Downieville Elementary

Located at 130 School St., in Downieville, California, Downieville Elementary is a very small elementary campus that teaches 26 students (grades K through 6), overseen by Sierra-Plumas Joint Unified. Compared to the state average of about 465 students per school, that is 94% smaller than typical.

Across the 5 schools in Sierra-Plumas Joint Unified (414 students total), Downieville Elementary accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Looking at the student body, Downieville Elementary reports that the most-represented group is White (46%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups. The remainder comes out to 35% Hispanic, 19% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 86% White, putting the school's mix considerably less White than the area baseline.

In terms of school funding signals, The school lists 2 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 17.3:1. The state averages around 22.3:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. About 77% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. That share is noticeably above Sierra County's rate of about 35%.

Zooming out to the county, Sierra County reports that the typical household earns roughly $63,355 per year, about 26% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 6%. In all, Sierra County runs 7 public schools (combined enrollment of about 414 students), of which Downieville Elementary is one.

Nearest neighbor: Downieville Junior-Senior High, around 0.0 miles off.

The school occupies a small-town site.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count ticked down 4%: 27 students in 2018 compared to 26 in 2025. Over the same period, the Hispanic share ticked up from 7% to 35%. The student-to-teacher ratio narrowed from 27.0:1 in 2018 to 17.3:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Members of the school community can share what they know.