Enrollment
536
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Porter, IN
Discovery Charter School
Federal NCES profile for Discovery Charter School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 180008802495Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 59
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Discovery Charter School earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana median.
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.8:1
- students per teacher
- 28.8%
- free-lunch eligible
- 536
- students enrolled
Discovery Charter School has class sizes near the Indiana median. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Discovery Charter School · Indiana
NCES ID 180008802495 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.8:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.8%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-42% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Discovery Charter School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Discovery Charter School
Discovery Charter School is a mid-sized charter elementary school in Porter, Indiana, enrolling 536 students.
At 15.8:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Indiana median, within a few percentage points of the 15.9:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 28.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 536 students, its enrollment sits close to the Indiana median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Against 430 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #81.
Its student body is led by White (64%) and Hispanic or Latino (19%) (diversity index 54/100).
16.6% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Discovery Charter School spends $8,521 per pupil, 29% below the Indiana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 16.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Porter's elementary schools, it stands alongside Newton Yost Elementary School (362 students): Discovery Charter School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.8:1 vs 13.9:1).
Discovery Charter School is a single-school charter district, so Discovery Charter 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 School compares
Discovery Charter School on the metrics families compare, against Indiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Indiana | Indiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.8:1 | ▼ 1% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.8% | ▼ 42% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 536 | top 36% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.8:1
Leaner classes than 40% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
536
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
28.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 42% below the Indiana average of 49.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.8:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 57% in Indiana - lower ratio than 43% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
16.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$8,521
per pupil, district-wide
- below Indiana avg of $12,079
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
41
in-school suspensions + 48 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 16.6 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 64.0%
Hispanic or Latino 18.5%
African American 7.6%
Two or More 7.5%
Asian 2.4%
Largest group: White at 64.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.4, Discovery Charter School is more mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Discovery Charter School, which includes Discovery Charter School.
$8,521
Per student
-29%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-49%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 2.8%
State 80.3%
Federal 16.9%
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 in Porter
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Indiana, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~536 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Discovery Charter School's federal record.
- Compare Discovery Charter 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 School
How many students attend Discovery Charter School?
Discovery Charter School has 536 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Porter, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Discovery Charter School?
The student-teacher ratio at Discovery Charter School is 15.8:1, which is 1% lower than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 1% higher 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 School?
28.8% of students at Discovery Charter School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Discovery Charter School?
The largest demographic group at Discovery Charter School is White at 64.0% of enrollment, in Porter, IN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Discovery Charter School?
Discovery Charter School has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (higher 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).
Is Discovery Charter School a good school?
Discovery Charter School earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana 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 School?
None; Discovery Charter School is a single-school charter district, and Discovery Charter 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.