Enrollment
257
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Buffalo, MN
Discovery Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Discovery Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 270720002686
👥 S:T ratio 26
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 62
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Discovery Elementary earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Minnesota schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Minnesota schools.
- #2 of 4
- elementary schools in Buffalo · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.4:1
- large classes for Minnesota
- 11.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Discovery Elementary has class sizes larger than 77% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery Elementary ranks #2 of 4 elementary schools in Buffalo, MN.
School address
District: Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools · Minnesota
NCES ID 270720002686 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.4:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
11.6%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-73% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Discovery Elementary compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Discovery Elementary
Discovery Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Buffalo, Minnesota, enrolling 257 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 11.6% free-meal eligibility runs 73% below the Minnesota average.
With 257 students, its enrollment sits close to the Minnesota median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 103 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #58.
Its student body is predominantly White (98% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 4/100).
15.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools also operates Buffalo Senior High (1,681 students) and Buffalo Community Middle (1,160 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 Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.4:1 | ▲ 16% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 11.6% | ▼ 73% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 257 | top 51% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.4:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
257
Bigger than 26% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
11.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 73% below the Minnesota average of 42.8%
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
18.4:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 77% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
15.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,428
per pupil, district-wide
- below Minnesota avg of $15,270
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
2
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.8 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 98.1%
African American 0.8%
Two or More 0.8%
Hispanic or Latino 0.4%
Largest group: White at 98.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 3.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 3.7, Discovery Elementary is less mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools, which includes Discovery Elementary.
$13,428
Per student
-12%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.8%
State 62.8%
Federal 8.4%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Buffalo Community Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northwinds Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Tatanka Elementary Stem School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hanover Elementary | 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
- 1,681
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,160
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 419
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 393
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 368
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar elementary 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 (~257 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Discovery Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Discovery Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools'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 257 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Buffalo, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Discovery Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Discovery Elementary is 18.4:1, which is 16% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 17% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Discovery Elementary?
11.6% of students at Discovery Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Discovery Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Discovery Elementary is White at 98.1% of enrollment, in Buffalo, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Discovery Elementary?
Discovery Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Buffalo?
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery Elementary ranks #2 of 4 elementary schools in Buffalo, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Buffalo on the city page.
Is Discovery Elementary a good school?
Discovery Elementary earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Minnesota schools. It is also less 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 Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools?
Besides Discovery Elementary, Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools also operates Buffalo Senior High (1,681 students), Buffalo Community Middle (1,160 students), and Northwinds Elementary (419 students). See the Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools 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.