Enrollment
572
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Waite Park, MN
Discovery Community Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Discovery Community Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 273351002287
👥 S:T ratio 31
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 46
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Discovery Community Elementary earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of Minnesota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Minnesota schools.
- #4 of 4
- schools in Waite Park · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.3:1
- large classes for Minnesota
- 77.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Discovery Community Elementary has class sizes larger than 71% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery Community Elementary ranks #4 of 4 schools in Waite Park, MN.
School address
District: St. Cloud Public School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 273351002287 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.3:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.2%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+80% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Discovery Community Elementary compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Discovery Community Elementary
Discovery Community Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Waite Park, Minnesota, enrolling 572 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 77.2% of students qualify for free meals, 80% above the Minnesota average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 572 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 92 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #57.
Its student body is led by African American (42%) and Hispanic or Latino (25%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 70/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 358 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 19.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
St. Cloud Public School District also operates Technical Senior High (1,561 students) and Apollo Senior High (1,264 students) alongside Discovery Community Elementary.
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 Community Elementary compares
Discovery Community Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.3:1 | ▲ 9% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.2% | ▲ 80% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 572 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.3:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
572
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
77.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 80% above the Minnesota average of 42.8%
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
17.3:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 71% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 29% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
21.5%
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
$15,904
per pupil, district-wide
- above Minnesota avg of $15,270
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.6 FTE
Per 358 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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
African American 42.0%
Hispanic or Latino 25.3%
White 23.4%
Two or More 7.2%
Asian 1.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 42.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.9, Discovery Community Elementary is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for St. Cloud Public School District, which includes Discovery Community Elementary.
$15,904
Per student
+4%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.7%
State 61.7%
Federal 19.7%
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.
How Discovery Community Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technical Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Apollo Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Oak Hill Community Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | No ratio data |
| South Junior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Junior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Discovery Community Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,561
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,264
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 878
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 831
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 720
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar other 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 (~572 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Discovery Community Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Discovery Community Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- St. Cloud Public School 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 Community Elementary
How many students attend Discovery Community Elementary?
Discovery Community Elementary has 572 students enrolled. It is a public school in Waite Park, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Discovery Community Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Discovery Community Elementary is 17.3:1, which is 9% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 10% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Discovery Community Elementary?
77.2% of students at Discovery Community Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Discovery Community Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Discovery Community Elementary is African American at 42.0% of enrollment, in Waite Park, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Discovery Community Elementary?
Discovery Community Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 Community Elementary rank among schools in Waite Park?
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery Community Elementary ranks #4 of 4 schools in Waite Park, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Waite Park on the city page.
Is Discovery Community Elementary a good school?
Discovery Community Elementary earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% 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 St. Cloud Public School District?
Besides Discovery Community Elementary, St. Cloud Public School District also operates Technical Senior High (1,561 students), Apollo Senior High (1,264 students), and Oak Hill Community Elementary (878 students). See the St. Cloud Public School District district page for the complete list.
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.