Enrollment
380
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Gig Harbor, WA
Discovery Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Discovery Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 54/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 530669000981
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 24
📋 Attendance 93
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Discovery Elementary School earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington median.
- #2 of 5
- elementary schools in Gig Harbor · Resource Index
- 54
- Resource Index · Higher
- 18.1:1
- students per teacher
- 19.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Discovery Elementary School has class sizes near the Washington median. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery Elementary School ranks #2 of 5 elementary schools in Gig Harbor, WA.
School address
District: Peninsula School District · Washington
NCES ID 530669000981 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.1:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
19.0%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-58% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Discovery Elementary School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Discovery Elementary School
Discovery Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Gig Harbor, Washington, enrolling 380 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Washington schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 19.0% free-meal eligibility runs 58% below the Washington average.
With 380 students, its enrollment sits close to the Washington median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,394 scored Washington schools.
Against 352 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #66.
Its student body is led by White (76%) and Hispanic or Latino (11%) (diversity index 40/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 380 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 2.9% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Gig Harbor's elementary schools, it stands alongside Swift Water Elementary (519 students): Discovery Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18.1:1 vs 18.5:1).
Peninsula School District also operates Gig Harbor High (1,375 students) and Peninsula High School (1,345 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 Washington and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.1:1 | ▲ 3% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 19.0% | ▼ 58% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 380 | top 51% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.1:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
380
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
19.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 58% below the Washington average of 45.0%
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
18.1:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 66% in Washington - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
2.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$17,026
per pupil, district-wide
- below Washington avg of $19,487
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 380 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.6 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 76.1%
Hispanic or Latino 11.3%
Two or More 9.2%
Asian 2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 76.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.9, Discovery Elementary School is less mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Peninsula School District, which includes Discovery Elementary School.
$17,026
Per student
-13%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
+3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.8%
State 68.0%
Federal 8.2%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gig Harbor High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Peninsula High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Harbor Ridge Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Goodman Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Swift Water Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar 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
- 1,375
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,345
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 627
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 519
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 519
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar elementary schools in Gig Harbor
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Swift Water Elementary
Standard public school
519 students 18.5:1 students per teacher
Pioneer Elementary School
Standard public school
481 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
Voyager Elementary
Standard public school
443 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Minter Creek Elementary
Standard public school
272 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Washington, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~380 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Discovery Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Discovery Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Peninsula School 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 380 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Gig Harbor, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Discovery Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Discovery Elementary School is 18.1:1, which is 3% higher than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Discovery Elementary School?
19.0% of students at Discovery Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Discovery Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Discovery Elementary School is White at 76.1% of enrollment, in Gig Harbor, WA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Discovery Elementary School?
Discovery Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (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 elementary schools in Gig Harbor?
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery Elementary School ranks #2 of 5 elementary schools in Gig Harbor, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Gig Harbor on the city page.
Is Discovery Elementary School a good school?
Discovery Elementary School earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Washington 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 Peninsula School District?
Besides Discovery Elementary School, Peninsula School District also operates Gig Harbor High (1,375 students), Peninsula High School (1,345 students), and Harbor Ridge Middle School (627 students). See the Peninsula School 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.