Enrollment
678
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Liberty, MO
Discovery Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Discovery Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 291854003226
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 32
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Discovery Middle School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools.
- #1 of 4
- middle schools in Liberty · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.8:1
- students per teacher
- 11.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Discovery Middle School has class sizes near the Missouri median. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery Middle School ranks #1 of 4 middle schools in Liberty, MO.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.8:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
11.5%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-75% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Discovery Middle School compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Discovery Middle School
Discovery Middle School is a lower-poverty, large middle school in Liberty, Missouri, enrolling 678 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 11.5% free-meal eligibility runs 75% below the Missouri average.
Enrollment of 678 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 234 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #90.
Its student body is led by White (68%) and Hispanic or Latino (9%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 339 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Liberty 53 also operates Liberty North High School (2,262 students) and Liberty High (1,842 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 Missouri and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.8:1 | ▲ 8% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 11.5% | ▼ 75% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 678 | top 11% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.8:1
Leaner classes than 59% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
678
Bigger than 79% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
11.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 75% below the Missouri average of 46.1%
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
13.8:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 67% in Missouri - lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
18.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,222
per pupil, district-wide
- below Missouri avg of $12,931
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 339 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
82
in-school suspensions + 48 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 19.2 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
White 67.7%
Hispanic or Latino 9.3%
Two or More 8.6%
African American 8.1%
Asian 6.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 67.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.5, Discovery Middle School is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Liberty 53, which includes Discovery Middle School.
$12,222
Per student
-5%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 57.5%
State 35.4%
Federal 7.2%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty North High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Liberty High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| South Valley Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Shoal Creek Elem. | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Heritage 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
- 2,262
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,842
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 809
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 795
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 757
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Missouri, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~678 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Discovery Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Discovery Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Liberty 53'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 678 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Liberty, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Discovery Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Discovery Middle School is 13.8:1, which is 8% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 12% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Discovery Middle School?
11.5% of students at Discovery Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Discovery Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Discovery Middle School is White at 67.7% of enrollment, in Liberty, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Discovery Middle School?
Discovery Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher 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 middle schools in Liberty?
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery Middle School ranks #1 of 4 middle schools in Liberty, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Liberty on the city page.
Is Discovery Middle School a good school?
Discovery Middle School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri 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 Liberty 53?
Besides Discovery Middle School, Liberty 53 also operates Liberty North High School (2,262 students), Liberty High (1,842 students), and South Valley Middle (809 students). See the Liberty 53 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.