Downey Unified

The Downey Unified School District in California serves over 22,000 students across 22 schools, including 13 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, 4 high schools, and 1 alternative school. The district is predominantly Hispanic, with high rates of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. While the district has some standout schools, such as Unsworth (Edith) Elementary and Price (Maude) Elementary, which consistently perform in the top 25% of California schools, there are also significant disparities in academic achievement across the district.

At the high school level, Downey High and Warren (Earl) High are the district's top performers, ranking in the top 25% and 30% of California high schools, respectively. However, Columbus (Christopher) High lags significantly behind, with only 20.81% of 11th graders proficient or better in English Language Arts and just 2.59% in Math. The middle schools in the district also generally perform below the state averages, with Sussman (Edward A.) Middle having particularly low proficiency rates.

Chronic absenteeism is a significant concern across the Downey Unified district, with rates ranging from 20.3% to 63.1% at individual schools. This, combined with the high rates of free and reduced-price lunch eligibility, suggests that the district faces substantial socioeconomic challenges that may be impacting student performance. Addressing these disparities and improving outcomes for all students in the district will be crucial for the future success of the Downey community.