Discovery Charter Elementary School

Q: Is Discovery Charter Elementary School a good school?

Discovery Charter Elementary School ranks 327 th of 881 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Discovery Charter Elementary School is a public charter school located in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, serving 202 students in grades K-8 with a diverse student population.

The school has shown steady improvement in its statewide ranking, moving from 612th out of 870 Minnesota elementary schools in 2018-2019 to 327th out of 881 in 2023-2024, with a 3-star rating. Its performance on standardized tests is mixed, with higher proficiency rates than the state average in 3rd grade Math and 5th grade Reading, but lower in 7th grade Math and Science. Notably, female students and White students rank in the top 25% of Minnesota elementary schools, while low socioeconomic status students rank in the top 28%. The school's relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 9.6 to 13 students per teacher, is a key strength compared to nearby public schools.

Discovery Charter Elementary School outperforms many of the nearby public schools, such as Lincoln Center Elementary and Kaposia Education Center Elementary, in both Math and Reading proficiency rates. However, it lags behind higher-performing schools like Cottage Grove Elementary and Atheneum Elementary, which are in the top 25% of Minnesota elementary schools. The school's diverse student population, with a significant percentage of minority and low-income students, is a unique characteristic compared to the nearby schools, which tend to have a higher percentage of White and more affluent students.

Detail:

Public, Charter K-8

4100 66th St E
Inver Grove Heights, MN 55076-8888

(651) 444-8464

District: Discovery Charter School

SchoolDigger Rank:
327^th of 881 Minnesota Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,911

Student/teacher ratio: 13.0

Number of students: 202

Racial breakdown:

White:

50.5%

Hispanic:

23.3%

Two or more races:

10.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 54.5%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Discovery Charter Elementary School ranks better than 62.9% of elementary schools in Minnesota. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 63.74. (See more...)

Compare Details Discovery Charter Elementary School ranks worse than 54.7% of middle schools in Minnesota. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 45.55. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (50.5%), Hispanic (23.3%), two or more races (10.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 54.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Discovery Charter Elementary School is 13. (See more...)

Compare Discovery Charter Elementary School employs 15.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Discovery Charter Elementary School is $9,911.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Discovery Charter Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Discovery Charter Elementary School 327^th of 881 Minnesota public elementary schools. (See Discovery Charter Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

SchoolDigger ranks Discovery Charter Elementary School 298^th of 545 Minnesota public middle schools. (See Discovery Charter Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Discovery Charter School:

SchoolDigger ranks Discovery Charter School 195^th of 463 Minnesota school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Discovery Charter Elementary School

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Discovery Charter Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2019	39.57	612^th	870	29.7%
2021	41.88	586^th	869	32.6%
2022	50.15	498^th	858	42.0%
2023	64.91	309^th	845	63.4%
2024	63.74	327^th	881	62.9%

See the entire list of Minnesota Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Discovery Charter Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	24.96	605^th	728	16.9%
2019	33.87	543^rd	740	26.6%
2021	57.09	298^th	683	56.4%
2023	70.66	177^th	774	77.1%
2024	68.07	219^th	793	72.4%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Discovery Charter Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	37.35	568^th	774	26.6%
2019	46.79	504^th	787	36.0%
2021	28.09	614^th	783	21.6%
2022	79.81	109^th	799	86.4%
2024	75.99	163^rd	809	79.9%

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

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Discovery Charter Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	22.16	650^th	779	16.6%
2019	36.72	581^st	798	27.2%
2021	39.36	549^th	784	30.0%
2022	45.10	519^th	808	35.8%
2023	47.29	467^th	799	41.6%
2024	40.24	544^th	826	34.1%

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

Rank History for elementary school White students at Discovery Charter Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	31.31	562^nd	712	21.1%
2019	65.93	223^rd	722	69.1%
2021	60.99	250^th	710	64.8%
2022	55.48	325^th	725	55.2%
2023	72.18	152^nd	712	78.7%
2024	73.18	156^th	730	78.6%

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

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

Rank History for Discovery Charter Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MN State Percentile
2019	32.68	382^nd	533	28.3%
2021	14.75	455^th	521	12.7%
2022	28.09	386^th	520	25.8%
2023	49.01	266^th	529	49.7%
2024	45.55	298^th	545	45.3%

See the entire list of Minnesota Elementary School Rankings!

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

Data source: Minnesota Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3.5)

50%

Reviews:

by a parent
Thursday, October 27, 2022

Love the small school setting my child has been here 5 years since they opened Close Quote

by a parent
Sunday, August 29, 2021

Took over 3 months for an iep. The principal/ director is a joke. They favor certain children i believe because of how the world is right now, without saying anything racial or rude. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Discovery Charter Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2017	100	17	9	42	3	2	19	192
2018	96	21	9	35	5	2	12	180
2019	115	36	10	46	6	2	24	239
2020	121	33	8	63	4	2	24	255
2021	93	28	6	64	6	2	24	223
2022	103	24	5	52	7	0	25	216
2023	102	20	6	47	5	0	22	202

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 Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	192	13.5	14.1	44.3
2018	180	17.5	10.2	43.3
2019	239	20.0	11.9	45.6
2020	255	16.5	15.3	36.9
2021	223	22.0	10.1	35.4
2022	216	22.3	9.6	34.3
2023	202	15.5	13.0	54.5

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 Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	192	13.5	14.1	44.3
2018	180	17.5	10.2	43.3
2019	239	20.0	11.9	45.6
2020	255	16.5	15.3	36.9
2021	223	22.0	10.1	35.4
2022	216	22.3	9.6	34.3
2023	202	15.5	13.0	54.5

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 Elementary School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$9,911

Data source: Minnesota Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Discovery Charter 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 612^th of 870 Elementary schools	Ranks 309^th of 845 Elementary schools	33.8%
Ranks 382^nd of 533 Middle schools	Ranks 266^th of 529 Middle schools	21.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Math (Discovery Charter Elementary School)	53.9	73.9	20.1%
3rd Grade Math (Discovery Charter School)	53.9	73.9	20.1%
3rd Grade Math (Minnesota)	65.6	59.1	6.5%
3rd Grade Reading (Discovery Charter Elementary School)	38.5	45.5	7%
3rd Grade Reading (Discovery Charter School)	38.5	45.5	7%
3rd Grade Reading (Minnesota)	54.6	47.4	7.2%
4th Grade Math (Discovery Charter Elementary School)	58.3	38.5	19.9%
4th Grade Math (Discovery Charter School)	58.3	38.5	19.9%
4th Grade Math (Minnesota)	63.9	57.1	6.8%
4th Grade Reading (Discovery Charter Elementary School)	66.7	57.7	9%
4th Grade Reading (Discovery Charter School)	66.7	57.7	9%
4th Grade Reading (Minnesota)	55.4	48.4	7.1%
5th Grade Math (Discovery Charter Elementary School)	30.2	40	9.8%
5th Grade Math (Discovery Charter School)	30.2	40	9.8%
5th Grade Math (Minnesota)	52	44.4	7.6%
5th Grade Reading (Discovery Charter Elementary School)	60.5	79.2	18.7%
5th Grade Reading (Discovery Charter School)	60.5	79.2	18.7%
5th Grade Reading (Minnesota)	65.8	58.7	7%
5th Grade Science (Discovery Charter Elementary School)	51.2	45.8	5.3%
5th Grade Science (Discovery Charter School)	51.2	45.8	5.3%
5th Grade Science (Minnesota)	54.9	48.4	6.5%
6th Grade Math (Discovery Charter Elementary School)	9.5	57.1	47.6%
6th Grade Math (Discovery Charter School)	9.5	57.1	47.6%
6th Grade Math (Minnesota)	50.5	39.7	10.8%
6th Grade Reading (Discovery Charter Elementary School)	57.1	78.6	21.4%
6th Grade Reading (Discovery Charter School)	57.1	78.6	21.4%
6th Grade Reading (Minnesota)	62.8	53.4	9.4%
7th Grade Math (Discovery Charter Elementary School)	46.7	36.4	10.3%
7th Grade Math (Discovery Charter School)	46.7	36.4	10.3%
7th Grade Math (Minnesota)	52.1	39.7	12.4%
7th Grade Reading (Discovery Charter Elementary School)	46.7	20	26.7%
7th Grade Reading (Discovery Charter School)	46.7	20	26.7%
7th Grade Reading (Minnesota)	57.5	45.2	12.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	239	202	15.5%
African American	36	20	44.4%
American Indian	6	5	16.7%
Asian	10	6	40%
Hispanic	46	47	2.2%
Pacific Islander	2	0	100%
White	115	102	11.3%
Two or More Races	24	22	8.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	45.6%	54.5%	8.8%

Schools Near Discovery Charter Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MCA-III Math (2024)						MCA-III Reading (2024)						MCA-III Science (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	MCA-III Math 3rd Grade	MCA-III Math 4th Grade	MCA-III Math 5th Grade	MCA-III Math 6th Grade	MCA-III Math 7th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	MCA-III Reading 3rd Grade	MCA-III Reading 4th Grade	MCA-III Reading 5th Grade	MCA-III Reading 6th Grade	MCA-III Reading 7th Grade	MCA-III Reading All Grades	MCA-III Science 5th Grade	MCA-III Science All Grades	Total
Discovery Charter Elementary School	Public, Charter	K-8	4100 66th St E	Inver Grove Heights	55076	Dakota County	Discovery Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(651) 444-8464	202	16	13.0	54.5%	102 (50.5%)	20 (9.9%)	47 (23.3%)	6 (3.0%)	5 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (10.9%)	63.7	327^th of 881 public elementary schools	62.9%		64.9	309^th of 845 public elementary schools	63.4%	18	76.2	55.2	35.0	41.7	20.0	44.3	52.6	51.9	75.0	45.5	42.9	50.5	47.4	33.3	$9,911
Hilltop Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3201 68th St E	Inver Grove Heights	55076	Dakota County	Inver Grove Heights Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(651) 306-7400	574	41	14.1	62.4%	242 (42.2%)	86 (15.0%)	162 (28.2%)	21 (3.7%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	59 (10.3%)	19.8	724^th of 881 public elementary schools	17.8%		12.4	740^th of 845 public elementary schools	12.4%	16	41.6	24.4	24.8			30.0	27.0	20.9	47.2			32.7	19.8	19.8	$13,412
Newport Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	851 6th Ave	Newport	55055	Washington County	South Washington County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(651) 425-4301	271	26	10.4	62.0%	116 (42.8%)	45 (16.6%)	28 (10.3%)	51 (18.8%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (11.1%)	57.8	411^th of 881 public elementary schools	53.3%		45.4	528^th of 845 public elementary schools	37.5%	117	56.5	57.8	55.9			56.8	43.5	34.8	73.5			48.4	50.0	50.0	$16,288
Kaposia Education Center Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1225 1st Ave S	South Saint Paul	55075	Dakota County	South St. Paul Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(651) 451-9260	655	47	13.8	71.0%	255 (38.9%)	76 (11.6%)	225 (34.4%)	24 (3.7%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	72 (11.0%)	25.1	687^th of 881 public elementary schools	22.0%		35.8	599^th of 845 public elementary schools	29.1%	88	45.7	33.0	25.0			34.6	33.0	32.0	44.1			36.2	24.7	24.7	$13,591
Nuevas Fronteras Spanish Immersion	Public	K-5	1020 Third Street	Saint Paul Park	55071	Washington County	South Washington County Schools	No	No	No	No	(651) 425-3101	499	24	20.9	16.2%	316 (63.3%)	16 (3.2%)	121 (24.2%)	6 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	39 (7.8%)	60.2	371^st of 881 public elementary schools	57.9%		53.9	430^th of 845 public elementary schools	49.1%	59	56.0	57.3	56.3			56.6	38.5	48.3	73.2			51.8	47.9	47.9	$11,755
Pullman Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1260 Selby Ave	Saint Paul Park	55071	Washington County	South Washington County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(651) 425-3601	369	36	10.2	50.4%	208 (56.4%)	21 (5.7%)	61 (16.5%)	35 (9.5%)	3 (0.8%)	1 (0.3%)	40 (10.8%)	32.1	640^th of 881 public elementary schools	27.4%		31.9	618^th of 845 public elementary schools	26.9%	22	37.3	49.2	28.8			38.4	31.0	28.8	54.2			38.1	35.6	35.6	$14,778
Atheneum Elementary	Public	2-5	5899 Babcock Tr E	Inver Grove Heights	55077	Dakota County	Inver Grove Heights Schools	No	No	No	No	(651) 306-7300	85	0	18.5	22.4%	56 (65.9%)	3 (3.5%)	8 (9.4%)	11 (12.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (8.2%)	98.3	3^rd of 881 public elementary schools	99.7%		98.8	2^nd of 845 public elementary schools	99.8%	1	100.0	100.0	84.2			95.2	100.0	100.0	94.7			98.4	73.7	73.7	$7,574
Salem Hills Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5899 Babcock Tr E	Inver Grove Heights	55077	Dakota County	Inver Grove Heights Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(651) 306-7300	312	27	11.4	50.3%	138 (44.2%)	44 (14.1%)	82 (26.3%)	8 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (12.8%)	39.7	586^th of 881 public elementary schools	33.5%		42.1	561^st of 845 public elementary schools	33.6%	25	44.4	51.2	50.0			48.6	26.7	42.9	55.2			42.8	20.7	20.7	$13,175
Lincoln Center Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	357 9th Ave N	South Saint Paul	55075	Dakota County	South St. Paul Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(651) 457-9426	666	49	13.5	57.8%	339 (50.9%)	58 (8.7%)	179 (26.9%)	22 (3.3%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (9.6%)	34	627^th of 881 public elementary schools	28.8%		28.1	636^th of 845 public elementary schools	24.7%	9	59.2	26.0	26.7			37.0	42.7	37.4	44.8			41.8	32.2	32.2	$14,877
Cottage Grove Elementary	Public	K-5	7447 65th St S	Cottage Grove	55016	Washington County	South Washington County Schools	No	No	No	No	(651) 425-5801	424	28	15.1	24.8%	254 (59.9%)	49 (11.6%)	10 (2.4%)	80 (18.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (7.3%)	74.9	202^nd of 881 public elementary schools	77.1%		79.1	153^rd of 845 public elementary schools	81.9%	49	72.0	84.4	54.6			70.3	53.3	61.0	61.0			58.5	48.1	48.1	$14,065

Frequently Asked Questions about Discovery Charter Elementary School

Is Discovery Charter Elementary School a good school?

Discovery Charter Elementary School ranks 327^th of 881 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Discovery Charter Elementary School in?

Discovery Charter School

What is the racial makeup of Discovery Charter Elementary School?

Students at Discovery Charter Elementary School are 50% White, 23% Hispanic, 11% Two or more races, 10% African American, 3% Asian, 2% American Indian.

How many students attend Discovery Charter Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 202 students attended Discovery Charter Elementary 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 Minnesota 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.