Enrollment
873
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 466627001238
Discovery Elementary - 26 — Sioux Falls, SD
Federal NCES profile for Discovery Elementary - 26, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 46/100.
👥 Class size 28
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 87
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Sioux Falls School District 49-5 · South Dakota
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.9:1
vs 13.5:1 South Dakota avg
+33% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
15.2%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-47% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Discovery Elementary - 26 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Discovery Elementary - 26 reports 873 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 49.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 17.9:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 33% above the South Dakota state mean of 13.5:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 13% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 15.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 47% below the South Dakota average and 71% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 582 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 5.3% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Sioux Falls School District 49-5 spends $12,493 per pupil district-wide, below the South Dakota average of $16,140 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 48.1% from local sources (property taxes), 33.1% from the state, and 18.9% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (D), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Discovery Elementary - 26 compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against South Dakota state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs South Dakota | South Dakota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.9:1 | ▲ 33% | 13.5:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 15.2% | ▼ 47% | 28.8% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 873 | top 97% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
15.2%
free-lunch eligible
— 47% below the South Dakota average of 28.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold — federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17.9:1
students per teacher
— 33% above state mean
Top 89% in South Dakota — lower ratio than 11% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
5.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 10% — strong attendance relative to the post-pandemic national landscape.
Funding equity
$12,493
per pupil, district-wide
— below South Dakota avg of $16,140
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 582 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 873 Top 97% in South Dakota — larger than 3% of 698 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 49.0
Students per teacher 17.9:1 +33% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 15.2% -47% vs state
NCES ID 466627001238
Student demographics
White 80.1%
African American 5.8%
Hispanic or Latino 5.8%
Two or More 4.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.9%
Asian 0.7%
Largest group: White at 80.1% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.5
Students per counselor 582:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 5.3%
In-school suspensions 8
Out-of-school suspensions 2
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sioux Falls School District 49-5, which includes Discovery Elementary - 26.
$12,493
Per student
-23%
vs South Dakota
Avg $16,140
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 48.1%
State 33.1%
Federal 18.9%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,954
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Enrollment
- 1,888
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Enrollment
- 1,819
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Enrollment
- 1,785
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Enrollment
- 1,133
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
Similar other schools in Sioux Falls
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Rf Pettigrew Elementary - 17
Standard public school
846 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
Hayward Elementary - 38
Standard public school
728 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
Sonia Sotomayor Elementary - 65
Standard public school
690 students 19.3:1 students per teacher
Harvey Dunn Elementary - 54
Standard public school
681 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
John Harris Elementary - 23
Standard public school
666 students 18.1:1 students per teacher
Anne Sullivan Elementary - 20
Standard public school
632 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Discovery Elementary - 26
How many students attend Discovery Elementary - 26?
Discovery Elementary - 26 has 873 students enrolled. It is a other school in Sioux Falls, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Discovery Elementary - 26?
The student-teacher ratio at Discovery Elementary - 26 is 17.9:1, which is 33% higher than the South Dakota average of 13.5:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Discovery Elementary - 26?
15.2% of students at Discovery Elementary - 26 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Discovery Elementary - 26?
The largest demographic group at Discovery Elementary - 26 is White at 80.1%. The school serves a diverse student body in Sioux Falls, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Discovery Elementary - 26?
Discovery Elementary - 26 has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.