Discovery Charter School

Q: Is Discovery Charter School a good school?

Discovery Charter School ranks 292 nd of 1010 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Discovery Charter School is an elementary school serving 569 students in grades K-8 in Porter, Indiana, part of the Portage Township Schools district, which is ranked 104 out of 381 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating.

Discovery Charter School consistently performs above the state average in ILEARN English Language Arts and Math assessments, with 49.85% of students proficient or better in ELA and 46.75% in Math, compared to the state averages of 38.6% and 52.4% respectively. The school's performance is particularly strong in 3rd grade ELA (58.11% proficient) and 3rd grade Math (71.62% proficient), significantly exceeding the state averages. While the school's chronic absenteeism rate has fluctuated in recent years, it remains lower than the nearby Portage Township Schools. Additionally, Discovery Charter School has a relatively low percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 25.3% to 33.04% over the past three years, significantly lower than the nearby Portage Township Schools and Michigan City Area Schools.

Despite having lower spending per student ($8,157 in 2021-2022) compared to the nearby Duneland School Corporation, which spends between $11,510 and $12,475 per student, Discovery Charter School is able to achieve strong academic results, indicating a relatively efficient use of resources. The school's consistent academic performance, with a ranking in the top 25% of Indiana elementary schools, and its diverse student population make it an interesting case study for understanding the factors that contribute to educational success.

Detail:

Public, Charter K-8

800 Canonie Dr
Porter, IN 46304

(219) 983-9800

District: Discovery Charter School

SchoolDigger Rank:
292^nd of 1,010 Indiana Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,157

Student/teacher ratio: 15.1

Number of students: 544

Racial breakdown:

White:

65.4%

Hispanic:

19.3%

Two or more races:

7.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 35.1%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Discovery Charter School ranks better than 71.1% of elementary schools in Indiana. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 70.54. (See more...)

Compare Details Discovery Charter School ranks better than 59.6% of middle schools in Indiana. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 58.59. (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 Racial makeup is: White (65.4%), Hispanic (19.3%), two or more races (7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 35.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Discovery Charter School is 15.1. (See more...)

Compare Discovery Charter School employs 36 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Discovery Charter School is $8,157.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Discovery Charter School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Discovery Charter School 196^th of 485 Indiana public middle schools. (See Discovery Charter School in the ranking list.)

Discovery Charter School:

SchoolDigger ranks Discovery Charter School 109^th of 381 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Discovery Charter School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IN State Percentile
2013	81.11	114^th	1035	89.0%
2014	80.58	131^st	1036	87.4%
2015	85.73	88^th	1040	91.5%
2016	82.78	117^th	1046	88.8%
2017	78.90	174^th	1033	83.2%
2018	85.98	95^th	1027	90.7%
2019	84.19	119^th	1031	88.5%
2021	73.62	249^th	1016	75.5%
2022	67.91	334^th	1020	67.3%
2023	73.53	255^th	1016	74.9%
2024	70.54	292^nd	1010	71.1%

See the entire list of Indiana Elementary School Rankings!

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

Rank History for Discovery Charter School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IN State Percentile
2013	86.85	18^th	444	95.9%
2014	82.21	41^st	470	91.3%
2015	82.75	56^th	485	88.5%
2016	85.13	31^st	494	93.7%
2017	69.21	130^th	472	72.5%
2018	71.92	127^th	473	73.2%
2019	48.46	258^th	470	45.1%
2021	56.89	197^th	483	59.2%
2022	60.93	185^th	490	62.2%
2023	64.85	156^th	489	68.1%
2024	58.59	196^th	485	59.6%

See the entire list of Indiana Elementary School Rankings!

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

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Sunday, May 25, 2014

Walk in the door and you will feel the difference. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Discovery Charter School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Two or More Races	Total
2011	294	1	1	3	0	10	309
2012	335	9	8	7	1	11	371
2013	385	15	16	17	2	20	455
2014	385	22	23	44	1	18	493
2015	392	29	19	54	1	16	511
2016	374	26	20	63	1	22	506
2017	388	30	15	60	1	24	518
2018	404	30	13	59	1	25	532
2019	393	33	9	70	1	29	535
2020	378	32	16	74	1	35	536
2021	329	35	21	79	0	34	498
2022	336	30	21	91	0	34	512
2023	374	32	20	102	0	41	569
2024	356	29	16	105	0	38	544

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 Charter School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2011	309	17.0	18.1	23
2012	371	22.0	16.8	22.6
2013	455	23.0	19.7	20.7
2014	493	24.0	20.5	23.7
2015	511	26.0	19.6	22.3
2016	506	27.0	18.7	23.7
2017	518	28.0	18.5	22.6
2018	532	27.0	19.7	22.9
2019	535	29.0	18.4	22.1
2020	536	27.0	19.8	18.3
2021	498	29.0	17.1	25.3
2022	512	32.0	16.0	25.8
2023	569	34.0	16.7	33
2024	544	36.0	15.1	35.1

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 Charter School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2011	309	17.0	18.1	23
2012	371	22.0	16.8	22.6
2013	455	23.0	19.7	20.7
2014	493	24.0	20.5	23.7
2015	511	26.0	19.6	22.3
2016	506	27.0	18.7	23.7
2017	518	28.0	18.5	22.6
2018	532	27.0	19.7	22.9
2019	535	29.0	18.4	22.1
2020	536	27.0	19.8	18.3
2021	498	29.0	17.1	25.3
2022	512	32.0	16.0	25.8
2023	569	34.0	16.7	33
2024	544	36.0	15.1	35.1

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 Charter School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$307 (4.9%)	$5,985 (95.1%)	$6,292
2020	$280 (4.4%)	$6,154 (95.6%)	$6,434
2021	$1,718 (22.7%)	$5,854 (77.3%)	$7,572
2022	$630 (7.7%)	$7,527 (92.3%)	$8,157

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Discovery Charter 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 119^th of 1031 Elementary schools	Ranks 255^th of 1016 Elementary schools	13.6%
Ranks 258^th of 470 Middle schools	Ranks 156^th of 489 Middle schools	23%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Discovery Charter School)	76.7	49.3	27.4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Discovery Charter School)	76.7	49.3	27.4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	46.3	39.7	6.6%
3rd Grade Math (Discovery Charter School)	89	69.9	19.1%
3rd Grade Math (Discovery Charter School)	89	69.9	19.1%
3rd Grade Math (Indiana)	58.7	53.1	5.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Discovery Charter School)	67.6	47.3	20.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Discovery Charter School)	67.6	47.3	20.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	45.8	40.3	5.5%
4th Grade Math (Discovery Charter School)	76.5	57.5	19%
4th Grade Math (Discovery Charter School)	76.5	57.5	19%
4th Grade Math (Indiana)	54	48.8	5.2%
4th Grade Science (Discovery Charter School)	70.6	58.1	12.5%
4th Grade Science (Discovery Charter School)	70.6	58.1	12.5%
4th Grade Science (Indiana)	46.3	37	9.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Discovery Charter School)	77.1	38.1	39%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Discovery Charter School)	77.1	38.1	39%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	47.5	40.2	7.3%
5th Grade Math (Discovery Charter School)	70	54	16%
5th Grade Math (Discovery Charter School)	70	54	16%
5th Grade Math (Indiana)	47.8	41.1	6.7%
5th Grade Social Studies (Discovery Charter School)	77.1	50.8	26.3%
5th Grade Social Studies (Discovery Charter School)	77.1	50.8	26.3%
5th Grade Social Studies (Indiana)	46	39.1	6.9%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Discovery Charter School)	41.7	38.3	3.4%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Discovery Charter School)	41.7	38.3	3.4%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	47.8	40.8	7%
6th Grade Math (Discovery Charter School)	45.8	42.6	3.3%
6th Grade Math (Discovery Charter School)	45.8	42.6	3.3%
6th Grade Math (Indiana)	46.4	38.3	8.1%
6th Grade Science (Discovery Charter School)	43.8	46.8	3%
6th Grade Science (Discovery Charter School)	43.8	46.8	3%
6th Grade Science (Indiana)	48.6	38.2	10.4%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Discovery Charter School)	47.4	50	2.6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Discovery Charter School)	47.4	50	2.6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	49.7	39.5	10.2%
7th Grade Math (Discovery Charter School)	28.9	33.3	4.4%
7th Grade Math (Discovery Charter School)	28.9	33.3	4.4%
7th Grade Math (Indiana)	42	32.9	9.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Discovery Charter School)	76.2	48.9	27.3%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Discovery Charter School)	76.2	48.9	27.3%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	50.7	43.8	6.9%
8th Grade Math (Discovery Charter School)	19	20	1%
8th Grade Math (Discovery Charter School)	19	20	1%
8th Grade Math (Indiana)	38	31.4	6.6%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	535	569	6.4%
African American	33	32	3%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	9	20	122.2%
Hispanic	70	102	45.7%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	393	374	4.8%
Two or More Races	29	41	41.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	22.1%	33%	11%

Schools Near Discovery Charter School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ILEARN English Language Arts (2024)							ILEARN Math (2024)							ILEARN Social Studies (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
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	ILEARN English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 4th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 5th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 6th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 7th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 8th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts All Grades	ILEARN Math 3rd Grade	ILEARN Math 4th Grade	ILEARN Math 5th Grade	ILEARN Math 6th Grade	ILEARN Math 7th Grade	ILEARN Math 8th Grade	ILEARN Math All Grades	ILEARN Social Studies 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Discovery Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	800 Canonie Dr	Porter	46304	Porter County	Discovery Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(219) 983-9800	544	36	15.1	35.1%	356 (65.4%)	29 (5.3%)	105 (19.3%)	16 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (7.0%)	70.5	292^nd of 1010 public elementary schools	71.1%		73.5	255^th of 1016 public elementary schools	74.9%	37	58.1	44.6	50.9	40.0	36.8	66.7	49.9	71.6	54.1	47.5	22.0	33.3	31.0	46.8	52.5	$8,157	$630	$7,527
Newton Yost Elementary School	Public	K-4	100 W Beam St	Porter	46304	Porter County	Duneland School Corporation	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 983-3640	381	28	13.7	44.4%	277 (72.7%)	17 (4.5%)	65 (17.1%)	5 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.5%)	89.1	79^th of 1010 public elementary schools	92.2%		77.3	204^th of 1016 public elementary schools	79.9%	125	56.3	68.6					62.7	72.5	69.8					71.1		$11,773	$619	$11,154
Brummitt Elementary School	Public	K-4	2500 Indian Boundary	Chesterton	46304	Porter County	Duneland School Corporation	No	No	No	No	(219) 983-3660	362	29	12.6	30.9%	277 (76.5%)	10 (2.8%)	61 (16.9%)	5 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.5%)	92.1	57^th of 1010 public elementary schools	94.4%		95.3	24^th of 1016 public elementary schools	97.6%	33	63.4	75.4					68.7	78.1	67.7					73.5		$11,650	$513	$11,137
Bailly Elementary School	Public	K-4	800 S 5th St	Chesterton	46304	Porter County	Duneland School Corporation	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 983-3670	393	28	14.2	41.5%	294 (74.8%)	21 (5.3%)	56 (14.2%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (4.6%)	88.2	92^nd of 1010 public elementary schools	90.9%		86.1	113^th of 1016 public elementary schools	88.9%	21	52.3	74.4					63.1	67.1	78.1					72.5		$12,291	$629	$11,662
Liberty Elementary School	Public	K-4	50 W 900 N	Chesterton	46304	Porter County	Duneland School Corporation	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 983-3650	530	34	15.7	34.2%	401 (75.7%)	8 (1.5%)	89 (16.8%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (5.5%)	81.5	166^th of 1010 public elementary schools	83.6%		81.9	159^th of 1016 public elementary schools	84.4%	7	58.2	55.8					56.9	69.2	58.4					63.2		$11,510	$532	$10,978
Ethel R Jones Elementary School	Public	K-5	2374 McCool Rd	Portage	46368	Porter County	Portage Township Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 763-8025	299	22	13.9		171 (57.2%)	33 (11.0%)	87 (29.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.3%)	48.4	543^rd of 1010 public elementary schools	46.2%		48.4	553^rd of 1016 public elementary schools	45.6%	10	37.5	36.2	47.1				40.1	56.3	44.7	23.5				42.6	23.5	$11,522	$1,461	$10,061
Pine Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-6	1660 Co Line Rd	Michigan City	46360	LaPorte County	Michigan City Area Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(219) 873-2114	397	28	14.1	65.2%	169 (42.6%)	143 (36.0%)	46 (11.6%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (9.1%)	30.7	724^th of 1010 public elementary schools	28.3%		16.1	857^th of 1016 public elementary schools	15.6%	133	43.9	25.6	15.5	25.0			28.3	62.1	16.3	17.2	5.8			27.9	19.0	$14,775	$1,773	$13,002
Jackson Elementary School	Public	K-4	811 N 400 E	Valparaiso	46383	Porter County	Duneland School Corporation	No	No	No	No	(219) 983-3680	326	22	15.0	20.2%	281 (86.2%)	2 (0.6%)	37 (11.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.8%)	90.1	70^th of 1010 public elementary schools	93.1%		95.5	22^nd of 1016 public elementary schools	97.8%	48	58.7	64.6					62.0	77.8	69.6					73.2		$12,475	$863	$11,612
Crisman Elementary School	Public	K-5	6161 Old Porter Rd	Portage	46368	Porter County	Portage Township Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 763-8020	353	23	15.6		166 (47.0%)	63 (17.8%)	97 (27.5%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (7.1%)	41.5	608^th of 1010 public elementary schools	39.8%		36.4	667^th of 1016 public elementary schools	34.4%	59	33.9	33.3	37.0				34.9	55.9	29.8	34.3				39.7	23.3	$10,070	$1,286	$8,784
Rowena Kyle Elementary School	Public	K-5	2701 Hamstrom Rd	Portage	46368	Porter County	Portage Township Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 763-8030	439	23	19.0		187 (42.6%)	64 (14.6%)	164 (37.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.2%)	46.2	568^th of 1010 public elementary schools	43.8%		46.6	572^nd of 1016 public elementary schools	43.7%	4	47.7	44.6	29.5				40.8	51.1	52.7	20.5				41.7	12.8	$9,604	$1,117	$8,487

Frequently Asked Questions about Discovery Charter School

How many students attend Discovery Charter School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 544 students attended Discovery Charter School.

What district is Discovery Charter School in?

Discovery Charter School

What is the racial makeup of Discovery Charter School?

Students at Discovery Charter School are 65% White, 19% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 5% African American, 3% Asian.

Is Discovery Charter School a good school?

Discovery Charter School ranks 292^nd of 1010 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

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