Is Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary a good school?

Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary ranks 3897 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 636 students attended Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary?

Students at Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary are 85% Hispanic, 7% White, 5% African American, 2% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary attend?

Students who attend Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Doty (Wendy Lopour) Middle High : Downey High

Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary

Summary:

Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary is a public elementary school in Downey, California, serving 577 students from kindergarten to 5th grade. The school faces significant challenges, including high chronic absenteeism rates, low academic performance, and a high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary has seen a sharp increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 9.6% in 2018-2019 to 44.2% in 2021-2022, which is notably higher than the Downey Unified School District and state averages. The school also consistently underperforms compared to the district and state in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts/Literacy, Mathematics, and the California Science Test (CAST). For example, in 2023-2024, only 33.33% of Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary students were proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy, compared to 52.56% for the district and 47.04% for the state.

Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary's performance is particularly concerning when compared to nearby schools in the Downey Unified, Norwalk-La Mirada Unified, and Little Lake City Elementary districts, which outperform Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary in most metrics. The school's performance has also been declining over the years, with its statewide ranking dropping from 2,850 out of 5,611 California elementary schools in 2014-2015 to 3,897 out of 5,862 in 2023-2024.

Detail:

Public K-5

9724 Spry St.
Downey, CA 90242-3110

(562) 904-3582

District: Downey Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
3897^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,620

Students who attend Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Doty (Wendy Lopour) Middle
High:	Downey High

Student/teacher ratio: 21.9

Number of students: 636

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

85.4%

White:

6.6%

African American:

5.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 75.3%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary ranks worse than 66.5% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks last among 11 ranked elementary schools in the Downey Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 30.29. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (85.4%), White (6.6%), African American (5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 75.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary is 21.9, which is the lowest among 13 elementary schools in the Downey Unified School District! (See more...)

Compare Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary employs 29 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary is $12,620, which is the 5^th highest among 11 elementary schools in the Downey Unified School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary 3897^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

Downey Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Downey Unified 562^nd of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	25.69	3513^th	4809	26.9%
2005	24.00	3695^th	4822	23.4%
2006	37.02	2881^st	4818	40.2%
2007	32.33	3406^th	5113	33.4%
2008	30.29	3565^th	5113	30.3%
2009	39.56	3070^th	5193	40.9%
2010	30.08	3842^nd	5314	27.7%
2011	37.65	3414^th	5377	36.5%
2012	35.08	3591^st	5390	33.4%
2013	38.97	3383^rd	5530	38.8%
2015	43.16	2850^th	5611	49.2%
2016	41.40	2991^st	5614	46.7%
2017	37.63	3264^th	5692	42.7%
2018	37.07	3333^rd	5662	41.1%
2019	33.37	3666^th	5789	36.7%
2022	24.22	4424^th	5883	24.8%
2023	33.41	3615^th	5874	38.5%
2024	30.29	3897^th	5862	33.5%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	58.49	915^th	3246	71.8%
2019	43.87	1556^th	3275	52.5%
2022	33.59	2312^th	3311	30.2%
2023	50.62	1166^th	3250	64.1%
2024	47.55	1319^th	3160	58.3%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	34.61	1451^st	2420	40.0%
2024	32.83	1663^rd	2634	36.9%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	49.65	2383^rd	5084	53.1%
2019	46.21	2667^th	5173	48.4%
2022	29.98	3844^th	5264	27.0%
2023	38.75	3160^th	5374	41.2%
2024	39.58	3164^th	5511	42.6%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	42.00	2952^nd	5413	45.5%
2019	30.56	3778^th	5492	31.2%
2022	26.23	4103^rd	5635	27.2%
2023	33.39	3469^th	5617	38.2%
2024	32.78	3579^th	5605	36.1%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	37.57	1116^th	2128	47.6%
2019	30.74	1758^th	2585	32.0%
2022	32.31	1384^th	2227	37.9%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	31.22	3607^th	5431	33.6%
2019	36.80	3264^th	5510	40.8%
2022	23.18	4415^th	5663	22.0%
2023	33.70	3492^nd	5650	38.2%
2024	28.67	3940^th	5636	30.1%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	48.88	2295^th	4830	52.5%
2019	44.26	2663^rd	4963	46.3%
2022	33.38	3422^nd	5084	32.7%
2023	48.29	2346^th	5098	54.0%
2024	43.57	2704^th	5102	47.0%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	300	26	63	229	1	n/a	n/a	0	619
1989	292	46	58	242	0	n/a	n/a	0	638
1990	283	59	59	306	4	n/a	n/a	0	711
1991	246	82	61	341	2	n/a	n/a	0	732
1992	174	77	53	334	1	n/a	n/a	0	639
1993	132	95	43	386	6	n/a	n/a	0	662
1994	115	94	35	387	7	n/a	n/a	0	638
1995	98	86	31	509	9	n/a	n/a	0	733
1996	98	86	31	509	9	n/a	n/a	0	733
1997	79	61	29	552	6	n/a	n/a	0	727
1998	80	63	29	595	9	n/a	n/a	0	776
1999	72	49	36	655	7	n/a	n/a	2	821
2000	64	41	24	715	7	n/a	n/a	1	852
2001	46	43	28	694	5	n/a	n/a	1	817
2002	46	30	29	724	4	n/a	n/a	0	833
2003	46	30	29	724	4	n/a	n/a	0	833
2004	37	26	37	770	1	n/a	n/a	0	871
2005	36	39	40	753	3	n/a	n/a	0	871
2006	34	46	37	750	4	n/a	n/a	1	872
2007	42	44	24	713	6	n/a	n/a	1	830
2008	36	38	26	655	5	n/a	n/a	0	760
2009	33	34	19	594	2	1	2	0	685
2010	67	34	12	559	7	1	1	0	681
2011	54	38	11	530	4	1	3	0	641
2012	41	31	12	565	5	1	2	0	657
2013	28	35	9	540	3	1	2	0	618
2014	21	28	8	547	1	1	2	0	608
2015	20	33	10	553	1	1	2	0	620
2016	18	31	19	557	2	1	3	0	631
2017	20	28	12	561	1	3	3	0	628
2018	19	23	7	537	1	4	6	0	597
2019	20	18	8	496	1	4	2	0	549
2020	17	22	8	517	1	3	8	0	576
2021	23	26	10	538	4	3	8	0	612
2022	24	25	13	492	3	5	4	0	566
2023	28	27	10	501	3	4	4	0	577
2024	42	32	10	543	4	4	1	0	636

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	619	23.0	26.9	n/a
1989	638	24.0	26.5	n/a
1990	711	27.0	26.3	n/a
1991	732	29.0	25.2	n/a
1992	639	29.5	21.6	69.3
1993	662	27.0	24.5	64.7
1994	638	27.4	23.3	72.4
1995	733	30.8	23.8	75
1996	733	30.8	23.8	75
1997	727	31.3	23.2	85.7
1998	776	34.9	22.2	85.4
1999	821	37.9	21.7	83.6
2000	852	37.0	23.0	83.8
2001	817	39.0	20.9	86.4
2002	833	40.0	20.8	81
2003	833	40.0	20.8	81
2004	871	40.0	21.8	81.4
2005	871	38.5	22.6	85.3
2006	872	40.0	21.8	84.2
2007	830	39.0	21.3	83
2008	760	39.0	19.5	82.1
2009	685	34.0	19.6	86.9
2010	681	31.0	21.9	89.1
2011	641	n/a	n/a	88.1
2012	657	24.0	27.3	n/a
2013	618	23.0	26.8	85.1
2014	608	23.1	26.2	90.1
2015	620	24.0	25.8	89.7
2016	631	24.0	26.2	88.3
2017	628	25.0	25.1	87.9
2018	597	24.1	24.7	85.3
2019	549	21.0	26.1	86.9
2020	576	n/a	n/a	84.9
2021	612	27.0	22.6	75
2022	566	24.0	23.5	78.1
2023	577	27.0	21.3	80.8
2024	636	29.0	21.9	75.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Gauldin (A.L.) Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	619	23.0	26.9	n/a
1989	638	24.0	26.5	n/a
1990	711	27.0	26.3	n/a
1991	732	29.0	25.2	n/a
1992	639	29.5	21.6	69.3
1993	662	27.0	24.5	64.7
1994	638	27.4	23.3	72.4
1995	733	30.8	23.8	75
1996	733	30.8	23.8	75
1997	727	31.3	23.2	85.7
1998	776	34.9	22.2	85.4
1999	821	37.9	21.7	83.6
2000	852	37.0	23.0	83.8
2001	817	39.0	20.9	86.4
2002	833	40.0	20.8	81
2003	833	40.0	20.8	81
2004	871	40.0	21.8	81.4
2005	871	38.5	22.6	85.3
2006	872	40.0	21.8	84.2
2007	830	39.0	21.3	83
2008	760	39.0	19.5	82.1
2009	685	34.0	19.6	86.9
2010	681	31.0	21.9	89.1
2011	641	n/a	n/a	88.1
2012	657	24.0	27.3	n/a
2013	618	23.0	26.8	85.1
2014	608	23.1	26.2	90.1
2015	620	24.0	25.8	89.7
2016	631	24.0	26.2	88.3
2017	628	25.0	25.1	87.9
2018	597	24.1	24.7	85.3
2019	549	21.0	26.1	86.9
2020	576	n/a	n/a	84.9
2021	612	27.0	22.6	75
2022	566	24.0	23.5	78.1
2023	577	27.0	21.3	80.8
2024	636	29.0	21.9	75.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

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