Enrollment
656
Utah · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Vernal, UT
Discovery School
Federal NCES profile for Discovery School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 490108000736
👥 S:T ratio 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 5
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Discovery School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Utah median.
- #3 of 6
- elementary schools in Vernal · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 22.6:1
- students per teacher
- 25.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Discovery School has class sizes near the Utah median. Computed live against every Utah school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery School ranks #3 of 6 elementary schools in Vernal, UT.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.6:1
vs 21.4:1 Utah avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
25.0%
vs 28.0% Utah avg
-11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Discovery School compares with Utah and U.S. medians
What stands out at Discovery School
Discovery School is a mid-sized elementary school in Vernal, Utah, enrolling 656 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 22.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Utah schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 25.0% lands close to the Utah typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 656 puts it in the larger third of Utah schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,065 scored Utah schools.
Against 362 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #108.
Its student body is predominantly White (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Uintah District also operates Uintah High (1,843 students) and Vernal Middle (842 students) alongside Discovery 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 School compares
Discovery School on the metrics families compare, against Utah and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Utah | Utah avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 22.6:1 | ▲ 6% | 21.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 25.0% | ▼ 11% | 28.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 656 | top 34% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.6:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
656
Bigger than 77% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
25.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 11% below the Utah average of 28.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
22.6:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 63% in Utah - lower ratio than 37% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
38.0%
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
$10,757
per pupil, district-wide
- above Utah avg of $9,792
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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: 0.2 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 80.9%
Hispanic or Latino 14.2%
Two or More 2.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.2%
African American 0.6%
Asian 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 80.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 32.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 32.4, Discovery School is less mixed than the Utah school average of 40.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Uintah District, which includes Discovery School.
$10,757
Per student
+10%
vs Utah
Avg $9,792
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 41.1%
State 45.8%
Federal 13.1%
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 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uintah High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Vernal Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Uintah Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Maeser School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Naples School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Discovery School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,843
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 842
- Students per teacher
- 22.2:1
- Resource Index
- 14/100
- Enrollment
- 579
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 473
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 456
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Utah, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~656 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Discovery School's federal record.
- Compare Discovery School against another school. Compare schools
- Uintah 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 School
How many students attend Discovery School?
Discovery School has 656 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Vernal, UT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Discovery School?
The student-teacher ratio at Discovery School is 22.6:1, which is 6% higher than the Utah average of 21.4:1 and 44% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Discovery School?
25.0% of students at Discovery School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Utah average of 28.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Discovery School?
The largest demographic group at Discovery School is White at 80.9% of enrollment, in Vernal, UT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Discovery School?
Discovery School has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower 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 School rank among elementary schools in Vernal?
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery School ranks #3 of 6 elementary schools in Vernal, UT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Vernal on the city page.
Is Discovery School a good school?
Discovery School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Utah 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 Uintah District?
Besides Discovery School, Uintah District also operates Uintah High (1,843 students), Vernal Middle (842 students), and Uintah Middle School (579 students). See the Uintah 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.