Enrollment
101
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Brainerd, MN
Discovery Woods
Federal NCES profile for Discovery Woods, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 270036904444Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 28
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Discovery Woods earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median.
- #3 of 5
- elementary schools in Brainerd · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.6:1
- students per teacher
- 51.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Discovery Woods has class sizes near the Minnesota median. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery Woods ranks #3 of 5 elementary schools in Brainerd, MN.
School address
District: Discovery Woods · Minnesota
NCES ID 270036904444 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
8.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.6:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
51.0%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Discovery Woods compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Discovery Woods
Discovery Woods is a higher-need, mid-sized charter elementary school in Brainerd, Minnesota, enrolling 101 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 51.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 101 puts it in the smaller third of Minnesota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 160 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #109.
Its student body is led by White (76%) and Two or More (18%) (diversity index 39/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Discovery Woods spends $10,817 per pupil, 29% below the Minnesota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 16.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discovery Woods is a single-school charter district, so Discovery Woods operates independently rather than alongside district-mates.
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 Woods compares
Discovery Woods on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.6:1 | ▼ 20% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 51.0% | ▲ 19% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 101 | top 70% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.6:1
Leaner classes than 70% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
101
Bigger than 10% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
51.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% above the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.6:1
students per teacher
- 20% below state mean
Top 34% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 66% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
28.7%
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
$10,817
per pupil, district-wide
- below Minnesota avg of $15,270
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 + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.0 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 76.2%
Two or More 17.8%
Hispanic or Latino 5.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Largest group: White at 76.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.5, Discovery Woods is less mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Discovery Woods, which includes Discovery Woods.
$10,817
Per student
-29%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 6.6%
State 77.2%
Federal 16.2%
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.
Similar elementary 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 (~101 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Discovery Woods's federal record.
- Compare Discovery Woods against another school. Compare schools
- Discovery Woods'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 Woods
How many students attend Discovery Woods?
Discovery Woods has 101 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Brainerd, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Discovery Woods?
The student-teacher ratio at Discovery Woods is 12.6:1, which is 20% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 20% 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 Woods?
51.0% of students at Discovery Woods are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Discovery Woods?
The largest demographic group at Discovery Woods is White at 76.2% of enrollment, in Brainerd, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Discovery Woods?
Discovery Woods has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Woods rank among elementary schools in Brainerd?
By Resource Investment Index, Discovery Woods ranks #3 of 5 elementary schools in Brainerd, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Brainerd on the city page.
Is Discovery Woods a good school?
Discovery Woods earns 36/100 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 Discovery Woods?
None; Discovery Woods is a single-school charter district, and Discovery Woods is its only campus.
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.