Downey Unified School District

Downey Unified School District serves 22,421 students across 22 schools in Downey, California — a mid-sized district by Southern California standards. The district's scale gives families a consistent pipeline of options across grade levels within the same administrative system.

Of the 22 schools, 20 carry ranked scores, averaging 6.3 out of 10 across the district. That puts the typical Downey Unified school in solidly functional territory, with real standouts pulling the upper range considerably higher. Parents comparing districts should register the internal spread: the top school sits at 8.5 while the district average lands at 6.3, a gap of more than two full points. School selection within Downey Unified matters more than in systems where scores cluster tightly.

Williams (Spencer V.) Elementary leads the district at 8.5 out of 10 — the highest score among all 20 ranked schools and a meaningful jump above the 6.3 district average. At the middle school level, Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle scores 7.8, and Griffiths (Gordon) Middle follows at 7.7. Rio Hondo Elementary also lands at 7.7, rounding out a cluster of strong performers in the upper tier. Sussman (Edward A.) Middle scores 7.1, still above the district average. Together, five schools clear 7.0 — a solid concentration of higher-performing options for families who prioritize school assignment during enrollment.

For parents benchmarking Downey Unified against neighboring districts, the 6.3 average reflects real variation inside the system rather than uniform performance at that level. The strongest schools — particularly Williams Elementary and Stauffer Middle — are genuine assets worth targeting. Families with younger children should look closely at Williams as an elementary benchmark. Those approaching middle school have three options rated 7.0 or above, giving meaningful choice across the grade span. With 22,421 students and 22 schools, the district is large enough to offer real variety without becoming an unwieldy maze of options to navigate.