Is Discovery Elementary a good school?

Discovery Elementary ranks 469 th of 1114 Virginia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Discovery Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 692 students attended Discovery Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Discovery Elementary?

Students at Discovery Elementary are 35% White, 27% Asian, 16% Hispanic, 12% African American, 9% Two or more races.

Discovery Elementary

Summary:

Discovery Elementary is a public elementary school located in Ashburn, Virginia, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 710. The school is part of the Loudoun County Public Schools district, which is ranked 24th out of 130 school districts in Virginia and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Discovery Elementary has a relatively diverse student population, with a racial makeup that is more diverse than some nearby schools like Waxpool Elementary and Newton-Lee Elementary. Academically, the school's performance on SOL (Standards of Learning) tests is generally on par with or slightly below the Loudoun County district and Virginia state averages. Discovery Elementary's statewide ranking and SchoolDigger rating have fluctuated over the years, ranging from a high of 210th out of 1,103 Virginia elementary schools to a low of 469th out of 1,114 schools.

When compared to other nearby top-performing elementary schools in Loudoun County, such as Mill Run Elementary and Newton-Lee Elementary, Discovery Elementary generally performs on par or slightly below. The school also faces challenges in addressing achievement gaps, as its performance varies significantly across different student subgroups. Additionally, Discovery Elementary has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, which may indicate a need for additional resources and support.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

44020 Grace Bridge Drive
Ashburn, VA 20147

(571) 252-2370

District: Loudoun County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
469^th of 1,114 Virginia Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,967

Student/teacher ratio: 12.4

Number of students: 692

Racial breakdown:

White:

34.8%

Asian:

27.5%

Hispanic:

15.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 31.1%

See top rated Virginia elementary schools

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Discovery Elementary ranks better than 57.9% of elementary schools in Virginia. It also ranks 43^rd among 59 ranked elementary schools in the Loudoun County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 61.66. (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 Student population at Discovery Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (34.8%), Asian (27.5%), Hispanic (15.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 31.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Discovery Elementary is 12.4, which is the 25^th best among 59 elementary schools in the Loudoun County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Discovery Elementary employs 55.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Discovery Elementary is $14,967. 41 elementary schools in the Loudoun County Public Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Discovery Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Discovery Elementary 469^th of 1114 Virginia public elementary schools. (See Discovery Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

Asian students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Loudoun County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Loudoun County Public Schools 24^th of 130 Virginia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail 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	VA State Percentile
2015	69.67	302^nd	1100	72.5%
2016	77.98	179^th	1096	83.7%
2017	70.97	289^th	1099	73.7%
2018	71.63	288^th	1097	73.7%
2019	68.22	358^th	1105	67.6%
2021	79.40	210^th	1103	81.0%
2022	71.62	323^rd	1109	70.9%
2023	61.80	452^nd	1114	59.4%
2024	61.66	469^th	1114	57.9%

See the entire list of Virginia Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Discovery Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	73.76	58^th	245	76.3%

See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Discovery Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	40.62	180^th	300	40.0%
2024	41.23	179^th	306	41.5%

See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Discovery Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	31.31	780^th	1036	24.7%

See the entire list of Best Virginia 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	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	57.00	508^th	1100	53.8%
2024	59.74	475^th	1098	56.7%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Discovery Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	48.14	233^rd	355	34.4%

See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Discovery Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	63.12	405^th	1093	62.9%
2024	60.63	461^st	1101	58.1%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Discovery Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	49.25	127^th	230	44.8%
2024	54.93	130^th	238	45.4%

See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Discovery Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	57.40	260^th	579	55.1%
2024	44.60	368^th	588	37.4%

See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Discovery Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	39.55	381^st	564	32.4%
2024	49.88	325^th	580	44.0%

See the entire list of Best Virginia Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Discovery Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	43.95	610^th	984	38.0%
2024	49.07	569^th	979	41.9%

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

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3)

50%

Reviews:

by a parent
Thursday, August 26, 2021

Fantastic school with amazing teachers! Close Quote

by a parent
Sunday, April 24, 2016

We have found the staff at Discovery to be very skilled, knowledgeable, and supportive of our first grader. His teacher is wonderful and really works hard to provide our son with the kind of teaching that he needs. The art and music teachers are talented as well. We enjoy attending a variety of different extra-curricular activities at the school. All in all, we are very pleased! Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, July 21, 2015

This school was dissapointment on every level. We experienced poor quality teachers, a chaotic classroom, low expectations, and an administration who simply ignores the problems. Our children will not return. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Discovery Elementary

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2014	297	57	244	80	8	1	33	720
2015	302	68	264	111	5	1	32	783
2016	322	80	313	115	4	1	35	870
2017	342	74	286	111	5	2	46	866
2018	328	86	285	107	5	1	58	870
2019	296	83	275	118	3	0	60	835
2020	287	84	273	97	5	0	42	788
2021	248	79	260	98	4	0	43	732
2022	226	74	212	110	2	0	55	679
2023	239	88	210	109	4	0	60	710
2024	241	84	190	110	5	0	62	692

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
2014	720	33.3	21.6	15.8
2015	783	40.0	19.5	15.1
2016	870	54.0	16.1	16.4
2017	866	60.3	14.3	13.6
2018	870	63.0	13.8	17.6
2019	835	59.3	14.0	18.4
2020	788	58.0	13.5	20.4
2021	732	53.3	13.7	n/a
2022	679	52.6	12.9	23.7
2023	710	51.5	13.7	29.7
2024	692	55.8	12.4	31.1

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 Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	720	33.3	21.6	15.8
2015	783	40.0	19.5	15.1
2016	870	54.0	16.1	16.4
2017	866	60.3	14.3	13.6
2018	870	63.0	13.8	17.6
2019	835	59.3	14.0	18.4
2020	788	58.0	13.5	20.4
2021	732	53.3	13.7	n/a
2022	679	52.6	12.9	23.7
2023	710	51.5	13.7	29.7
2024	692	55.8	12.4	31.1

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 Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$371 (3.0%)	$11,955 (97.0%)	$12,326
2020	$354 (2.6%)	$13,329 (97.4%)	$13,682
2021	$560 (3.7%)	$14,407 (96.3%)	$14,967

Data source: Virginia 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 358^th of 1105 Elementary schools	Ranks 452^nd of 1114 Elementary schools	8.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Discovery Elementary)	87	71.8	15.2%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Loudoun County Public Schools)	87	77.1	9.9%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Virginia)	82	69.1	12.9%
3rd Grade English Reading (Discovery Elementary)	76	67	9%
3rd Grade English Reading (Loudoun County Public Schools)	76	73.8	2.2%
3rd Grade English Reading (Virginia)	71	66.1	4.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Discovery Elementary)	88	69.7	18.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Loudoun County Public Schools)	88	79.1	8.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)	83	69.7	13.3%
4th Grade English Reading (Discovery Elementary)	81	82	1%
4th Grade English Reading (Loudoun County Public Schools)	81	80.9	0.1%
4th Grade English Reading (Virginia)	75	72.7	2.3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Discovery Elementary)	89	73	16%
5th Grade Mathematics (Loudoun County Public Schools)	88	78.6	9.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)	81	67	14%
5th Grade Science (Discovery Elementary)	85	66.7	18.3%
5th Grade Science (Loudoun County Public Schools)	85	73.3	11.7%
5th Grade Science (Virginia)	79	66	13%
5th Grade English Reading (Discovery Elementary)	85	77.2	7.8%
5th Grade English Reading (Loudoun County Public Schools)	84	79.6	4.4%
5th Grade English Reading (Virginia)	78	71.4	6.6%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	835	710	15%
African American	83	88	6%
American Indian	3	4	33.3%
Asian	275	210	23.6%
Hispanic	118	109	7.6%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	296	239	19.3%
Two or More Races	60	60
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	18.4%	29.7%	11.3%

Schools Near Discovery Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				SOL Mathematics (2024)			SOL Science (2024)	SOL English Reading (2024)			SOL VA Studies (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2021)
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	SOL Mathematics 3rd Grade	SOL Mathematics 4th Grade	SOL Mathematics 5th Grade	SOL Science 5th Grade	SOL English Reading 3rd Grade	SOL English Reading 4th Grade	SOL English Reading 5th Grade	SOL VA Studies 4th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Discovery Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	44020 Grace Bridge Drive	Ashburn	20147	Loudoun County	Loudoun County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(571) 252-2370	692	56	12.4	31.1%	241 (34.8%)	84 (12.1%)	110 (15.9%)	190 (27.5%)	5 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	62 (9.0%)	61.7	469^th of 1114 public elementary schools	57.9%		61.8	452^nd of 1114 public elementary schools	59.4%	17	72.2	73.5	79.2	72.0	63.7	81.2	77.4	74.7	$14,967	$560	$14,407
Dominion Trail Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	44045 Bruceton Mills Circle	Ashburn	20147	Loudoun County	Loudoun County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(571) 252-2340	577	47	12.3	43.0%	217 (37.6%)	66 (11.4%)	130 (22.5%)	122 (21.1%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	40 (6.9%)	56.4	536^th of 1114 public elementary schools	51.9%		54.2	558^th of 1114 public elementary schools	49.9%	22	69.4	67.6	75.4	73.7	69.4	72.4	77.6	66.3	$15,426	$465	$14,961
Cedar Lane Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	43700 Tolamac Dr	Ashburn	20147	Loudoun County	Loudoun County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(571) 252-2120	698	54	12.9	23.5%	306 (43.8%)	47 (6.7%)	82 (11.7%)	199 (28.5%)	5 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	59 (8.5%)	83.1	150^th of 1114 public elementary schools	86.5%		83.4	148^th of 1114 public elementary schools	86.7%	2	85.7	86.5	88.5	83.7	78.6	86.5	83.7	89.7	$14,634	$234	$14,400
Hillside Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	43000 Ellzey Dr	Ashburn	20148	Loudoun County	Loudoun County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(571) 252-2170	685	48	14.3	15.3%	254 (37.1%)	53 (7.7%)	71 (10.4%)	254 (37.1%)	3 (0.4%)	3 (0.4%)	47 (6.9%)	85.3	116^th of 1114 public elementary schools	89.6%		79.8	210^th of 1114 public elementary schools	81.1%	94	85.1	89.1	91.7	82.5	75.2	88.0	93.3	93.3	$15,139	$383	$14,756
Steuart W. Weller Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	20700 Marblehead Drive	Ashburn	20147	Loudoun County	Loudoun County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(571) 252-2360	688	49	14.1	36.5%	237 (34.4%)	99 (14.4%)	149 (21.7%)	142 (20.6%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	59 (8.6%)	70.9	340^th of 1114 public elementary schools	69.5%		67.6	374^th of 1114 public elementary schools	66.4%	34	78.7	85.6	86.4	80.8	65.6	76.3	81.8	76.1	$15,535	$238	$15,297
Moorefield Station Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	22325 Mooreview Parkway	Ashburn	20148	Loudoun County	Loudoun County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(571) 252-2380	951	65	14.6	20.7%	218 (22.9%)	116 (12.2%)	84 (8.8%)	435 (45.7%)	16 (1.7%)	7 (0.7%)	75 (7.9%)	77.5	248^th of 1114 public elementary schools	77.7%		73.6	284^th of 1114 public elementary schools	74.5%	36	80.9	81.3	82.7	78.9	74.7	82.0	90.1	88.4	$14,239	$527	$13,712
Mill Run Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	42940 Ridgeway Drive	Ashburn	20148	Loudoun County	Loudoun County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(571) 252-2160	648	49	13.3	6.8%	270 (41.7%)	36 (5.6%)	39 (6.0%)	252 (38.9%)	9 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (6.5%)	91.7	28^th of 1114 public elementary schools	97.5%		91.6	29^th of 1114 public elementary schools	97.4%	1	92.7	92.7	96.8	94.4	82.6	91.8	97.6	92.7	$14,368	$412	$13,956
Sanders Corner Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	43100 Ashburn Farm Pkwy	Ashburn	20147	Loudoun County	Loudoun County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(571) 252-2250	459	33	14.0	23.5%	245 (53.4%)	21 (4.6%)	81 (17.6%)	72 (15.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	38 (8.3%)	74.4	292^nd of 1114 public elementary schools	73.8%		79.4	219^th of 1114 public elementary schools	80.3%	73	76.0	87.7	82.1	68.0	77.2	83.6	84.6	87.3	$16,425	$430	$15,995
Ashburn Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	44062 Fincastle Dr	Ashburn	20147	Loudoun County	Loudoun County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(571) 252-2350	524	40	12.9	23.7%	247 (47.1%)	34 (6.5%)	79 (15.1%)	114 (21.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (9.5%)	81.2	192^nd of 1114 public elementary schools	82.8%		81.4	187^th of 1114 public elementary schools	83.2%	5	82.7	90.0	88.9	84.9	72.2	84.6	83.7	89.2	$16,087	$380	$15,707
Waxpool Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	42560 Black Angus Drive	Ashburn	20148	Loudoun County	Loudoun County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(571) 367-4220	665	49	13.6	11.4%	181 (27.2%)	46 (6.9%)	37 (5.6%)	339 (51.0%)	6 (0.9%)	2 (0.3%)	54 (8.1%)	90	47^th of 1114 public elementary schools	95.8%		91.1	40^th of 1114 public elementary schools	96.4%	7	93.2	91.3	94.0	86.2	89.6	90.4	91.2	90.3	$13,407	$494	$12,913

Discovery Elementary

Discovery Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Loudoun County Public Schools:

Average Parent Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for Discovery Elementary

Rank History for all students at Discovery Elementary

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Discovery Elementary

Rank History for English Language Learner 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 Disabled students at Discovery Elementary

Rank History for Male students at Discovery Elementary

Rank History for Asian students at Discovery Elementary

Rank History for African American students at Discovery Elementary

Rank History for Hispanic 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

Frequently Asked Questions about Discovery Elementary

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