Enrollment
1,054
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Madison, AL
Discovery Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Discovery Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 010000800495
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 30
📋 Attendance 77
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Discovery Middle School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 94% of Alabama schools.
- #5 of 12
- public schools in Madison · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.2:1
- small classes for Alabama
- 22.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Discovery Middle School has class sizes smaller than 94% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery Middle School ranks #5 of 12 public schools in Madison, AL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
80.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.2:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
22.0%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-63% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Discovery Middle School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Discovery Middle School
Discovery Middle School is a large middle school in Madison, Alabama, enrolling 1,054 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 13.2:1, Discovery Middle School is leaner than roughly 94% of Alabama schools and 25% under the state's 17.7:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 22.0% free-meal eligibility runs 63% below the Alabama average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Alabama, bigger than 94% of state schools at 1,054 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 80 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #17.
Its student body is led by White (59%) and African American (17%) (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 351 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.2% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Madison's middle schools, it stands alongside Liberty Middle School (1,103 students): Discovery Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.2:1 vs 14.1:1).
Madison City also operates James Clemens High School (2,159 students) and Bob Jones High School (2,048 students) alongside Discovery Middle 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 Middle School compares
Discovery Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.2:1 | ▼ 25% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 22.0% | ▼ 63% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,054 | top 6% | - | - |
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.
1,054
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
22.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 63% below the Alabama average of 58.8%
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
- 25% below state mean
Top 6% in Alabama - lower ratio than 94% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
9.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$10,744
per pupil, district-wide
- below Alabama avg of $12,491
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 351 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
61
in-school suspensions + 52 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.7 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 58.7%
African American 16.6%
Hispanic or Latino 9.1%
Two or More 8.4%
Asian 6.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 58.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.8, Discovery Middle School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Madison City, which includes Discovery Middle School.
$10,744
Per student
-14%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 44.2%
State 47.9%
Federal 7.9%
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 Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Clemens High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bob Jones High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Liberty Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Midtown Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mill Creek Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Discovery Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,159
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 2,048
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,103
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 1,097
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 965
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar middle schools in Madison
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Alabama, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,054 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Discovery Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Discovery Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Madison City'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 Middle School
How many students attend Discovery Middle School?
Discovery Middle School has 1,054 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Madison, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Discovery Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Discovery Middle School is 13.2:1, which is 25% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 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 Middle School?
22.0% of students at Discovery Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Discovery Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Discovery Middle School is White at 58.7% of enrollment, in Madison, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Discovery Middle School?
Discovery Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (typical 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 Middle School rank among public schools in Madison?
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery Middle School ranks #5 of 12 public schools in Madison, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Madison on the city page.
Is Discovery Middle School a good school?
Discovery Middle School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 94% of Alabama 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 Madison City?
Besides Discovery Middle School, Madison City also operates James Clemens High School (2,159 students), Bob Jones High School (2,048 students), and Liberty Middle School (1,103 students). See the Madison City 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.