Gallatin Elementary

Gallatin Elementary is a primary school of big scale in Downey, California, part of Downey Unified, enrolling 788 students in grades K through 5. That puts it 69% above the typical public school in California, which averages around 465 students.

Across the 21 schools in Downey Unified (22,405 students total), Gallatin Elementary accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

On the student-mix side, Gallatin Elementary logs that 84% of students identify as Hispanic, making the school strongly Hispanic-majority. The remainder is composed of 10% White, 3% Asian, 2% Black. The wider county runs roughly 48% Hispanic, putting the school's mix noticeably more Hispanic than the area baseline.

On the resource side, The school currently runs with 31 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 25.4:1. That figure is higher than the state norm's 22.3:1 average. An estimated 67% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal.

After controlling for student poverty, Gallatin Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 39.7% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 43.2%.

Around the school, the surrounding county (Los Angeles County) shows that median household income runs about $90,112, roughly 36% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 10%. In all, Los Angeles County runs 2244 public schools (combined enrollment of about 1,265,907 students), of which Gallatin Elementary is one.

The closest other public school is Unsworth (Edith) Elementary, roughly 0.6 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Gallatin Elementary ranks 6th on composite proficiency, beneath the local average of 47.0%.

Geographically, the school is in a suburban area.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count rose 7%: 738 students in 2018 compared to 788 in 2025. The student-to-teacher ratio narrowed from 27.3:1 in 2018 to 25.4:1 today.

On allk12, members of the Gallatin Elementary community share and discuss pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.