Ward (E. W.) Elementary

543 Students

Elementary School K - 5th

School Overview

Ward Elementary School is a public school located in Downey, California, serving students from transitional kindergarten through fifth grade. As part of the Downey Unified School District, the school is dedicated to fostering a supportive and inclusive learning environment that emphasizes academic excellence, character development, and student engagement. The campus is designed to provide a foundational educational experience, focusing on core curriculum areas like literacy and mathematics while encouraging students to develop critical thinking and collaboration skills.

Beyond its academic focus, Ward Elementary places a strong emphasis on building a sense of community among its students, staff, and families. The school benefits from its location in the suburban community of Downey, utilizing its resources to create a safe and nurturing atmosphere where students are encouraged to reach their full potential. Through various school programs, extracurricular opportunities, and a commitment to personalized instruction, Ward Elementary strives to prepare its young learners for success in middle school and beyond.

543

Total Students

24.0

Full-Time Teachers

22.6

Student/Teacher Ratio

87.3%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for Ward (E. W.) Elementary
Demographic	Student Count
White	35
Hispanic	475
Black	8
Asian	15
Two or More	4
American Indian	3
Pacific Islander	3

Hispanic
475 (87.5%)
White
35 (6.4%)
Asian
15 (2.8%)
Black
8 (1.5%)
Two or More
4 (0.7%)
American Indian
3 (0.6%)
Pacific Islander
3 (0.6%)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Elementary School
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Public Non-Charter
Virtual Instruction:	No virtual instruction
Shared Time Status:	N/A
District:	Downey Unified
Phone:	(562)904-3591
Grade Range:	K - 5th
Total Students:	543
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	24.0
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	22.6
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Provision 2
Qualified Free Lunch:	405
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	69

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Kindergarten 132

Grade 1 63

Grade 2 76

Grade 3 85

Grade 4 101

Grade 5 86