades 9–12 dropout count by complete grades 9–12 enrollment. It is not a cohort graduation rate. The diploma share describes credentials among completers and should not be read as a graduation rate.
Graduation · 2022–23
How many students graduated within four years?
Loading the district's official graduation record…
Learning support · 2021–22 federal snapshot
How many students may need specialized support?
Counts and shares use only schools with a usable value for that measure. The reporting-school denominator prevents missing schools from being counted as zero.
14.7%Students learning English3,269 students · 22 of 22 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
14.3%Students receiving IDEA special-education services3,180 students · 22 of 22 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
1.2%Students with Section 504 plans261 students · 19 of 22 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
3.6%English learners also receiving IDEA services813 students · 22 of 22 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Public-use counts are privacy-protected. These figures describe the reporting year, not current enrollment, diagnoses, service quality or unmet need.
Teacher quality and early learning · 2021–22
What did the district report about teachers and preschool?
Teacher certification comparison
U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Certification status is district-reported and may not match current staffing. Preschool counts cover the federal reporting year and are not a measure of available seats.
Community context · 2024
How many school-age children live in poverty?
This Census estimate provides context about families in the district. It does not measure school quality or describe every student enrolled in the district.
U.S. Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024. The estimate covers related children ages 5 to 17 in families in poverty and uses 2024–25 district boundaries.
District geography · 2024–25
What area does this district cover?
NCES publishes a geographic boundary for traditional school districts. Charter agencies and some special-purpose agencies may not have one.
Loading the official district boundary…
Source: NCES EDGE School District Boundaries, school year 2024–25.
Comparable districts
Districts serving a similar student population
These peers are matched using enrollment and available student population measures. Districts in CA receive geographic preference, but a closer national match may appear when it is more comparable. Open any profile for a full comparison.
Hemet UnifiedHemet, CA22,736 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Chaffey Joint Union HighAlta Loma, CA22,628 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Placentia-Yorba Linda UnifiedYorba Linda, CA22,705 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Torrance UnifiedTorrance, CA22,109 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Antelope Valley Union HighQuartz Hill, CA21,737 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →
Academic results · 2025
How do results differ among student groups?
Asian students324 assessments
80 out of 100Students not economically disadvantaged3,828 assessments
63 out of 100White students905 assessments
51 out of 100Fem9,248 assessments
48 out of 100Hispanic students16,615 assessments
46 out of 100Mal9,433 assessments
45 out of 100Economically disadvantaged students14,859 assessments
43 out of 100Black students443 assessments
36 out of 100A score of 50 marks the national 2019 midpoint. Higher numbers indicate stronger results on the comparable Stanford research scale. This is not a state proficiency rate.
District makeup
What kinds of schools are in the district?
School levels, settings and types use the NCES 2021–22 directory matched to the federal civil-rights collection.
District finances
How is the district funded, and how does it spend?
Sources of funds
Where the money comes from
Share of district revenue supplied by each level of government.
Uses of funds
Where the money goes
Annual spending for each enrolled student.
Revenue by source: percentages and dollars
How operating money was used
People costs
Equipment, buildings and debt
Selected federal program revenue
What changed since FY 2022
FY 2022$15,382
→FY 2023$18,148
FY 2022$1,425
→FY 2023$1,418
FY 2022$11,496
→FY 2023$17,265
Revenue shares and spending categories answer different questions and should not be added together. Source: NCES F-33 district finance, FY 2023.
Attendance
How has chronic absence changed?
2,682 of 22,162 students
8,135 of 21,375 students
6,973 of 22,328 students
Specialized support and security · 2021–22
What specialized roles were reported?
Staffing is reported as full-time equivalents in the 2021–22 CRDC collection.
Learning opportunities
What do district schools offer?
Algebra I5 reporting schools
80%
Calculus5 reporting schools
40%
Biology5 reporting schools
100%
Chemistry5 reporting schools
60%
Physics5 reporting schools
80%
Computer science5 reporting schools
40%
Advanced Placement5 reporting schools
40%
Dual enrollment5 reporting schools
40%
Gifted programs22 reporting schools
32%
International Baccalaureate5 reporting schools
0%
Athletics4 reporting schools
50%
Shares use only schools for which the program was applicable and reported. A districtwide percentage does not guarantee availability at every grade or campus. Source: 2021–22 CRDC.
Safety and discipline
What was reported across district schools?
785Out-of-school suspensions22 reporting schoolsSee schools →0In-school suspensions22 reporting schoolsSee schools →94Law-enforcement referrals22 reporting schoolsSee schools →7School-related arrests22 reporting schoolsSee schools →
Counts are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Open a measure to see the schools behind the district total.
Technology and safety · 2021–22
What access and incident data is available?
Technology and incident figures are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Device counts describe the reporting year, not current inventory.
Six questions parents ask
What the available data says
Each answer shows its reporting year and opens a deeper comparison. Missing and suppressed results are never shown as zero.
Are students making academic progress?5 years of resultsLatest research estimate: 2025Explore and compare →Are students missing too much school?31.2% chronically absent2022–23 · 22,328 students measuredExplore and compare →Is the district improving?About the sameCompare the earliest and latest available yearsExplore and compare →Where are student-group gaps largest?8 student groups2025 research estimatesExplore and compare →How much does the district spend?$18,148current spending per studentExplore and compare →Does the district have enough support staff?701:1 counselor ratioStudents per counselor in the 2023–24 federal staffing fileExplore and compare →
8 of 8 national data layers are matched to this NCES district ID. Identity and school counts use NCES records. Academic estimates use SEDA, attendance uses EDFacts, finance uses NCES F-33, staffing and enrollment use 2023–24 NCES CCD where available, teacher certification, preschool and policy fields use the 2021–22 CRDC, and community poverty context uses Census SAIPE. Four-year graduation rates use 2022–23 EDFacts. Every detailed view preserves its reporting year.
See all sources →