Enrollment
731
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Canton, MI
Discovery Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Discovery Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 262856000765
👥 S:T ratio 25
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 27
📋 Attendance 40
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Discovery Middle School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Michigan schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.
- #6 of 18
- public schools in Canton · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.7:1
- large classes for Michigan
- 30.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Discovery Middle School has class sizes larger than 70% of Michigan schools. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery Middle School ranks #6 of 18 public schools in Canton, MI.
School address
District: Plymouth-Canton Community Schools · Michigan
NCES ID 262856000765 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.7:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.7%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Discovery Middle School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Discovery Middle School
Discovery Middle School is a large middle school in Canton, Michigan, enrolling 731 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 30.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 731 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 450 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #171.
Its student body is led by White (60%) and African American (15%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 366 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Plymouth-Canton Community Schools also operates Canton High School (1,899 students) and Salem High School (1,871 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 Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.7:1 | ▲ 7% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.7% | ▼ 43% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 731 | top 11% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.7:1
Leaner classes than 21% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
731
Bigger than 82% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 43% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
18.7:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 70% in Michigan - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
24.1%
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
$13,630
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 366 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 62 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.5 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 59.6%
African American 14.6%
Asian 11.2%
Two or More 7.4%
Hispanic or Latino 6.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 59.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.1, Discovery Middle School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Plymouth-Canton Community Schools, which includes Discovery Middle School.
$13,630
Per student
+1%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.2%
State 55.4%
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 Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canton High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Salem High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Plymouth High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pioneer Middle School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Liberty Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar 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
- 1,899
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,871
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 1,816
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 827
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 817
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Michigan, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~731 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Discovery Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Discovery Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Plymouth-Canton Community 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 Middle School
How many students attend Discovery Middle School?
Discovery Middle School has 731 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Canton, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Discovery Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Discovery Middle School is 18.7:1, which is 7% higher than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 19% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Discovery Middle School?
30.7% of students at Discovery Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Discovery Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Discovery Middle School is White at 59.6% of enrollment, in Canton, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Discovery Middle School?
Discovery Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower 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 Canton?
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery Middle School ranks #6 of 18 public schools in Canton, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Canton on the city page.
Is Discovery Middle School a good school?
Discovery Middle School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Michigan schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan 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 Plymouth-Canton Community Schools?
Besides Discovery Middle School, Plymouth-Canton Community Schools also operates Canton High School (1,899 students), Salem High School (1,871 students), and Plymouth High School (1,816 students). See the Plymouth-Canton Community 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.