Is Discovery Elementary a good school?

Discovery Elementary ranks 541 st of 881 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Discovery Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 256 students attended Discovery Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Discovery Elementary?

Students at Discovery Elementary are 98% White.

Discovery Elementary

Summary:

Discovery Elementary is a public elementary school located in Buffalo, Minnesota, serving 224 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools district, which is ranked 199 out of 463 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Discovery Elementary has a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 14.9 students per teacher, the school's academic performance is generally lower than the district and state averages. Only 40.83% of students were proficient or better in math on the MCA-III assessments, compared to 48.72% for the district and 45.47% for the state. The school's statewide ranking has also been declining, from a high of 229 out of 840 Minnesota elementary schools in 2014-2015 to a low of 541 out of 881 in 2023-2024. Interestingly, the school's rankings for male students are higher than for female students, and its rankings for low socioeconomic status students are relatively high, suggesting some disparities in academic achievement.

Compared to nearby schools, such as Little Mountain Elementary in the Monticello Public School District, Discovery Elementary generally performs worse on standardized tests, with lower proficiency rates in math, reading, and science. The Monticello district as a whole also has a higher ranking than the Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose district. These comparisons suggest that Discovery Elementary may need to focus on improving its instructional practices and support systems to better serve all of its students and close the achievement gaps.

Detail:

Public K-5

301 2nd Ave NE
Buffalo, MN 55313-1697

(763) 682-8400

District: Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
541^st of 881 Minnesota Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,939

Student/teacher ratio: 16.5

Number of students: 256

Racial breakdown:

White:

98.0%

African American:

0.8%

Two or more races:

0.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 19.5%

See top rated Minnesota elementary schools

Compare Discovery Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Discovery Elementary ranks worse than 61.4% of elementary schools in Minnesota. It also ranks 5^th among 6 ranked elementary schools in the Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 45.45. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (98%), African American (0.8%), two or more races (0.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 19.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Discovery Elementary is 16.5. 4 elementary schools in the Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Discovery Elementary employs 15.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Discovery Elementary is $12,939. 3 elementary schools in the Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Discovery Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Discovery Elementary 541^st of 881 Minnesota public elementary schools. (See Discovery Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools 199^th of 463 Minnesota school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Discovery Elementary.

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Your rating for Discovery Elementary?

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Rank History for Discovery Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Discovery Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2003	86.51	28^th	674	95.8%
2004	85.01	41^st	676	93.9%
2005	74.64	131^st	685	80.9%
2006	78.18	104^th	756	86.2%
2007	69.83	209^th	777	73.1%
2008	67.14	252^nd	781	67.7%
2010	73.32	169^th	803	79.0%
2011	72.99	181^st	814	77.8%
2012	75.59	146^th	820	82.2%
2013	67.35	283^rd	824	65.7%
2014	65.37	315^th	826	61.9%
2015	72.27	229^th	840	72.7%
2016	59.15	405^th	848	52.2%
2017	64.60	332^nd	853	61.1%
2018	54.67	448^th	847	47.1%
2019	65.15	335^th	870	61.5%
2021	64.06	321^st	869	63.1%
2022	45.95	533^rd	858	37.9%
2023	61.47	353^rd	845	58.2%
2024	45.45	541^st	881	38.6%

See the entire list of Minnesota Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Discovery Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	72.78	160^th	774	79.3%

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

Rank History for Female students at Discovery Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	40.22	546^th	774	29.5%
2019	59.07	371^st	787	52.9%
2021	47.44	481^st	783	38.6%
2022	35.56	567^th	799	29.0%
2023	49.42	449^th	787	42.9%
2024	36.50	558^th	809	31.0%

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

Rank History for Male students at Discovery Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	65.34	290^th	779	62.8%
2019	66.71	276^th	798	65.4%
2021	75.28	157^th	784	80.0%
2022	57.10	372^nd	808	54.0%
2023	71.84	211^th	799	73.6%
2024	55.12	406^th	826	50.8%

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

Rank History for White students at Discovery Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	29.86	571^st	712	19.8%
2019	39.99	502^nd	722	30.5%
2021	47.25	388^th	710	45.4%
2022	23.80	627^th	725	13.5%
2023	43.77	419^th	712	41.2%
2024	20.74	647^th	730	11.4%

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

Data source: test scores: Minnesota 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: Minnesota Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4.5)

50%

Reviews:

by a parent
Friday, September 11, 2020

Love this school! Both of our kids love going here and the staff is amazing. Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, June 5, 2017

We love this school and how much their staff cares. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Discovery Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1998	134	0	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	135
1999	135	0	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	136
2000	143	1	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	145
2001	148	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	148
2002	146	1	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	147
2003	146	1	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	147
2004	146	1	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	147
2005	158	1	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	161
2006	200	1	4	0	0	n/a	n/a	205
2007	236	1	4	0	0	n/a	n/a	241
2008	241	2	5	0	0	n/a	n/a	248
2009	248	3	4	0	0	n/a	n/a	255
2010	258	3	4	2	0	n/a	n/a	267
2011	256	1	2	3	0	0	4	266
2012	250	1	2	4	0	0	2	259
2013	245	0	3	5	0	0	3	256
2014	238	0	4	8	0	0	6	256
2015	225	0	5	8	1	0	8	247
2016	229	0	5	6	0	0	9	249
2017	231	0	4	4	0	0	9	248
2018	232	0	4	2	0	0	8	246
2019	232	0	4	2	0	0	9	247
2020	231	0	2	3	0	0	7	243
2021	220	0	0	2	0	0	5	227
2022	204	0	0	1	0	0	3	208
2023	220	1	0	1	0	0	2	224
2024	251	2	0	1	0	0	2	256

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

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1998	135	n/a	0.0	4.4
1999	136	8.1	16.8	3.7
2000	145	11.3	12.8	20.7
2001	148	10.0	14.8	21.6
2002	147	8.6	17.1	23.8
2003	147	8.6	17.1	23.8
2004	147	8.8	16.7	20.4
2005	161	9.1	17.7	23
2006	205	12.0	17.1	20
2007	241	14.8	16.3	14.1
2008	248	14.5	17.1	17.3
2009	255	13.1	19.5	18.8
2010	267	13.5	19.7	19.5
2011	266	13.3	20.0	23.7
2012	259	14.0	18.4	15.1
2013	256	13.3	19.2	19.1
2014	256	13.0	19.5	18.8
2015	247	14.0	17.6	15
2016	249	14.0	17.7	18.5
2017	248	14.1	17.5	14.9
2018	246	13.9	17.6	16.3
2019	247	14.4	17.0	13
2020	243	14.4	16.8	13.6
2021	227	14.7	15.3	12.3
2022	208	14.4	14.3	11.5
2023	224	14.9	14.9	18.8
2024	256	15.4	16.5	19.5

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 Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1998	135	n/a	0.0	4.4
1999	136	8.1	16.8	3.7
2000	145	11.3	12.8	20.7
2001	148	10.0	14.8	21.6
2002	147	8.6	17.1	23.8
2003	147	8.6	17.1	23.8
2004	147	8.8	16.7	20.4
2005	161	9.1	17.7	23
2006	205	12.0	17.1	20
2007	241	14.8	16.3	14.1
2008	248	14.5	17.1	17.3
2009	255	13.1	19.5	18.8
2010	267	13.5	19.7	19.5
2011	266	13.3	20.0	23.7
2012	259	14.0	18.4	15.1
2013	256	13.3	19.2	19.1
2014	256	13.0	19.5	18.8
2015	247	14.0	17.6	15
2016	249	14.0	17.7	18.5
2017	248	14.1	17.5	14.9
2018	246	13.9	17.6	16.3
2019	247	14.4	17.0	13
2020	243	14.4	16.8	13.6
2021	227	14.7	15.3	12.3
2022	208	14.4	14.3	11.5
2023	224	14.9	14.9	18.8
2024	256	15.4	16.5	19.5

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 Elementary

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$12,939

Data source: Minnesota Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Discovery Elementary

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 335^th of 870 Elementary schools	Ranks 353^rd of 845 Elementary schools	3.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Math (Discovery Elementary)	81.1	47.6	33.5%
3rd Grade Math (Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools)	78.2	67.3	10.9%
3rd Grade Math (Minnesota)	65.6	59.1	6.5%
3rd Grade Reading (Discovery Elementary)	64.9	69.1	4.2%
3rd Grade Reading (Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools)	62.1	59.3	2.8%
3rd Grade Reading (Minnesota)	54.6	47.4	7.2%
4th Grade Math (Discovery Elementary)	57.8	44.1	13.7%
4th Grade Math (Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools)	73	59.4	13.7%
4th Grade Math (Minnesota)	63.9	57.1	6.8%
4th Grade Reading (Discovery Elementary)	57.8	40	17.8%
4th Grade Reading (Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools)	68.2	43.9	24.3%
4th Grade Reading (Minnesota)	55.4	48.4	7.1%
5th Grade Math (Discovery Elementary)	48.7	36.6	12.1%
5th Grade Math (Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools)	60.1	48.7	11.4%
5th Grade Math (Minnesota)	52	44.4	7.6%
5th Grade Reading (Discovery Elementary)	74.4	80.5	6.1%
5th Grade Reading (Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools)	77.4	68.8	8.6%
5th Grade Reading (Minnesota)	65.8	58.7	7%
5th Grade Science (Discovery Elementary)	64.1	65.9	1.8%
5th Grade Science (Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools)	70.4	59.2	11.2%
5th Grade Science (Minnesota)	54.9	48.4	6.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	247	224	9.3%
African American	0	1
American Indian	0	0
Asian	4	0	100%
Hispanic	2	1	50%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	232	220	5.2%
Two or More Races	9	2	77.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	13%	18.8%	5.8%

Schools Near Discovery Elementary

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 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 All Grades	MCA-III Science 5th Grade	MCA-III Science All Grades	Total
Discovery Elementary	Public	K-5	301 2nd Ave NE	Buffalo	55313	Wright County	Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools	No	No	No	No	(763) 682-8400	256	15	16.5	19.5%	251 (98.0%)	2 (0.8%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	45.5	541^st of 881 public elementary schools	38.6%		61.5	353^rd of 845 public elementary schools	58.2%	188	43.9	50.0	27.0		40.8	39.0	56.8	64.9		53.3	29.7	29.7	$12,939
Buffalo Early Child. Sp. Educational Program	Public	PK	214 NE 1st Ave	Buffalo	55313	Wright County	Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools	No	No	No	No	(763) 682-8721	159	9	17.6	37.1%	135 (84.9%)	5 (3.1%)	6 (3.8%)	5 (3.1%)	1 (0.6%)	1 (0.6%)	6 (3.8%)								(n/a)													$32,510
Parkside Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	207 3rd St NE	Buffalo	55313	Wright County	Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(763) 682-8500	340	27	12.8	44.4%	286 (84.1%)	2 (0.6%)	25 (7.4%)	5 (1.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (6.2%)	58.6	392^nd of 881 public elementary schools	55.5%		66.6	288^th of 845 public elementary schools	65.9%	104	41.5	58.9	43.6		48.0	46.2	50.9	71.0		56.8	47.5	47.5	$13,171
Tatanka Elementary STEM School	Public	K-5	703 8th St NE	Buffalo	55313	Wright County	Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(763) 682-8600	420	31	13.6	41.7%	357 (85.0%)	26 (6.2%)	16 (3.8%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.0%)	29.4	659^th of 881 public elementary schools	25.2%		46.5	514^th of 845 public elementary schools	39.2%	145	54.2	49.3	21.1		39.0	37.3	32.4	37.4		35.8	29.7	29.7	$10,828
Northwinds Elementary	Public	K-5	1111 7th Ave NW	Buffalo	55313	Wright County	Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools	No	No	No	No	(763) 682-8800	408	29	14.2	28.2%	379 (92.9%)	5 (1.2%)	12 (2.9%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.2%)	75	200^th of 881 public elementary schools	77.3%		84.1	102^nd of 845 public elementary schools	87.9%	98	76.1	67.1	43.9		62.7	52.2	65.4	66.7		61.6	56.3	56.3	$11,493
Maple Lake Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	200 Highway 55 E	Maple Lake	55358	Wright County	Maple Lake Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(320) 963-3024	407	30	13.5	29.5%	392 (96.3%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.7%)	68.4	276^th of 881 public elementary schools	68.7%		71.6	232^nd of 845 public elementary schools	72.5%	44	81.0	68.5	45.9	58.0	61.8	54.8	53.7	59.0	52.0	55.1	44.3	44.3	$11,302
Montrose Elementary School of Innov	Public	PK, KG-5	100 2nd St S	Montrose	55363	Wright County	Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(763) 682-8345	357	27	13.2	47.1%	295 (82.6%)	18 (5.0%)	31 (8.7%)	6 (1.7%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.1%)	48.3	510^th of 881 public elementary schools	42.1%		39.1	582^nd of 845 public elementary schools	31.1%	72	71.4	41.4	26.3		46.2	55.4	40.4	62.5		52.7	28.1	28.1	$13,186
Monticello Nature Based Education	Public	K-5	9842 Briarwood Avenue NE	Monticello	55362	Wright County	Monticello Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(763) 272-2801	62	0		32.3%	56 (90.3%)	1 (1.6%)	2 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (4.8%)	95.3	9^th of 881 public elementary schools	99.0%					(n/a)		94.1	90.9		92.3		58.8	95.7		80.0	95.7	95.7
Little Mountain Elementary	Public	1-5	9350 Fallon Ave NE	Monticello	55362	Wright County	Monticello Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(763) 272-2600	598	41	14.5	34.3%	447 (74.7%)	28 (4.7%)	54 (9.0%)	19 (3.2%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (8.0%)	64.4	316^th of 881 public elementary schools	64.1%		66.4	289^th of 845 public elementary schools	65.8%	27	57.6	58.1	56.0		57.3	43.7	49.6	68.8		53.4	55.1	55.1	$12,686
Little Mountain Elementary - SNW	Public	K-6	9350 Fallon Avenue	Monticello	55362	Wright County	Sherburne and Northern Wright Speci	No	No	No	No	(763) 272-2600	6	2	2.6		4 (66.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (16.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (16.7%)								(n/a)

Discovery Elementary

Discovery Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools:

Average Parent Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for Discovery Elementary

Rank History for all students at Discovery Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Discovery Elementary

Rank History for Female students at Discovery Elementary

Rank History for Male students at Discovery Elementary

Rank History for White students at Discovery Elementary

Review counts

Enrollment information for Discovery Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Discovery Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Discovery Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Discovery Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Discovery Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Discovery Elementary