Enrollment
489
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Arlington, VA
Discovery Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Discovery Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 62/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510027003006
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 39
📋 Attendance 92
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Discovery Elementary earns 62/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median.
- #10 of 26
- schools in Arlington · Resource Index
- 62
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.2:1
- students per teacher
- 2.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Discovery Elementary has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery Elementary ranks #10 of 26 schools in Arlington, VA.
School address
District: Arlington County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510027003006 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.2:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
2.3%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-96% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Discovery Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Discovery Elementary
Discovery Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Arlington, Virginia, enrolling 489 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 2.3% free-meal eligibility runs 96% below the Virginia average.
With 489 students, its enrollment sits close to the Virginia median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 94% of the 1,868 Virginia schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Against 85 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #12.
Its student body is led by White (70%) and Two or More (13%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 306 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 3.3% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Arlington County Public Schools spends $21,782 per pupil, 49% above the Virginia average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Arlington's public schools, it stands alongside Abingdon Elementary (768 students): Discovery Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (13.2:1 vs 12.4:1).
Arlington County Public Schools also operates Washington-Liberty High (3,044 students) and Wakefield High (2,646 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 Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.2:1 | ▼ 5% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 2.3% | ▼ 96% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 489 | top 60% | - | - |
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.
489
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
2.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 96% below the Virginia average of 57.6%
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
- 5% below state mean
Top 40% in Virginia - lower ratio than 60% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
3.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$21,782
per pupil, district-wide
- above Virginia avg of $14,649
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.6 FTE
Per 306 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 69.7%
Two or More 13.3%
Hispanic or Latino 8.4%
Asian 6.5%
African American 2.0%
Largest group: White at 69.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.5, Discovery Elementary is less mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Arlington County Public Schools, which includes Discovery Elementary.
$21,782
Per student
+49%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
+31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 79.4%
State 12.4%
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 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Liberty High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wakefield High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Yorktown High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jefferson Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Gunston Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar 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
- 3,044
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 2,646
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 2,593
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 1,120
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 65/100
- Enrollment
- 1,072
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 65/100
Similar other schools in Arlington
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Abingdon Elementary
Standard public school
768 students 12.4:1 students per teacher
Cardinal Elementary
Standard public school
682 students 10.3:1 students per teacher
Oakridge Elementary
Standard public school
636 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
Arlington Science Focus School
Standard public school
632 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Alice West Fleet Elementary
Standard public school
629 students 9.3:1 students per teacher
Arlington Traditional
Standard public school
624 students 13:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Virginia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~489 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Discovery Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Discovery Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Arlington County Public 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 489 students enrolled. It is a public school in Arlington, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Discovery Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Discovery Elementary is 13.2:1, which is 5% lower than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 16% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Discovery Elementary?
2.3% of students at Discovery Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Discovery Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Discovery Elementary is White at 69.7% of enrollment, in Arlington, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Discovery Elementary?
Discovery Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 62/100 (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 rank among schools in Arlington?
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery Elementary ranks #10 of 26 schools in Arlington, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Arlington on the city page.
Is Discovery Elementary a good school?
Discovery Elementary earns 62/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia 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 Arlington County Public Schools?
Besides Discovery Elementary, Arlington County Public Schools also operates Washington-Liberty High (3,044 students), Wakefield High (2,646 students), and Yorktown High (2,593 students). See the Arlington County Public 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.