Enrollment
130
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Sacramento, CA
Discovery High
Federal NCES profile for Discovery High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 060003606335
👥 S:T ratio 48
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 74
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Discovery High earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 92% of California schools.
- #7 of 31
- high schools in Sacramento · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13:1
- small classes for California
- 61.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Discovery High has class sizes smaller than 92% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery High ranks #7 of 31 high schools in Sacramento, CA.
School address
District: Natomas Unified · California
NCES ID 060003606335 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-40% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
61.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
+10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Discovery High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Discovery High
Discovery High is a higher-need, small high school in Sacramento, California, enrolling 130 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 13:1, Discovery High is leaner than roughly 92% of California schools and 40% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 61.3% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 130 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 91% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Against 347 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #79.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (51%) and African American (31%) (diversity index 64/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 130 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 90.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Sacramento's high schools, it stands alongside C. K. Mcclatchy High (2,569 students): Discovery High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13:1 vs 28.9:1).
Natomas Unified also operates Inderkum High (2,194 students) and Westlake Charter (1,493 students) alongside Discovery High.
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 High compares
Discovery High on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13:1 | ▼ 40% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 61.3% | ▲ 10% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 130 | top 87% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13:1
Leaner classes than 67% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
130
Bigger than 13% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
61.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 10% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13:1
students per teacher
- 40% below state mean
Top 8% in California - lower ratio than 92% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
90.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,690
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 130 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.2 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
Hispanic or Latino 50.8%
African American 30.8%
Two or More 9.2%
Asian 4.6%
White 3.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 50.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.5, Discovery High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Natomas Unified, which includes Discovery High.
$13,690
Per student
-17%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.1%
State 60.5%
Federal 9.4%
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 High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inderkum High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Westlake Charter | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Natomas High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Heron | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Paso Verde | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Discovery High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,194
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,493
- Students per teacher
- 26.2:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,157
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 977
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 897
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar high schools in Sacramento
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
C. K. Mcclatchy High
Standard public school
2,569 students 28.9:1 students per teacher
Sheldon High
Standard public school
2,368 students 21.7:1 students per teacher
Inderkum High
Standard public school
2,194 students 24.1:1 students per teacher
Grant Union High
Standard public school
1,987 students 20.9:1 students per teacher
Rio Americano High
Standard public school
1,891 students 24.9:1 students per teacher
Hiram W. Johnson High
Standard public school
1,682 students 20.8:1 students per teacher
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of California, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~130 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Discovery High's federal record.
- Compare Discovery High against another school. Compare schools
- Natomas Unified'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 High
How many students attend Discovery High?
Discovery High has 130 students enrolled. It is a high school in Sacramento, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Discovery High?
The student-teacher ratio at Discovery High is 13:1, which is 40% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 17% 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 High?
61.3% of students at Discovery High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Discovery High?
The largest demographic group at Discovery High is Hispanic or Latino at 50.8% of enrollment, in Sacramento, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Discovery High?
Discovery High has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Discovery High rank among high schools in Sacramento?
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery High ranks #7 of 31 high schools in Sacramento, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Sacramento on the city page.
Is Discovery High a good school?
Discovery High earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 92% of California 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 Natomas Unified?
Besides Discovery High, Natomas Unified also operates Inderkum High (2,194 students), Westlake Charter (1,493 students), and Natomas High (1,157 students). See the Natomas Unified 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.