Enrollment
717
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · San Marcos, CA
Discovery Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Discovery Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063488007353
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 52
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Discovery Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #2 of 11
- elementary schools in San Marcos · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 25.6:1
- large classes for California
- 19.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Discovery Elementary has class sizes larger than 83% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery Elementary ranks #2 of 11 elementary schools in San Marcos, CA.
School address
District: San Marcos Unified · California
NCES ID 063488007353 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
19.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
-65% 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 lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in San Marcos, California, enrolling 717 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25.6:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 19.2% free-meal eligibility runs 65% below the California average.
Enrollment of 717 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,212 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #312.
Its student body is led by White (45%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among San Marcos's elementary schools, it stands alongside Double Peak (1,171 students): Discovery Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25.6:1 vs 21.7:1).
San Marcos Unified also operates San Marcos High (3,067 students) and Mission Hills High (2,751 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 | 25.6:1 | ▲ 19% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 19.2% | ▼ 65% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 717 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.6:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
717
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
19.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 65% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
25.6:1
students per teacher
- 19% above state mean
Top 83% in California - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
19.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,965
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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
White 44.8%
Hispanic or Latino 24.4%
Asian 19.7%
Two or More 10.2%
African American 1.0%
Largest group: White at 44.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.0, Discovery Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for San Marcos Unified, which includes Discovery Elementary.
$13,965
Per student
-15%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.7%
State 52.8%
Federal 10.5%
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.
How Discovery Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Marcos High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mission Hills High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| San Elijo Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Woodland Park Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Double Peak | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower 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
- 3,067
- Students per teacher
- 24.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 2,751
- Students per teacher
- 25.7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,395
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,184
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,171
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
Similar elementary schools in San Marcos
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Double Peak
Standard public school
1,171 students 21.7:1 students per teacher
Richland Elementary
Standard public school
883 students 27.6:1 students per teacher
La Mirada Academy
Standard public school
868 students 21.7:1 students per teacher
San Elijo Elementary
Standard public school
834 students 23.8:1 students per teacher
Paloma Elementary
Standard public school
758 students 27.1:1 students per teacher
Knob Hill Elementary
Standard public school
725 students 23.4:1 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 (~717 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Discovery Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Discovery Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- San Marcos Unified'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 717 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in San Marcos, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Discovery Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Discovery Elementary is 25.6:1, which is 19% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 63% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Discovery Elementary?
19.2% 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 White at 44.8% of enrollment, in San Marcos, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Discovery Elementary?
Discovery Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (typical 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).
How does Discovery Elementary rank among elementary schools in San Marcos?
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery Elementary ranks #2 of 11 elementary schools in San Marcos, 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 San Marcos on the city page.
Is Discovery Elementary a good school?
Discovery Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California 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 San Marcos Unified?
Besides Discovery Elementary, San Marcos Unified also operates San Marcos High (3,067 students), Mission Hills High (2,751 students), and San Elijo Middle (1,395 students). See the San Marcos Unified 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.