Enrollment
898
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Alexandria, MN
Discovery Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Discovery Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 270306000083
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Discovery Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median.
- #7 of 9
- public schools in Alexandria · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15:1
- students per teacher
- 25.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Discovery Middle School has class sizes near the Minnesota median. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery Middle School ranks #7 of 9 public schools in Alexandria, MN.
School address
District: Alexandria Public School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 270306000083 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
60.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
25.6%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Discovery Middle School compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Discovery Middle School
Discovery Middle School is a large middle school in Alexandria, Minnesota, enrolling 898 students.
At 15:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Minnesota median, within a few percentage points of the 15.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 25.6% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Minnesota, bigger than 93% of state schools at 898 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 293 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #142.
Its student body is predominantly White (87% of enrollment) (diversity index 24/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Alexandria Public School District also operates Alexandria Area High School (1,315 students) and Lincoln Elementary (481 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 Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15:1 | ▼ 5% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 25.6% | ▼ 40% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 898 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15:1
Leaner classes than 47% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
898
Bigger than 89% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
25.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% below the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 54% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 46% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
22.0%
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
$14,182
per pupil, district-wide
- below Minnesota avg of $15,270
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
52
in-school suspensions + 50 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.4 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 87.0%
Hispanic or Latino 5.8%
Two or More 5.0%
African American 1.0%
Asian 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 87.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 23.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 23.7, Discovery Middle School is less mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Alexandria Public School District, which includes Discovery Middle School.
$14,182
Per student
-7%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.0%
State 60.5%
Federal 10.4%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandria Area High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Voyager Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Woodland Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Miltona Elementary | Smaller | 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
- 1,315
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 481
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 446
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 410
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 126
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Minnesota, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~898 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Discovery Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Discovery Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Alexandria Public School District'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 898 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Alexandria, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Discovery Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Discovery Middle School is 15:1, which is 5% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 4% 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?
25.6% of students at Discovery Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Discovery Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Discovery Middle School is White at 87.0% of enrollment, in Alexandria, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Discovery Middle School?
Discovery Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, 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 Alexandria?
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery Middle School ranks #7 of 9 public schools in Alexandria, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Alexandria on the city page.
Is Discovery Middle School a good school?
Discovery Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota 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 Alexandria Public School District?
Besides Discovery Middle School, Alexandria Public School District also operates Alexandria Area High School (1,315 students), Lincoln Elementary (481 students), and Voyager Elementary (446 students). See the Alexandria Public School District 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.