Enrollment
945
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Chula Vista, CA
Discovery Charter
Federal NCES profile for Discovery Charter, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060229002633Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 6
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 61
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Discovery Charter earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #24 of 42
- elementary schools in Chula Vista · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 23.6:1
- students per teacher
- 27.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Discovery Charter has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery Charter ranks #24 of 42 elementary schools in Chula Vista, CA.
School address
District: Discovery Charter District · California
NCES ID 060229002633 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
27.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
-51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Discovery Charter compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Discovery Charter
Discovery Charter is a large charter elementary school in Chula Vista, California, enrolling 945 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.6:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 27.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 945 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 923 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #494.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (69%) and Asian (13%) (diversity index 50/100).
15.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Chula Vista's elementary schools, it stands alongside Feaster (Mae L.) Charter (1,095 students): Discovery Charter is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (23.6:1 vs 19.6:1).
Discovery Charter District is a single-school charter district, so Discovery Charter operates independently rather than alongside district-mates.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Discovery Charter compares
Discovery Charter on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 23.6:1 | ▲ 10% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 27.4% | ▼ 51% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 945 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.6:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
945
Bigger than 90% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
27.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
23.6:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 68% in California - lower ratio than 32% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
15.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 68.9%
Asian 13.2%
White 8.1%
Two or More 7.3%
African American 2.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 68.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.5, Discovery Charter is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Similar elementary schools in Chula Vista
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Feaster (Mae L.) Charter
Standard public school
1,095 students 19.6:1 students per teacher
Wolf Canyon Elementary
Standard public school
954 students 25.8:1 students per teacher
Arroyo Vista Charter
Standard public school
911 students 24.6:1 students per teacher
Camarena (Enrique S.) Elementary
Standard public school
889 students 21.7:1 students per teacher
Hedenkamp (Anne and William) Elementary
Standard public school
855 students 21.9:1 students per teacher
Salt Creek Elementary
Standard public school
835 students 23.9:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of California, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~945 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Discovery Charter's federal record.
- Compare Discovery Charter against another school. Compare schools
- Discovery Charter District's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Discovery Charter
How many students attend Discovery Charter?
Discovery Charter has 945 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Chula Vista, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Discovery Charter?
The student-teacher ratio at Discovery Charter is 23.6:1, which is 10% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 50% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Discovery Charter?
27.4% of students at Discovery Charter are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Discovery Charter?
The largest demographic group at Discovery Charter is Hispanic or Latino at 68.9% of enrollment, in Chula Vista, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Discovery Charter?
Discovery Charter has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Discovery Charter rank among elementary schools in Chula Vista?
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery Charter ranks #24 of 42 elementary schools in Chula Vista, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Chula Vista on the city page.
Is Discovery Charter a good school?
Discovery Charter earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Discovery Charter District?
None; Discovery Charter District is a single-school charter district, and Discovery Charter is its only campus.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.