Enrollment
99
New Jersey · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Newark, NJ
Discovery Charter School
Federal NCES profile for Discovery Charter School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 340002000282Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 21
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 1
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Discovery Charter School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of New Jersey schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in New Jersey.
- #3 of 9
- elementary schools in Newark · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.8:1
- large classes for New Jersey
- 62.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Discovery Charter School has class sizes larger than 98% of New Jersey schools. Computed live against every New Jersey school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery Charter School ranks #3 of 9 elementary schools in Newark, NJ.
School address
District: Discovery Charter School · New Jersey
NCES ID 340002000282 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
5.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.8:1
vs 11.8:1 New Jersey avg
+68% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
62.9%
vs 29.6% New Jersey avg
+112% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Discovery Charter School compares with New Jersey and U.S. medians
What stands out at Discovery Charter School
Discovery Charter School is a higher-need, small charter elementary school in Newark, New Jersey, enrolling 99 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.8:1 is larger than about 98% of New Jersey schools and 68% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 62.9% of students qualify for free meals, 112% above the New Jersey average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 96% of New Jersey schools, with 99 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,501 scored New Jersey schools.
Among 16 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New Jersey schools statewide, it ranks #13, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 30/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 495 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 24.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Newark's elementary schools, it stands alongside Achieve Community Charter School (450 students): Discovery Charter School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.8:1 vs 17.3:1).
Discovery Charter School is a single-school charter district, so Discovery Charter School operates independently rather than alongside district-mates. At 99 students, it is also a small operation, on the smaller end of New Jersey's single-school districts.
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 New Jersey and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs New Jersey | New Jersey avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.8:1 | ▲ 68% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 62.9% | ▲ 112% | 29.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 99 | top 96% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.8:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
99
Bigger than 10% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
62.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 112% above the New Jersey average of 29.6%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.8:1
students per teacher
- 68% above state mean
Top 98% in New Jersey - lower ratio than 2% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
18.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$22,723
per pupil, district-wide
- below New Jersey avg of $24,984
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.2 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 expulsions.
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
African American 81.8%
Hispanic or Latino 17.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.0%
Largest group: African American at 81.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 30.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 30.1, Discovery Charter School is less mixed than the New Jersey school average of 51.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Discovery Charter School, which includes Discovery Charter School.
$22,723
Per student
-9%
vs New Jersey
Avg $24,984
+37%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 65.8%
State 9.7%
Federal 24.5%
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 in Newark
3 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 New Jersey, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~99 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 99 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Newark, NJ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Discovery Charter School?
The student-teacher ratio at Discovery Charter School is 19.8:1, which is 68% higher than the New Jersey average of 11.8:1 and 26% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Discovery Charter School?
62.9% of students at Discovery Charter School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Jersey average of 29.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Discovery Charter School?
The largest demographic group at Discovery Charter School is African American at 81.8% of enrollment, in Newark, NJ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Discovery Charter School?
Discovery Charter School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Discovery Charter School rank among elementary schools in Newark?
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery Charter School ranks #3 of 9 elementary schools in Newark, NJ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Newark on the city page.
Is Discovery Charter School a good school?
Discovery Charter School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of New Jersey schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in New Jersey. 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.