Enrollment
522
Connecticut · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 090070001597
Discovery Academy — Wethersfield, CT
Federal NCES profile for Discovery Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 38/100.
👥 Class size 40
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 45
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Capitol Region Education Council · Connecticut
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.9:1
vs 12.1:1 Connecticut avg
+23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
51.3%
vs 36.4% Connecticut avg
+41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Discovery Academy compares with Connecticut and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Discovery Academy reports 522 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 35.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.9:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 23% above the Connecticut state mean of 12.1:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 6% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 51.3% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 41% above the Connecticut average and 1% below the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 22.2% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Capitol Region Education Council spends $29,818 per pupil district-wide, above the Connecticut average of $28,239 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 34.3% from local sources (property taxes), 53.9% from the state, and 11.8% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (F), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Discovery Academy compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Connecticut state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Connecticut | Connecticut avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.9:1 | ▲ 23% | 12.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 51.3% | ▲ 41% | 36.4% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 522 | top 70% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
51.3%
free-lunch eligible
— 41% above the Connecticut average of 36.4%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.9:1
students per teacher
— 23% above state mean
Top 92% in Connecticut — lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
22.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$29,818
per pupil, district-wide
— above Connecticut avg of $28,239
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 522 Top 70% in Connecticut — larger than 30% of 1,005 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 35.0
Students per teacher 14.9:1 +23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 51.3% +41% vs state
NCES ID 090070001597
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 50.9%
White 21.3%
African American 16.1%
Asian 6.7%
Two or More 4.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 50.9% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 22.2%
In-school suspensions 2
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Capitol Region Education Council, which includes Discovery Academy.
$29,818
Per student
+6%
vs Connecticut
Avg $28,239
+53%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 34.3%
State 53.9%
Federal 11.8%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 855
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Enrollment
- 767
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Enrollment
- 767
- Students per teacher
- 10.1:1
- Enrollment
- 697
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Enrollment
- 669
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
Similar other schools in Wethersfield
4 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Emerson-Williams School
Standard public school
408 students 15:1 students per teacher
Samuel B. Webb Elementary School
Standard public school
342 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Alfred W. Hanmer School
Standard public school
280 students 12.5:1 students per teacher
Charles Wright School
Standard public school
235 students 11.4:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Discovery Academy
How many students attend Discovery Academy?
Discovery Academy has 522 students enrolled. It is a other school in Wethersfield, CT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Discovery Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Discovery Academy is 14.9:1, which is 23% higher than the Connecticut average of 12.1:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Discovery Academy?
51.3% of students at Discovery Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Connecticut average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Discovery Academy?
The largest demographic group at Discovery Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 50.9%. The school serves a diverse student body in Wethersfield, CT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Discovery Academy?
Discovery Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.