Enrollment
166
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Inver Grove Heights, MN
Discovery Charter Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Discovery Charter Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 270039104764Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 56
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 20
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Discovery Charter Elementary School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 76% of Minnesota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Minnesota schools.
- #7 of 10
- public schools in Inver Grove Heights · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.1:1
- small classes for Minnesota
- 41.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Discovery Charter Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 76% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery Charter Elementary School ranks #7 of 10 public schools in Inver Grove Heights, MN.
School address
District: Discovery Charter School · Minnesota
NCES ID 270039104764 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.1:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.1%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-4% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Discovery Charter Elementary School compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Discovery Charter Elementary School
Discovery Charter Elementary School is a mid-sized charter elementary school in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, enrolling 166 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 41.1% lands close to the Minnesota typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 166 students, its enrollment sits close to the Minnesota median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 206 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #141.
Its student body is led by White (54%) and Hispanic or Latino (17%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 65/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Discovery Charter School spends $10,616 per pupil, 30% below the Minnesota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 17.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discovery Charter School is a single-school charter district, so Discovery Charter Elementary School 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 Elementary School compares
Discovery Charter Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.1:1 | ▼ 30% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.1% | ▼ 4% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 166 | top 60% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.1:1
Leaner classes than 82% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
166
Bigger than 16% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 4% below the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.1:1
students per teacher
- 30% below state mean
Top 24% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 76% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
31.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$10,616
per pupil, district-wide
- below Minnesota avg of $15,270
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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
White 53.6%
Hispanic or Latino 16.9%
Two or More 14.5%
African American 10.8%
Asian 3.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Largest group: White at 53.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.0, Discovery Charter Elementary School is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Discovery Charter School, which includes Discovery Charter Elementary School.
$10,616
Per student
-30%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 1.6%
State 80.9%
Federal 17.5%
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.
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Minnesota, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~166 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Discovery Charter Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Discovery Charter Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Discovery Charter School'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 Elementary School
How many students attend Discovery Charter Elementary School?
Discovery Charter Elementary School has 166 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Inver Grove Heights, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Discovery Charter Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Discovery Charter Elementary School is 11.1:1, which is 30% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 29% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Discovery Charter Elementary School?
41.1% of students at Discovery Charter Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Discovery Charter Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Discovery Charter Elementary School is White at 53.6% of enrollment, in Inver Grove Heights, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Discovery Charter Elementary School?
Discovery Charter Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Elementary School rank among public schools in Inver Grove Heights?
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery Charter Elementary School ranks #7 of 10 public schools in Inver Grove Heights, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Inver Grove Heights on the city page.
Is Discovery Charter Elementary School a good school?
Discovery Charter Elementary School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 76% of Minnesota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Minnesota schools. 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 School?
None; Discovery Charter School is a single-school charter district, and Discovery Charter Elementary School 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.