Enrollment
898
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Lake Alfred, FL
Discovery High School
Federal NCES profile for Discovery High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 120159008515Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 20
📚 AP courses 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 40
📋 Attendance 4
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Discovery High School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Florida schools.
- #2 of 5
- public schools in Lake Alfred · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20:1
- large classes for Florida
- 65.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Discovery High School has class sizes larger than 77% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery High School ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Lake Alfred, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
45.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.8%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Discovery High School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Discovery High School
Discovery High School is a higher-need, mid-sized charter high school in Lake Alfred, Florida, enrolling 898 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 20:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 65.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 898 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 859 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #398.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (54%) and White (22%) (diversity index 62/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 8 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 299 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Polk also operates Haines City Senior High School (3,105 students) and Davenport High School (2,731 students) alongside Discovery High 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 High School compares
Discovery High School on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20:1 | ▲ 12% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 65.8% | ▲ 27% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 898 | top 24% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20:1
Leaner classes than 16% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
898
Bigger than 89% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
65.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 27% above the Florida average of 52.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
20:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 77% in Florida - lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
38.5%
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
$11,454
per pupil, district-wide
- above Florida avg of $11,167
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 299 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.1 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 54.3%
White 21.7%
African American 20.6%
Two or More 2.0%
Asian 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 54.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.5, Discovery High School is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 8
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Polk, which includes Discovery High School.
$11,454
Per student
+3%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.2%
State 43.8%
Federal 21.0%
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 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haines City Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Davenport High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Winter Haven Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ridge Community High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| George W. Jenkins Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Discovery High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,105
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,731
- Students per teacher
- 32.1:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 2,648
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,632
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 2,469
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Florida, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~898 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Discovery High School's federal record.
- Compare Discovery High School against another school. Compare schools
- Polk'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 School
How many students attend Discovery High School?
Discovery High School has 898 students enrolled. It is a high school in Lake Alfred, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Discovery High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Discovery High School is 20:1, which is 12% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 27% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Discovery High School?
65.8% of students at Discovery High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Discovery High School?
The largest demographic group at Discovery High School is Hispanic or Latino at 54.3% of enrollment, in Lake Alfred, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Discovery High School?
Discovery High School has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Discovery High School rank among public schools in Lake Alfred?
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery High School ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Lake Alfred, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Lake Alfred on the city page.
Is Discovery High School a good school?
Discovery High School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Florida 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 Polk?
Besides Discovery High School, Polk also operates Haines City Senior High School (3,105 students), Davenport High School (2,731 students), and Winter Haven Senior High School (2,648 students). See the Polk 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.