Discovery High School

Summary:

Discovery High School is a public high school located in Lawrenceville, Georgia, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 2,803 students. It is part of the Gwinnett County School District, which is ranked 65 out of 203 districts in Georgia and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Discovery High School serves a diverse student population, it faces several academic challenges. The school has had a four-year graduation rate ranging from 73.5% to 80.8% over the past five years, which is lower than the state and county averages. Additionally, Discovery High School consistently underperforms compared to the Gwinnett County and Georgia state averages on the Milestones Assessments across various subjects, including American Literature, Algebra I, Biology, and United States History. For example, in 2023-2024, only 34.1% of Discovery High School students were proficient or better in American Literature, compared to 46.6% in Gwinnett County and 42% statewide. The school also has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 64.78% to 72.6% over the past three years, which is significantly higher than nearby schools like Brookwood High School (32.31%) and Peachtree Ridge High School (37.39%).

In contrast, some nearby schools, such as Brookwood High School and Peachtree Ridge High School, consistently perform better on state assessments and have higher graduation rates. Additionally, the Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology, a high-performing magnet school located just 1.48 miles from Discovery High School, ranks 1st out of 458 Georgia high schools and has exceptional test scores, with 98.1% of students proficient or better in American Literature and 99.2% in Biology. This highlights the significant academic disparities within the Gwinnett County school district.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 1335 Old Norcross Rd
       Lawrenceville, GA  30046


(678) 226-4250

District: Gwinnett County

SchoolDigger Rank:
263rd of 458 Georgia High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $8,355 Help


Feeder schools for Discovery High School:

Elementary:    Alford Elementary
    Baggett Elementary School
    Benefield Elementary School
    Cedar Hill Elementary School
Middle:    Richards Middle School

Student/teacher ratio:  15.6 Help
Number of students:  2,730

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
56.6%
African American:
28.9%
Asian:
7.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  77.3% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Discovery High School ranks worse than 57.4% of high schools in Georgia. It also ranks 16th among 25 ranked high schools in the Gwinnett County School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 35.89. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Discovery High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (56.6%), African American (28.9%), Asian (7.9%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 77.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Discovery High School is 15.6, which is the 8th best among 25 high schools in the Gwinnett County School District. (See more...)
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Compare Discovery High School employs 175 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Discovery High School is $8,355. 16 high schools in the Gwinnett County School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger Rankings:

Discovery High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.
SchoolDigger ranks Discovery High School 263rd of 458 Georgia public high schools. (See Discovery High School in the ranking list.)

Gwinnett County:

SchoolDigger ranks Gwinnett County 65th of 203 Georgia school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Discovery High School?

Rank History for Discovery High School

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Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools GA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 44.07 194th 428 54.7%
2019 42.07 208th 438 52.5%
2021 38.33 223rd 410 45.6%
2022 50.14 171st 429 60.1%
2023 41.49 222nd 442 49.8%
2024 35.89 263rd 458 42.6%
See the entire list of Georgia High School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Georgia Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Discovery High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    



Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)
0%

0%

0%

0%

100%

  

Reviews:
by a student
Friday, December 6, 2019

Open Quote i’m not one of the students that hates their school just to fit in, but this school is terrible. i mean, the kids are terrible raised, they stink, like actually smell bad, and it’s had numerous threats in the past few months from students. i mean last year 2 kids were playing with a gun trying to be gangster and killed eachother. everybody there is racist and the statistics speak for themselves. avoid going here if you can, because it’ll be miserable. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Discovery High School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2016 139 844 192 888 8 0 56 0 2127
2017 163 1002 258 1162 10 0 61 0 2656
2018 152 1014 273 1173 5 1 76 0 2694
2019 165 995 276 1235 3 1 74 0 2749
2020 166 938 286 1310 2 6 59 0 2767
2021 146 915 264 1403 3 5 44 0 2780
2022 135 964 279 1425 2 4 47 0 2856
2023 127 880 229 1507 3 5 52 0 2803
2024 122 789 216 1544 4 3 52 0 2730

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Discovery High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2016 2127 110.0 19.3 74.7
2017 2656 134.5 19.7 75.9
2018 2694 151.0 17.8 74.7
2019 2749 154.0 17.8 72.2
2020 2767 151.5 18.2 69.4
2021 2780 158.2 17.5 64.8
2022 2856 164.4 17.3 n/a
2023 2803 169.9 16.4 72.6
2024 2730 175.0 15.6 77.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Discovery High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2016 2127 110.0 19.3 74.7
2017 2656 134.5 19.7 75.9
2018 2694 151.0 17.8 74.7
2019 2749 154.0 17.8 72.2
2020 2767 151.5 18.2 69.4
2021 2780 158.2 17.5 64.8
2022 2856 164.4 17.3 n/a
2023 2803 169.9 16.4 72.6
2024 2730 175.0 15.6 77.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Discovery High School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017 $533 (7.2%) $6,836 (92.8%) $7,370
2018 $545 (6.8%) $7,424 (93.2%) $7,969
2019 $576 (6.9%) $7,780 (93.1%) $8,355

Data source: Georgia Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Discovery High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 208th of 438 High schoolsRanks 222nd of 442 High schools
 2.7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
End of Course American Literature and Composition (Discovery High School)36.826.6
 10.2%
   End of Course American Literature and Composition (Gwinnett County)53.943.1
 10.8%
   End of Course American Literature and Composition (Georgia)47.338.9
 8.4%
End of Course Algebra I (Discovery High School)13.416.9
 3.5%
   End of Course Algebra I (Gwinnett County)4945.4
 3.6%
   End of Course Algebra I (Georgia)41.135.8
 5.3%
End of Course Biology (Discovery High School)39.746.4
 6.7%
   End of Course Biology (Gwinnett County)55.353.5
 1.8%
   End of Course Biology (Georgia)4945.5
 3.5%
End of Course United States History (Discovery High School)48.834.2
 14.6%
   End of Course United States History (Gwinnett County)57.140
 17.1%
   End of Course United States History (Georgia)48.337.1
 11.2%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students27492803
 2%
African American995880
 11.6%
American Indian33
Asian276229
 17%
Hispanic12351507
 22%
Pacific Islander15
 400%
White165127
 23%
Two or More Races7452
 29.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients72.2%72.6%
 0.4%


Schools Near Discovery High School









Frequently Asked Questions about Discovery High School

Discovery High School ranks 263rd of 458 Georgia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

In the 2023-24 school year, 2,730 students attended Discovery High School.

Students at Discovery High School are 57% Hispanic, 29% African American, 8% Asian, 4% White, 2% Two or more races.

Discovery High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Alford Elementary
Elementary : Baggett Elementary School
Elementary : Benefield Elementary School
Elementary : Cedar Hill Elementary School
Middle : Richards Middle School


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Georgia Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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