Enrollment
706
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Bakersfield, CA
Discovery Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Discovery Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 061470010222
👥 S:T ratio 17
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 61
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Discovery Elementary earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #55 of 97
- elementary schools in Bakersfield · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.8:1
- students per teacher
- 48.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Discovery Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery Elementary ranks #55 of 97 elementary schools in Bakersfield, CA.
School address
District: Fruitvale Elementary · California
NCES ID 061470010222 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
48.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
-13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Discovery Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Discovery Elementary
Discovery Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Bakersfield, California, enrolling 706 students.
At 20.8:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 48.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 706 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,315 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #619.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (51%) and White (37%) (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1177 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
15.6% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Fruitvale Elementary spends $12,693 per pupil, 23% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Bakersfield's elementary schools, it stands alongside Dolores S. Whitley Tk-8 (1,151 students): Discovery Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (20.8:1 vs 25.6:1).
Fruitvale Elementary also operates Endeavour Elementary (724 students) and Fruitvale Junior High (693 students) alongside Discovery 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 Elementary compares
Discovery Elementary on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.8:1 | ▼ 3% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 48.2% | ▼ 13% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 706 | top 23% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.8:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
706
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
48.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
20.8:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 42% in California - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
15.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,693
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.6 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.3 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
Hispanic or Latino 50.6%
White 37.3%
Asian 6.2%
Two or More 3.4%
African American 2.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 50.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.9, Discovery Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fruitvale Elementary, which includes Discovery Elementary.
$12,693
Per student
-23%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.6%
State 64.5%
Federal 10.9%
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.
How Discovery Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Endeavour Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fruitvale Junior High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Columbia Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Quailwood Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Discovery Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 724
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 693
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 601
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 345
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Similar elementary schools in Bakersfield
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Dolores S. Whitley Tk-8
Standard public school
1,151 students 25.6:1 students per teacher
Veterans Elementary
Standard public school
1,002 students 27.8:1 students per teacher
Douglas J. Miller Elementary
Standard public school
994 students 29.2:1 students per teacher
Colonel Howard Nichols Elementary
Standard public school
960 students 24:1 students per teacher
Berkshire Elementary
Standard public school
932 students 28.2:1 students per teacher
Patriot Elementary
Standard public school
931 students 23.3:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of California, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~706 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Discovery Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Discovery Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Fruitvale Elementary'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 Elementary
How many students attend Discovery Elementary?
Discovery Elementary has 706 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Bakersfield, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Discovery Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Discovery Elementary is 20.8:1, which is 3% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 32% 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 Elementary?
48.2% of students at Discovery Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Discovery Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Discovery Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 50.6% of enrollment, in Bakersfield, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Discovery Elementary?
Discovery Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower 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 Elementary rank among elementary schools in Bakersfield?
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery Elementary ranks #55 of 97 elementary schools in Bakersfield, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Bakersfield on the city page.
Is Discovery Elementary a good school?
Discovery Elementary earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California 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 Fruitvale Elementary?
Besides Discovery Elementary, Fruitvale Elementary also operates Endeavour Elementary (724 students), Fruitvale Junior High (693 students), and Columbia Elementary (601 students). See the Fruitvale Elementary 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.