Enrollment
567
North Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Grand Forks, ND
Discovery Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Discovery Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 380813000874
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 79
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Discovery Elementary School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Dakota median.
- #2 of 10
- schools in Grand Forks · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.2:1
- students per teacher
- 10.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Discovery Elementary School has class sizes near the North Dakota median. Computed live against every North Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery Elementary School ranks #2 of 10 schools in Grand Forks, ND.
School address
District: Grand Forks 1 · North Dakota
NCES ID 380813000874 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.2:1
vs 11.8:1 North Dakota avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
10.2%
vs 28.2% North Dakota avg
-64% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Discovery Elementary School compares with North Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Discovery Elementary School
Discovery Elementary School is a lower-poverty, large combined-grade school in Grand Forks, North Dakota, enrolling 567 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13.2:1 puts it in the larger third of North Dakota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 10.2% free-meal eligibility runs 64% below the North Dakota average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in North Dakota, bigger than 93% of state schools at 567 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 498 scored North Dakota schools.
Against 55 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #12.
Its student body is led by White (74%) and African American (9%) (diversity index 43/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 284 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.3% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Grand Forks 1 spends $14,844 per pupil, 20% below the North Dakota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 19.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Grand Forks's public schools, it stands alongside Century Elementary School (493 students): Discovery Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.2:1 vs 14.5:1).
Grand Forks 1 also operates Red River High School (1,190 students) and Central High School (1,115 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 North Dakota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Dakota | North Dakota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.2:1 | ▲ 12% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 10.2% | ▼ 64% | 28.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 567 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.2:1
Leaner classes than 65% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
567
Bigger than 69% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
10.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 64% below the North Dakota average of 28.2%
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
13.2:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 69% in North Dakota - lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
8.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$14,844
per pupil, district-wide
- below North Dakota avg of $18,450
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 284 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.8 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 74.1%
African American 8.5%
Two or More 6.9%
Hispanic or Latino 5.3%
Asian 4.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Largest group: White at 74.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 43.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.4, Discovery Elementary School is more mixed than the North Dakota school average of 29.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Grand Forks 1, which includes Discovery Elementary School.
$14,844
Per student
-20%
vs North Dakota
Avg $18,450
-11%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.3%
State 53.5%
Federal 19.2%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red River High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Central High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Schroeder Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| South Middle School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Valley Middle School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower 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
- 1,190
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,115
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 569
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 549
- Students per teacher
- 10:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 508
- Students per teacher
- 9.4:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar other schools in Grand Forks
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Century Elementary School
Standard public school
493 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
J Nelson Kelly Elementary School
Standard public school
482 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Lake Agassiz Elementary School
Standard public school
464 students 12.9:1 students per teacher
Ben Franklin Elementary School
Standard public school
367 students 12.7:1 students per teacher
Viking Elementary School
Standard public school
328 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
Phoenix Elementary School
Standard public school
235 students 11.8:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Dakota, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~567 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Discovery Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Discovery Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Grand Forks 1'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 567 students enrolled. It is a public school in Grand Forks, ND.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Discovery Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Discovery Elementary School is 13.2:1, which is 12% higher than the North Dakota average of 11.8:1 and 16% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Discovery Elementary School?
10.2% of students at Discovery Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Dakota average of 28.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Discovery Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Discovery Elementary School is White at 74.1% of enrollment, in Grand Forks, ND.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Discovery Elementary School?
Discovery Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher 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 School rank among schools in Grand Forks?
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery Elementary School ranks #2 of 10 schools in Grand Forks, ND. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Grand Forks on the city page.
Is Discovery Elementary School a good school?
Discovery Elementary School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Dakota 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 Grand Forks 1?
Besides Discovery Elementary School, Grand Forks 1 also operates Red River High School (1,190 students), Central High School (1,115 students), and Schroeder Middle School (569 students). See the Grand Forks 1 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.