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Alumni: what's one memory from Downey High that still sticks with you?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
4,051
High
DISTRICT 2,011 · STATE 838
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·DOWNEY UNIFIED·NCES 061146001264
Downey High
11040 Brookshire Ave., Downey, CA 90241 · (562) 869-7301 · Los Angeles County
GRADES 09–12HIGH21-SUBURBTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL4,051 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
23.9:1
170 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 18.1:1 · STATE 18.2:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
79%
3,208 students
DISTRICT 78% · STATE 65%
Community
5
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | 1,113 | 27% |
| Grade 10 | 1,019 | 25% |
| Grade 11 | 986 | 24% |
| Grade 12 | 933 | 23% |
Student demographics
21%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 21% · STATE 62% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
CAASPP 2024-25 . % met or exceeded standardEnglish Language Arts
64.8%
CA avg 49.1% . -2.2pp since 2014
Math
38.4%
CA avg 37.7% . +15.4pp since 2014
What this means: On the CAASPP, California's statewide test, about 65 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 38 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all California schools, those numbers are about 49 and 38. Reading and writing scores are down about 2 points since 2014, while math scores are up about 15 points.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Standard Exceeded | Standard Met | Standard Nearly Met | Standard Not Met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 27.4% | 37.3% | 21.0% | 14.3% |
| Math | 14.6% | 23.8% | 25.0% | 36.7% |
Share of tested students at each CAASPP level. Each student counts in one level, so a row adds to about 100%.
CAASPP results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 64.8% | 38.4% |
| 2023-24 | 66.6% | 28.4% |
| 2022-23 | 65.3% | 32.3% |
| 2021-22 | 65.0% | 29.1% |
| 2018-19 | 60.4% | 28.7% |
| 2017-18 | 59.6% | 31.5% |
| 2016-17 | 70.8% | 28.7% |
| 2015-16 | 69.0% | 31.0% |
| 2014-15 | 67.0% | 23.0% |
% met or exceeded standard, all students and all tested grades.
Source: CAASPP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
OUTPERFORMING
Top 10% of CA schools after controlling for student poverty
Actual proficiency
49.5%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
33.1%
based on CA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+16.4pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 50% of students here test proficient in math and reading, well above the roughly 33% typical for California schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations ranks schools against others at the same poverty level, not by raw scores, so a school can post high scores and still fall short of its prediction, or post lower scores and still beat it. This school clears its prediction by about 16 points, placing it in California's top 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Where Downey High ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In California | In Los Angeles County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 49.5% | #331 of 1,052 | #72 of 228 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 38.4% | #293 of 1,056 | #65 of 229 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 64.8% | #361 of 1,056 | #80 of 229 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +4.5pp | #371 of 1,044 | #107 of 229 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 4,051 | #2 of 2,093 | #1 of 486 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 23.9:1 | #1,094 of 1,352 | #299 of 358 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 21.1% | #1,081 of 1,351 | #220 of 359 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +0.2% | #321 of 327 | #39 of 41 |
Ranked against other public high schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list.
7-year change
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
4,051
+9 (+0%) vs 2017
Student : Teacher
23.9:1
was 23.8:1
% White
5%
was 5%
% Hispanic
89%
was 87%
% Black
3%
was 3%
% Asian
3%
was 3%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free or reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 4,051 | 169.8 | 23.9:1 | 79% (3,208) |
| 2023-24 | 3,936 | 165.9 | 23.7:1 | 66% (2,617) |
| 2022-23 | 4,063 | 174.5 | 23.3:1 | 68% (2,775) |
| 2017-18 | 4,042 | 169.6 | 23.8:1 | 63% (2,563) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Downey High.
About Downey High
As a large high school, Downey High serves students in Downey, California. School enrollment was 4,051 students in 2024-25, in grades 9 through 12. The average among high schools in California is roughly 838 students; this school is 383% above that.
Downey High reports to Downey Unified, which has 21 schools and 22,405 students.
Hispanic students are the large majority at Downey High, with 89% of enrollment. The remaining shares are 5% White, 3% Asian, and 3% Black. Census estimates put the Hispanic share of Los Angeles County's population at about 48%. By the diversity index, Downey High comes in at 21%.
The count of teachers at Downey High is 169.8 full-time equivalents, for a ratio of 23.9:1. Among high schools in California, the typical ratio is 18.2:1. The school counts 3,208 students as eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, or 79%. That is higher than the 70% average for public schools in Los Angeles County.
Downey High posts an average proficiency rate on state tests of 49.5%. Schools with its free or reduced-price lunch share in California are predicted to post 33.1%, so the school is 16.4 points ahead and in the state's top 10%.
According to the American Community Survey, in Los Angeles County, median household income is about $90,112, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 36% of adults, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 10%. Downey High is one of 2,244 public schools in Los Angeles County, which together enroll about 1,265,907 students.
Of nearby public schools, Rio San Gabriel Elementary is the closest, at about 0.8 miles. The count of other public schools within five miles is at least 8. Of 9 schools in the immediate area with test results, Downey High ranks 4th on average proficiency.
Under the NCES locale system, Downey High is Suburb: Large.
Federal data show 4,042 students in 2017-18 and 4,051 in 2024-25, a difference of under 3%.
If you have questions about science fairs, picture day, and bus routes at Downey High, you can post them here. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.
Los Angeles County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
9,808,667
Census ACS
Median income
$90,112
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
36%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
10%
Below federal line
Schools in county
2,244
1,265,907 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Downey Unified
- Warren (Earl) HighHigh · 3,609 students
- Stauffer (Mary R.) MiddleMiddle · 1,329 students
- Doty (Wendy Lopour) MiddleMiddle · 1,304 students
- Griffiths (Gordon) MiddleMiddle · 1,264 students
- Sussman (Edward A.) MiddleMiddle · 1,240 students
- Rio Hondo ElementaryElementary · 838 students
Other schools in Downey
- Warren (Earl) HighHigh · 3,609 students
- Stauffer (Mary R.) MiddleMiddle · 1,329 students
- Doty (Wendy Lopour) MiddleMiddle · 1,304 students
- Griffiths (Gordon) MiddleMiddle · 1,264 students
- Sussman (Edward A.) MiddleMiddle · 1,240 students
- Rio Hondo ElementaryElementary · 838 students
Nearby schools
- Rio San Gabriel Elementary0.8 mi · 747
- Doty (Wendy Lopour) Middle0.8 mi · 1,304
- Warren (Earl) High0.9 mi · 3,609
- Rio Hondo Elementary1.1 mi · 838
- Alameda Elementary1.1 mi · 744
- Gallatin Elementary1.3 mi · 788
Frequently asked questions
About Downey HighHow large is Downey High?
Downey High enrolls approximately 4,051 students in grades 09-12.
Is Downey High an elementary, middle, or high school?
Downey High is a high school covering grades 09-12.
How many teachers does Downey High have?
Downey High employs 170 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 23.9:1.
How diverse is Downey High?
Downey High reports a student body of 5% White, 89% Hispanic, 3% Black, 3% Asian, 1% Two or more.
Is Downey High public or private?
Downey High is a public K-12 school, overseen by Downey Unified.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.