Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Edward M. Downer Elementary

Public Grades K-6

5526^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 6% of California elementary schools

Summary

Edward M. Downer Elementary is a K-6 public school serving 388 students in San Pablo, part of the West Contra Costa Unified School District, where it operates in a challenging context with a very high percentage of students from low-income families.

Academically, the school's test scores are low compared to state averages, but it performs relatively better than most of its immediate neighbors in the district, such as Lincoln Elementary and Grant Elementary. A notable strength is its work with English Language Learners, where its effectiveness ranks significantly higher than its overall performance. The school also shows some strength in Spanish language arts. However, performance varies dramatically between grade levels, and there is a large gap in achievement between female and male students.

On a positive note, Downer has made substantial progress in improving student attendance, cutting its chronic absenteeism rate nearly in half over the past few years, which is better than several nearby schools. It also spends more per student than many district peers. It's important to understand that nearly all schools in the West Contra Costa Unified district, including the charter school Voices College-Bound Language Academy at W. Contra Costa County, face similar academic challenges, indicating broader systemic factors.

388

Students ?

21.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

96.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1231 18th St.
San Pablo, CA 94806-4731

(510) 234-3851

District: West Contra Costa Unified

Students who attend Edward M. Downer Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Helms Middle
High:	Richmond High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

88.7%

African American:

5.9%

Asian:

3.1%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Edward M. Downer Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 7th percentile in 2013 → 6th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (16% vs 41% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (6th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (32% vs 19% California)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school16%

District avg27%

California avg41%

5,526^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Bottom 6%▼ down 8 pts since 2015

From bottom 14% (2015) to bottom 6% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

25^th of 37Elementary Schools in the West Contra Costa Unified

1110^th of 1,543West Contra Costa 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	11.7	5526 of 5857	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	13.0	5477 of 5869	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	11.1	5637 of 5859	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	13.3	5504 of 5883	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	12.9	5384 of 5789	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	11.3	5364 of 5662	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	18.0	4860 of 5692	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	16.8	4883 of 5614	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	18.2	4820 of 5611	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	13.0	5152 of 5530	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	8.9	5230 of 5390	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	13.9	5006 of 5377	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	7.9	5220 of 5314	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	7.4	5100 of 5193	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	9.6	4936 of 5113	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	13.7	4729 of 5113	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	7.4	4724 of 4818	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	9.7	4664 of 4822	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	10.6	4636 of 4809	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	18.7	2063 of 2227	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	16.7	2546 of 2585	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	24.3	1747 of 2128	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	37.5	2006 of 3162	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.0	2316 of 3245	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.4	2573 of 3311	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.1	2772 of 3275	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.6	2812 of 3246	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	16.0	5023 of 5597	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.6	5003 of 5612	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	15.8	5071 of 5609	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	14.7	5213 of 5635	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	13.5	5122 of 5492	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	11.4	5171 of 5413	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	15.2	4744 of 5107	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	16.4	4691 of 5107	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	14.4	4817 of 5087	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	18.3	4627 of 5084	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	16.4	4592 of 4963	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	16.1	4461 of 4830	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	15.3	5043 of 5460	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	17.6	4967 of 5517	10.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	13.5	5132 of 5363	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	19.8	4669 of 5264	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	18.9	4640 of 5173	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	15.8	4715 of 5084	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	9.5	5463 of 5628	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	12.2	5363 of 5643	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.6	5565 of 5638	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	13.5	5339 of 5663	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	13.6	5143 of 5510	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	12.0	5153 of 5431	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	25.2	2314 of 2847	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.4	2378 of 2635	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	17.0	2357 of 2420	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2024)37th percentile+30 vs school

Special Education (2025)19th percentile+13 vs school

Female (2025)10th percentile+5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)8th percentile~ school

Disabled (2022)7th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)7th percentile~ school

Male (2025)3rd percentile-3 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

Listening40%+15 vs state

Writing16%~ state avg

Mathematics16%-22 vs state

English Language Arts/Literacy14%-35 vs state

Overall12%~ state avg

Reading6%~ state avg

Science5%-28 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Edward M. Downer Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate Edward M. Downer Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Edward M. Downer Elementary

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CSA Spanish Overall (2025)					CSA Spanish Listening (2025)					CSA Spanish Writing (2025)					CSA Spanish Reading (2025)					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 (2025)
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	CSA Spanish Overall 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Overall 4th Grade	CSA Spanish Overall 5th Grade	CSA Spanish Overall 6th Grade	CSA Spanish Overall All Grades	CSA Spanish Listening 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Listening 4th Grade	CSA Spanish Listening 5th Grade	CSA Spanish Listening 6th Grade	CSA Spanish Listening All Grades	CSA Spanish Writing 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Writing 4th Grade	CSA Spanish Writing 5th Grade	CSA Spanish Writing 6th Grade	CSA Spanish Writing All Grades	CSA Spanish Reading 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Reading 4th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading 5th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading 6th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading All Grades	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th 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 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th 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 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th 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
Edward M. Downer Elementary	Public	K-6	1231 18th St.	San Pablo	94806	Contra Costa County	West Contra Costa Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(510) 234-3851	388	18	21.7	96.1%	4 (1.0%)	23 (5.9%)	344 (88.7%)	12 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.3%)	11.7	5526^th of 5857 public elementary schools	5.7%		13	5477^th of 5869 public elementary schools	6.7%	49	20.5	4.0	3.9		11.6	54.6	12.0	42.3		40.0	29.6	4.0	3.9		15.8	9.1	4.0	3.9		6.3	5.1		5.1	16.2	1.9	7.1	28.3			13.9	22.5	5.5	8.5	23.8			15.7	89.1	95.3	93.8	90.6	93.8	93.8
Cesar E. Chavez Elementary	Public	K-6	960 17th St.	Richmond	94801	Contra Costa County	West Contra Costa Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(510) 231-1418	408	17	24.0	97.8%	10 (2.5%)	9 (2.2%)	367 (90.0%)	12 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.0%)	6 (1.5%)	5.8	5815^th of 5857 public elementary schools	0.7%		7	5812^th of 5869 public elementary schools	1.0%	3																					3.7		3.7	11.3	5.0	1.9	15.2			8.1	8.1	10.2	3.8	8.9			7.8	90.4	95.9	94.5	94.5	93.2	97.3
Dover Elementary	Public	K-6	1870 19th St.	San Pablo	94806	Contra Costa County	West Contra Costa Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(510) 231-1420	458	20	22.9	91.9%	5 (1.1%)	12 (2.6%)	407 (88.9%)	21 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.3%)	7 (1.5%)	9.2	5673^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	3.1%		10.1	5685^th of 5869 public elementary schools	3.1%	12	9.1	3.9	4.6	4.0	5.3	68.2	7.7	50.0	12.0	32.6	4.6	30.8	0.0	12.0	12.6	0.0	3.9	4.6	4.0	3.2	1.5		1.5	8.2	12.5	4.6	31.3			14.3	10.9	12.9	0.0	17.2			10.2
Ford Elementary	Public	K-6	2711 Maricopa Ave.	Richmond	94804	Contra Costa County	West Contra Costa Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(510) 231-1421	371	16	23.1	85.4%	7 (1.9%)	16 (4.3%)	320 (86.3%)	22 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.3%)	8.3	5722^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	2.3%		13.4	5448^th of 5869 public elementary schools	7.2%	274	10.0	0.0	0.0		2.7	30.0	0.0	13.8		13.7	10.5	4.2	0.0		4.2	5.3	0.0	0.0		1.4	6.3		6.3	5.1	6.0	15.4	25.9			13.9	20.0	8.2	2.0	9.4			9.3	80.0	86.7	88.3	90.0	86.7	91.7
Grant Elementary	Public	K-6	2400 Downer Ave.	Richmond	94804	Contra Costa County	West Contra Costa Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(510) 231-1422	551	26	21.1	73.7%	23 (4.2%)	23 (4.2%)	470 (85.3%)	24 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	9 (1.6%)	4.7	5844^th of 5857 public elementary schools	0.2%		6.1	5837^th of 5869 public elementary schools	0.5%	7	4.8	16.0	4.0		7.6	42.9	16.0	32.0		32.6	7.1	16.0	0.0		7.6	2.4	16.7	0.0		5.5	5.2		5.2	4.8	5.0	8.0	10.6			6.7	9.0	5.1	2.6	2.3			5.2	90.0			93.0	95.0
Verde Elementary	Public	K-8	2000 Giaramita St.	Richmond	94801	Contra Costa County	West Contra Costa Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(510) 231-1408	341	14	24.3	72.4%	6 (1.8%)	19 (5.6%)	300 (88.0%)	11 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	2 (0.6%)	6.2	5804^th of 5857 public elementary schools	0.9%		6.7	5821^st of 5869 public elementary schools	0.8%	17																					6.3	0.0	3.9	5.9	3.1	6.7	14.6	14.6	13.0	10.0	5.9	2.9	10.0	11.8	23.7	5.3	10.6
Peres Elementary	Public	K-8	719 Fifth St.	Richmond	94801	Contra Costa County	West Contra Costa Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(510) 231-1407	538	26	21.0	95.0%	2 (0.4%)	68 (12.6%)	446 (82.9%)	5 (0.9%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	14 (2.6%)	5.4	5827^th of 5857 public elementary schools	0.5%		7.1	5811^th of 5869 public elementary schools	1.0%	16																					0.0	3.5	1.8	10.6	8.5	5.8	5.3	3.8	12.3	7.9	19.7	6.8	1.9	1.8	1.9	8.8	7.3	96.1			96.1
Lake Elementary	Public	K-6	2700 Eleventh St.	San Pablo	94806	Contra Costa County	West Contra Costa Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(510) 231-1451	350	14	24.3	84.0%	13 (3.7%)	18 (5.1%)	280 (80.0%)	29 (8.3%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	7 (2.0%)	8.9	5692^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	2.8%		8	5774^th of 5869 public elementary schools	1.6%	82	0.0				0.0	52.4				52.4	9.5				9.5	0.0				0.0	10.4		10.4	12.0	11.3	17.4	22.5			15.7	18.0	5.8	10.4	6.0			10.0	97.2			97.2
Voices College-Bound Language Academy at W. Contra Costa County	Public, Charter	K-8	201 28th St.	Richmond	94804	Contra Costa County	Voices College-Bound Lang Academy @ W. Contra Costa County	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(510) 480-0540	343	10	34.3	81.0%	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.9%)	333 (97.1%)	4 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	10.3	5615^th of 5857 public elementary schools	4.1%		16.7	5151^st of 5869 public elementary schools	12.2%	464																					7.7		8.7	17.0	15.0	19.4	22.0			18.4	18.2	10.0	2.6	17.1			12.6	94.0			94.0		96.0	$39,831	$38,952	$879
Riverside Elementary	Public	K-6	1300 Amador St.	Richmond	94806	Contra Costa County	West Contra Costa Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(510) 231-1409	343	16	21.5	66.8%	21 (6.1%)	46 (13.4%)	205 (59.8%)	48 (14.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.2%)	19 (5.5%)	11.3	5550^th of 5857 public elementary schools	5.2%		22.8	4599^th of 5869 public elementary schools	21.6%	951																					12.2		12.2	6.5	15.0	22.5	23.9			18.1	9.7	16.7	10.2	13.0			12.5

Frequently Asked Questions about Edward M. Downer Elementary

Is Edward M. Downer Elementary a good school?

Edward M. Downer Elementary ranks in the bottom 5.7% of California elementary schools.

How many students attend Edward M. Downer Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 388 students attended Edward M. Downer Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Edward M. Downer Elementary?

Students at Edward M. Downer Elementary are 89% Hispanic, 6% African American, 3% Asian, 1% Two or more races, 1% White.

What district is Edward M. Downer Elementary in?

West Contra Costa Unified

What schools do graduates of Edward M. Downer Elementary attend?

Students who attend Edward M. Downer Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Helms Middle
High : Richmond High

Rate Edward M. Downer Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

CACalifornia Elementary School Rankings

CACalifornia District Rankings

Schools in San Pablo, CA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Edward M. Downer Elementary!

Latest California data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataMar 13, 2026

2024–25 CSA Spanish test scoresDec 22, 2025

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 14, 2025

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.