Enrollment
607
Idaho · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Idaho Falls, ID
Discovery Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Discovery Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 160093000971
👥 S:T ratio 24
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Discovery Elementary School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of Idaho schools.
- #20 of 29
- schools in Idaho Falls · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19:1
- large classes for Idaho
- 17.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Discovery Elementary School has class sizes larger than 72% of Idaho schools. Computed live against every Idaho school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery Elementary School ranks #20 of 29 schools in Idaho Falls, ID.
School address
District: Bonneville Joint District · Idaho
NCES ID 160093000971 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19:1
vs 17.1:1 Idaho avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
17.9%
vs 29.3% Idaho avg
-39% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Discovery Elementary School compares with Idaho and U.S. medians
What stands out at Discovery Elementary School
Discovery Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Idaho Falls, Idaho, enrolling 607 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19:1 puts it in the larger third of Idaho schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 17.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 607 puts it in the larger third of Idaho schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 775 scored Idaho schools.
Against 178 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #110.
Its student body is predominantly White (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 31/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 607 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
The surrounding Bonneville Joint District spends $8,318 per pupil, 30% below the Idaho average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 16.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Bonneville Joint District also operates Thunder Ridge High School (1,693 students) and Hillcrest High School (1,230 students) alongside Discovery Elementary School.
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 School compares
Discovery Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Idaho and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Idaho | Idaho avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19:1 | ▲ 11% | 17.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 17.9% | ▼ 39% | 29.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 607 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19:1
Leaner classes than 20% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
607
Bigger than 73% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
17.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 39% below the Idaho average of 29.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
19:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 72% in Idaho - lower ratio than 28% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$8,318
per pupil, district-wide
- below Idaho avg of $11,939
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 607 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
White 81.9%
Hispanic or Latino 14.8%
Two or More 1.5%
Asian 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 81.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 30.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 30.7, Discovery Elementary School is less mixed than the Idaho school average of 36.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bonneville Joint District, which includes Discovery Elementary School.
$8,318
Per student
-30%
vs Idaho
Avg $11,939
-50%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.2%
State 64.4%
Federal 16.4%
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 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thunder Ridge High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hillcrest High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bonneville High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Black Canyon Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Iona Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Discovery Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,693
- Students per teacher
- 22.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,230
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,176
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 810
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 661
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Idaho, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~607 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Discovery Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Discovery Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Bonneville Joint 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 Elementary School
How many students attend Discovery Elementary School?
Discovery Elementary School has 607 students enrolled. It is a public school in Idaho Falls, ID.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Discovery Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Discovery Elementary School is 19:1, which is 11% higher than the Idaho average of 17.1:1 and 21% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Discovery Elementary School?
17.9% of students at Discovery Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Idaho average of 29.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Discovery Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Discovery Elementary School is White at 81.9% of enrollment, in Idaho Falls, ID.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Discovery Elementary School?
Discovery Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Discovery Elementary School rank among schools in Idaho Falls?
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery Elementary School ranks #20 of 29 schools in Idaho Falls, ID. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Idaho Falls on the city page.
Is Discovery Elementary School a good school?
Discovery Elementary School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of Idaho 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 Bonneville Joint District?
Besides Discovery Elementary School, Bonneville Joint District also operates Thunder Ridge High School (1,693 students), Hillcrest High School (1,230 students), and Bonneville High School (1,176 students). See the Bonneville Joint 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.