Discovery Elementary School

Summary:

Discovery Elementary School is a public elementary school in Meridian, Idaho, serving 463 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Joint School District No. 2, which is ranked 10th out of 77 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating.

Discovery Elementary consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in Idaho, with a statewide ranking of 15th out of 301 schools and a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's proficiency rates in ISAT Math, Science, and English Language Arts are significantly higher than the state and district averages across all grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 74.6% of Discovery Elementary students were proficient or better in ISAT Math, compared to 57.5% for the district and 42.2% for the state. Additionally, Discovery Elementary has a lower chronic absenteeism rate of 13.8% compared to nearby schools like Ustick Elementary (25.9%) and Meridian Elementary (24.7%).

One notable difference between Discovery Elementary and nearby schools is the racial makeup of the student population. Discovery Elementary has a higher percentage of White students (80.35%) compared to the more diverse student populations at surrounding schools. Additionally, Discovery Elementary has a lower percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (19.65%) than many of the nearby schools, suggesting a higher socioeconomic status among the school's families. These demographic and socioeconomic factors may contribute to the school's exceptional academic performance and low chronic absenteeism rates.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

2100 East Leigh Field Drive
Meridian, ID 83642-2590

(208) 855-4090

District: Joint School District No. 2

SchoolDigger Rank:
15^th of 301 Idaho Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $7,320

Students who attend Discovery Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Heritage Middle School
High:	Rocky Mountain High School

Student/teacher ratio: 17.8

Number of students: 463

Racial breakdown:

White:

80.3%

Hispanic:

9.7%

Asian:

4.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 19.7%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Discovery Elementary School ranks better than 95% of elementary schools in Idaho. It also ranks 6^th among 33 ranked elementary schools in the Joint School District No. 2. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 93.15. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Discovery Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Joint School District No. 2. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Discovery Elementary School is $7,320, which is the 10^th highest among 33 elementary schools in the Joint School District No. 2.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Discovery Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Discovery Elementary School 15^th of 301 Idaho public elementary schools. (See Discovery Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

White students:

Joint School District No. 2:

SchoolDigger ranks Joint School District No. 2 10^th of 77 Idaho school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Discovery Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Discovery Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ID State Percentile
2008	75.47	53^rd	335	84.2%
2009	73.57	66^th	349	81.1%
2010	63.45	116^th	356	67.4%
2011	54.70	188^th	359	47.6%
2012	66.18	105^th	354	70.3%
2013	62.27	136^th	357	61.9%
2015	86.80	23^rd	226	89.8%
2016	70.56	68^th	240	71.7%
2017	77.15	57^th	292	80.5%
2018	71.11	67^th	254	73.6%
2019	94.07	4^th	171	97.7%
2021	98.49	1^st	166	99.4%
2022	93.03	7^th	188	96.3%
2023	91.45	24^th	252	90.5%
2024	93.15	15^th	301	95.0%

See the entire list of Idaho Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Female students at Discovery Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ID State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	71.23	37^th	121	69.4%

See the entire list of Best Idaho Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Discovery Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ID State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	64.74	44^th	121	63.6%

See the entire list of Best Idaho Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Discovery Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ID State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	92.92	9^th	135	93.3%

See the entire list of Best Idaho Elementary Schools for White Students!

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

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Idaho Department of Education

Review counts

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Enrollment information for Discovery Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2004	473	4	4	7	4	n/a	n/a	492
2005	752	4	6	23	3	n/a	n/a	788
2006	678	17	8	20	2	n/a	n/a	725
2007	518	18	11	26	0	n/a	n/a	573
2008	468	12	13	29	2	n/a	n/a	524
2009	497	17	20	35	3	n/a	n/a	572
2010	471	10	11	48	3	n/a	n/a	543
2011	464	10	9	56	2	1	22	564
2012	473	10	9	59	2	1	23	577
2013	486	11	10	53	2	0	19	581
2014	447	6	5	54	2	0	23	537
2015	470	5	13	54	4	0	20	566
2016	460	5	9	62	4	3	17	560
2017	478	5	12	56	6	2	20	579
2018	472	5	13	43	6	2	24	565
2019	452	5	13	46	5	1	20	542
2020	429	6	16	45	3	0	17	516
2021	335	8	9	36	3	0	10	401
2022	405	13	13	39	2	1	18	491
2023	372	7	20	45	2	1	16	463

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 Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2004	492	21.3	23.1	0
2005	788	32.6	24.2	9.9
2006	725	32.8	22.1	12.3
2007	573	31.7	18.1	17.1
2008	524	26.8	19.6	14.7
2009	572	24.4	23.4	19.6
2010	543	31.8	17.0	35.4
2011	564	28.7	19.6	23.2
2012	577	26.8	21.5	25.6
2013	581	25.9	22.3	19.6
2014	537	24.7	21.6	19.7
2015	566	26.0	21.7	24.7
2016	560	27.0	20.7	16.3
2017	579	27.2	21.2	16.9
2018	565	27.2	20.7	16.6
2019	542	27.3	19.8	16.1
2020	516	26.7	19.3	14
2021	401	23.8	16.8	16
2022	491	26.6	18.4	8.4
2023	463	25.9	17.8	19.7

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 Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2004	492	21.3	23.1	0
2005	788	32.6	24.2	9.9
2006	725	32.8	22.1	12.3
2007	573	31.7	18.1	17.1
2008	524	26.8	19.6	14.7
2009	572	24.4	23.4	19.6
2010	543	31.8	17.0	35.4
2011	564	28.7	19.6	23.2
2012	577	26.8	21.5	25.6
2013	581	25.9	22.3	19.6
2014	537	24.7	21.6	19.7
2015	566	26.0	21.7	24.7
2016	560	27.0	20.7	16.3
2017	579	27.2	21.2	16.9
2018	565	27.2	20.7	16.6
2019	542	27.3	19.8	16.1
2020	516	26.7	19.3	14
2021	401	23.8	16.8	16
2022	491	26.6	18.4	8.4
2023	463	25.9	17.8	19.7

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 Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$609 (8.3%)	$6,711 (91.7%)	$7,320

Data source: Idaho Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Discovery Elementary 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 4^th of 171 Elementary schools	Ranks 24^th of 252 Elementary schools	7.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Math (Discovery Elementary School)	73.2	74.3	1.1%
3rd Grade Math (Joint School District No. 2)	67.3	67.2	0.1%
3rd Grade Math (Idaho)	53	49.4	3.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Discovery Elementary School)	70.9	66.2	4.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Joint School District No. 2)	62.3	60.6	1.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Idaho)	50.5	45.2	5.3%
4th Grade Math (Discovery Elementary School)	85.2	74.1	11.1%
4th Grade Math (Joint School District No. 2)	61.7	68	6.3%
4th Grade Math (Idaho)	49.9	47.2	2.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Discovery Elementary School)	79.6	78.8	0.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Joint School District No. 2)	63	65.3	2.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Idaho)	52	48.4	3.6%
5th Grade Math (Discovery Elementary School)	78.3	58.9	19.4%
5th Grade Math (Joint School District No. 2)	60	63.6	3.6%
5th Grade Math (Idaho)	44.9	41.5	3.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Discovery Elementary School)	83.5	73.4	10.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Joint School District No. 2)	69.3	69.7	0.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Idaho)	56.9	51.7	5.2%
All Grades Math (Discovery Elementary School)	79	68.7	10.3%
All Grades Math (Joint School District No. 2)	58.9	57.7	1.2%
All Grades Math (Idaho)	44.4	41.5	2.9%
All Grades Science (Discovery Elementary School)	82.5	61.1	21.4%
All Grades Science (Joint School District No. 2)	73.3	57.5	15.8%
All Grades Science (Idaho)	58.9	41.6	17.3%
All Grades English Language Arts (Discovery Elementary School)	78.2	73.1	5.1%
All Grades English Language Arts (Joint School District No. 2)	68	68.7	0.7%
All Grades English Language Arts (Idaho)	55	52.2	2.8%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	542	463	14.6%
African American	5	7	40%
American Indian	5	2	60%
Asian	13	20	53.8%
Hispanic	46	45	2.2%
Pacific Islander	1	1
White	452	372	17.7%
Two or More Races	20	16	20%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	16.1%	19.7%	3.6%

Schools Near Discovery Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ISAT Math (2024)				ISAT Science (2024)	ISAT English Language Arts (2024)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISAT Math 3rd Grade	ISAT Math 4th Grade	ISAT Math 5th Grade	ISAT Math All Grades	ISAT Science All Grades	ISAT English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 4th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 5th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Discovery Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2100 East Leigh Field Drive	Meridian	83642	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	No	No	No	(208) 855-4090	463	26	17.8	19.7%	372 (80.3%)	7 (1.5%)	45 (9.7%)	20 (4.3%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (3.5%)	93.2	15^th of 301 public elementary schools	95.0%		91.4	24^th of 252 public elementary schools	90.5%	9	84.2	73.3	67.7	74.6	68.9	82.8	74.4	75.6	77.3	$7,320	$609	$6,711
Prospect Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4300 North Red Horse Way	Meridian	83646	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	No	No	No	(208) 350-4000	532	29	18.2	14.8%	417 (78.4%)	9 (1.7%)	47 (8.8%)	19 (3.6%)	5 (0.9%)	2 (0.4%)	33 (6.2%)	93.9	9^th of 301 public elementary schools	97.0%		94.6	7^th of 252 public elementary schools	97.2%	2		83.1		75.4	66.0	68.2	85.0	81.2	78.4	$6,599	$609	$5,990
River Valley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2900 East River Valley Street	Meridian	83646	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	No	No	No	(208) 884-1741	427	27	16.1	39.3%	302 (70.7%)	7 (1.6%)	78 (18.3%)	11 (2.6%)	5 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (5.4%)	52.2	140^th of 301 public elementary schools	53.5%		65.9	79^th of 252 public elementary schools	68.7%	61	51.4	51.7	48.9	50.6	40.7	52.1	48.3	55.4	51.9	$6,929	$609	$6,320
Chief Joseph School Of The Arts	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1100 East Chateau	Meridian	83646	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	Yes	No	Yes	(208) 350-4200	521	33	15.7	42.2%	338 (64.9%)	9 (1.7%)	132 (25.3%)	12 (2.3%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (5.4%)	80.9	58^th of 301 public elementary schools	80.7%		87.4	32^nd of 252 public elementary schools	87.3%	26	67.1	67.7	63.3	66.1	48.8	71.8	59.4	71.3	66.8	$7,649	$1,034	$6,615
Pioneer School Of The Arts	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	13255 West McMillian Road	Boise	83713	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	Yes	No	No	(208) 855-4100	667	34	19.8	15.1%	552 (82.8%)	3 (0.4%)	52 (7.8%)	20 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	39 (5.8%)	92.5	18^th of 301 public elementary schools	94.0%		95	6^th of 252 public elementary schools	97.6%	12	79.7	77.7	63.9	73.8	66.7	80.6	74.1	75.9	76.9	$6,560	$609	$5,951
Ustick Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	12435 West Ustick Road	Boise	83713	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	No	No	Yes	(208) 855-4120	357	27	13.2	59.7%	214 (59.9%)	20 (5.6%)	76 (21.3%)	27 (7.6%)	5 (1.4%)	2 (0.6%)	13 (3.6%)	28.8	214^th of 301 public elementary schools	28.9%		28	180^th of 252 public elementary schools	28.6%	34		29.4		30.9	32.5	37.5	48.5	50.0	46.0	$7,145	$1,245	$5,900
Cecil D Andrus Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6100 Park Meadow Drive	Boise	83713	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	No	No	No	(208) 939-3400	421	27	15.5	17.6%	346 (82.2%)	7 (1.7%)	34 (8.1%)	13 (3.1%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	19 (4.5%)	93.3	14^th of 301 public elementary schools	95.3%		90.9	27^th of 252 public elementary schools	89.3%	13	73.9	71.6	78.8	75.0	72.9	69.4	80.8	82.2	77.7	$6,957	$609	$6,348
Frontier Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	11851 Musket Drive	Boise	83713	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	No	No	Yes	(208) 350-4190	269	23	11.5	60.6%	187 (69.5%)	30 (11.2%)	23 (8.6%)	12 (4.5%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (5.6%)	91.4	24^th of 301 public elementary schools	92.0%		91.4	23^rd of 252 public elementary schools	90.9%	1	73.8	67.4	73.5	71.2	76.5				70.5	$10,116	$1,487	$8,629
Paramount Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	550 West Producer Drive	Meridian	83646	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	No	No	No	(208) 350-4120	501	26	19.2	10.8%	395 (78.8%)	5 (1.0%)	54 (10.8%)	13 (2.6%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (6.2%)	97.8	2^nd of 301 public elementary schools	99.3%		98.3	1^st of 252 public elementary schools	99.6%	1	86.9	83.3	85.8	85.4	76.8	86.4	84.4	85.7	85.5	$6,756	$609	$6,147
Joplin Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	12081 West Demeyer Street	Boise	83713	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	No	No	No	(208) 855-4345	266	16	17.0	28.2%	213 (80.1%)	2 (0.8%)	29 (10.9%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	19 (7.1%)	58.7	116^th of 301 public elementary schools	61.5%		67	77^th of 252 public elementary schools	69.4%	39	47.5	41.7	53.2	47.4	66.0			67.4	50.8	$6,573	$609	$5,964

Frequently Asked Questions about Discovery Elementary School

Is Discovery Elementary School a good school?

Yes! Discovery Elementary School is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 15^th of 301 Idaho elementary schools.

How many students attend Discovery Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 463 students attended Discovery Elementary School.

What district is Discovery Elementary School in?

Joint School District No. 2

What is the racial makeup of Discovery Elementary School?

Students at Discovery Elementary School are 80% White, 10% Hispanic, 4% Asian, 3% Two or more races, 2% African American.

What schools do graduates of Discovery Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Discovery Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Heritage Middle School
High : Rocky Mountain High 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 Idaho 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.