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Ward (E. W.) Elementary

Q: Is Ward (E. W.) Elementary a good school?

Ward (E. W.) Elementary ranks 2499 th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

2499^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 57% of California elementary schools

Summary

Ward (E. W.) Elementary is a K-5 public school serving 543 students in the Downey Unified district, notable for its strong and consistent academic improvement in recent years within a high-need community.

The school's most compelling story is its upward trajectory, climbing from the 34th to the 57th percentile in statewide ranking over four years, with particular strength in serving its student population; for example, it ranks in the 73rd percentile for Hispanic students and excels in science, where 39% of students are proficient, outperforming both the district and state. This progress is even more notable when compared to similar schools, such as Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary in the same district, which Ward outperforms significantly, and it achieves these results with lower per-pupil spending than many neighboring schools in Paramount Unified and Bellflower Unified.

Areas for continued focus include mathematics, where proficiency is at the state average but lags behind the district and some peers like Lewis (Ed C.) Elementary, and chronic absenteeism, which has improved sharply from over 50% to 24% but remains above average. An interesting academic pattern is a major jump in English proficiency between 3rd and 4th grade, suggesting effective intermediate-grade instruction. Overall, Ward Elementary stands out as a school efficiently delivering strong and growing results for its community.

543

Students ?

22.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,152

Per pupil spending ?

87.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

8851 East Adoree St.
Downey, CA 90242-4501

(562) 904-3591

District: Downey Unified

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

87.5%

White:

6.4%

Asian:

2.8%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Ward (E. W.) Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 34th percentile in 2022 → 57th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 23 percentile points since 2022

✓Above the California median (57th percentile)

Worth a look

!Near the bottom of Downey Unified's ranking

!Large classes — about 23 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school42%

District avg45%

California avg41%

2,499^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 43%▲ up 24 pts since 2022

From bottom 34% (2022) to top 43% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

9^th of 11Elementary Schools in the Downey Unified

510^th of 1,543Downey Unified among California districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	51.9	2499 of 5857	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	41.8	3075 of 5869	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.2	3409 of 5859	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	29.6	3903 of 5883	33.7%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	29.0	1540 of 2227	30.8%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	47.6	1317 of 3162	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.1	855 of 3245	73.7%	★★★★☆
2022	45.0	1465 of 3311	55.8%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	53.1	2293 of 5597	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.2	2918 of 5612	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.6	3248 of 5609	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	25.7	4151 of 5635	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	66.3	1381 of 5107	73.0%	★★★★☆
2024	56.7	1858 of 5107	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.2	2217 of 5087	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	41.4	2799 of 5084	44.9%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	65.4	1527 of 5460	72.0%	★★★★☆
2024	52.0	2267 of 5517	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.9	2506 of 5363	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	40.5	2967 of 5264	43.6%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	49.8	2526 of 5628	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	41.2	2988 of 5643	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.1	3326 of 5638	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.9	3382 of 5663	40.3%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	42.6	1346 of 2847	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	35.9	1506 of 2635	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.0	1335 of 2420	44.8%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Hispanic (2025)73rd percentile+16 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)72nd percentile+15 vs school

Female (2025)59th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2024)58th percentile+11 vs school

Male (2025)55th percentile~ school

Special Education (2025)53rd percentile-5 vs school

Disabled (2022)31st percentile-3 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy48%~ state avg

Science39%+7 vs state

Mathematics38%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Ward (E. W.) Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CAST Science (2025)		Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)					Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)					% Completely Immunized (2022)	% Polio (2022)	% Hepatitis B (2022)	% Varicella (2022)	% DTP (2022)	% MMR (2022)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Ward (E. W.) Elementary	Public	K-5	8851 East Adoree St.	Downey	90242	Los Angeles County	Downey Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(562) 904-3591	543	24	22.6	87.3%	35 (6.4%)	8 (1.5%)	475 (87.5%)	15 (2.8%)	3 (0.6%)	3 (0.6%)	4 (0.7%)	51.9	2499^th of 5857 public elementary schools	57.3%		41.8	3075^th of 5869 public elementary schools	47.6%	576	39.3	39.3	27.5	56.4	55.8		47.6	35.0	38.2	39.1		37.6	98.1	98.1			98.1		$17,152	$2,044	$15,108
Carpenter (C. C.) Elementary	Public	K-5	9439 East Foster Rd.	Downey	90242	Los Angeles County	Downey Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(562) 904-3588	796	29	27.4	53.1%	50 (6.3%)	15 (1.9%)	712 (89.4%)	5 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	12 (1.5%)	59.5	2091^st of 5857 public elementary schools	64.3%		54.4	2323^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	60.4%	232	34.7	34.7	53.2	49.6	53.9		52.2	48.0	44.7	39.2		44.3							$16,809	$1,754	$15,055
Imperial Elementary	Public	K-3	8133 Imperial Hwy.	Downey	90242	Los Angeles County	Downey Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(562) 904-3578	653	28	23.3	75.7%	40 (6.1%)	9 (1.4%)	581 (89.0%)	17 (2.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.8%)								(n/a)			47.2				47.2	54.8				54.8	95.2	95.9		97.2	96.6	97.2	$17,074	$1,926	$15,148
Alameda Elementary	Public	K-5	8613 East Alameda St.	Downey	90242	Los Angeles County	Downey Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(562) 904-3589	744	31	24.0	84.5%	30 (4.0%)	25 (3.4%)	663 (89.1%)	18 (2.4%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	4 (0.5%)	51.4	2530^th of 5857 public elementary schools	56.8%		56.8	2196^th of 5869 public elementary schools	62.6%	334	24.1	24.1	40.6	55.3	47.8		47.6	44.6	48.7	34.8		42.7	95.6			96.8	97.5	96.8	$17,749	$1,823	$15,926
Theodore Roosevelt	Public	K-5	13451 Merkel Ave.	Paramount	90723	Los Angeles County	Paramount Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(562) 602-8056	491	24	20.8	92.7%	4 (0.8%)	51 (10.4%)	419 (85.3%)	7 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	7 (1.4%)	22.9	4599^th of 5857 public elementary schools	21.5%		27.3	4176^th of 5869 public elementary schools	28.8%	423	18.8	18.8	25.3	27.5	40.0		30.6	25.5	19.0	23.8		23.0							$21,608	$1,832	$19,776
Lewis (Ed C.) Elementary	Public	K-5	13220 South Bellflower Blvd.	Downey	90242	Los Angeles County	Downey Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(562) 904-3590	810	35	23.1	76.5%	44 (5.4%)	37 (4.6%)	679 (83.8%)	38 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	11 (1.4%)	71.5	1532^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	73.8%		58.9	2112^th of 5869 public elementary schools	64.0%	580	33.1	33.1	65.6	55.3	58.6		59.6	76.6	51.1	43.6		56.3	94.3	95.1	95.9	94.3	94.3	95.1	$17,115	$1,867	$15,248
Harry Wirtz Elementary	Public	K-5	8535 Contreras St.	Paramount	90723	Los Angeles County	Paramount Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(562) 602-8068	421	19	22.1	96.0%	3 (0.7%)	21 (5.0%)	384 (91.2%)	6 (1.4%)	3 (0.7%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	29.6	3993^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	31.8%		31.3	3825^th of 5869 public elementary schools	34.8%	168	25.4	25.4	35.1	40.0	36.6		37.1	20.3	29.2	21.1		23.3	89.0	90.2		91.5	89.0	91.5	$22,849	$1,647	$21,202
Albert Baxter Elementary	Public	K-6	14929 Cerritos Ave.	Bellflower	90706	Los Angeles County	Bellflower Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(562) 531-1602	309	15	20.6	82.2%	9 (2.9%)	26 (8.4%)	244 (79.0%)	18 (5.8%)	1 (0.3%)	8 (2.6%)	3 (1.0%)	56.2	2242^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	61.7%		46.4	2770^th of 5869 public elementary schools	52.8%	528	22.0	22.0	49.0	38.6	48.8	42.6	44.8	57.1	59.1	48.8	36.2	50.3							$21,385	$2,513	$18,872
Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary	Public	K-5	9724 Spry St.	Downey	90242	Los Angeles County	Downey Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(562) 904-3582	641	29	22.1	89.4%	46 (7.2%)	23 (3.6%)	554 (86.4%)	10 (1.6%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.5%)	38.3	3326^th of 5857 public elementary schools	43.2%		30.3	3903^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	33.5%	577	30.4	30.4	36.9	31.1	45.1		37.7	40.8	29.8	30.7		33.8	90.0	90.9	94.6	90.9	90.9	92.7	$17,142	$1,951	$15,191
Jefferson Elementary	Public	K-5	8600 Jefferson St.	Paramount	90723	Los Angeles County	Paramount Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(562) 602-8024	356	19	19.2	92.7%	3 (0.8%)	20 (5.6%)	321 (90.2%)	8 (2.2%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	42.7	3026^th of 5857 public elementary schools	48.3%		41.3	3104^th of 5869 public elementary schools	47.1%	78	25.9	25.9	40.4	41.5	44.6		42.2	55.8	34.0	20.7		36.2	90.4	96.2	96.2		94.2	92.3	$22,687	$1,775	$20,912

Frequently Asked Questions about Ward (E. W.) Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Ward (E. W.) Elementary?

Students at Ward (E. W.) Elementary are 87% Hispanic, 6% White, 3% Asian, 1% African American.

Is Ward (E. W.) Elementary a good school?

Ward (E. W.) Elementary ranks 2499^th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Ward (E. W.) Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 543 students attended Ward (E. W.) Elementary.

What district is Ward (E. W.) Elementary in?

Downey Unified

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.