Enrollment
692
Elementary
DISTRICT 612 · STATE 379
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·SCHOOL DISTRICT 27J·NCES 080258006875
Discovery Magnet School
4949 E. 147TH AVE., THORNTON, CO 80602 · (303) 655-6260 · Adams County
GRADES KG–08ELEMENTARY41-RURALREGULAR SCHOOL692 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
19.0:1
36 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 22.4:1 · STATE 16.6:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
23%
162 students
DISTRICT 51% · STATE 50%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 75 | 11% |
| Grade 1 | 76 | 11% |
| Grade 2 | 78 | 11% |
| Grade 3 | 80 | 12% |
| Grade 4 | 78 | 11% |
| Grade 5 | 79 | 11% |
| Grade 6 | 80 | 12% |
| Grade 7 | 79 | 11% |
| Grade 8 | 67 | 10% |
This year's kindergarten class (75) is 12% larger than its 8th grade class (67).
Student demographics
57%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 59% · STATE 62% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
CMAS 2024-25 . % Met or Exceeded ExpectationsEnglish Language Arts
52.8%
CO avg 44.9% . -0.3pp since 2023
Math
44.0%
CO avg 36.1% . +3.3pp since 2023
What this means: On the CMAS, Colorado's statewide test, about 53 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 44 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Colorado schools, those numbers are about 45 and 36. Reading and writing scores have held steady since 2023, while math scores are up about 3 points.
CMAS results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 52.8% | 44.0% |
| 2023-24 | 53.1% | 40.7% |
% Met or Exceeded Expectations, all students and all tested grades.
Source: CMAS. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
48.0%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
52.5%
based on CO schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-4.5pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 48% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 53% typical for Colorado schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Colorado's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like Discovery Magnet School
Discovery Magnet School's state test result (48.0% proficient) is higher than 1 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery Magnet School this school | 692 | 23.4% | 48.0% |
| STEM Lab NORTHGLENN | 740 | 30.9% | 56.8% |
| Landmark Academy at Reunion COMMERCE CITY | 758 | 27.4% | 41.2% |
| Meridian Elementary School BROOMFIELD | 525 | 22.9% | 69.6% |
| Mountain View Elementary School COLORADO SPRINGS | 567 | 25.7% | 54.5% |
| Silver Creek Elementary THORNTON | 538 | 19.7% | 57.4% |
Matched among Colorado elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Discovery Magnet School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Colorado | In Adams County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 48.0% | #327 of 931 | #7 of 89 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 44.0% | #355 of 940 ▲ 24 | #7 of 89 ▲ 5 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 52.8% | #319 of 946 ▼ 3 | #7 of 89 ▼ 1 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 692 | #68 of 1,056 | #10 of 97 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 19.0:1 | #833 of 896 | #77 of 90 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 57.4% | #252 of 896 | #28 of 90 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 23.4% | #783 of 983 | #89 of 91 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 692 | 36.4 | 19.0:1 | 23% (162) |
| 2023-24 | 623 | 32 | 19.5:1 | 22% (138) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Discovery Magnet School.
About Discovery Magnet School
Discovery Magnet School is an elementary school located in THORNTON, Colorado, in Adams County. The school's enrollment of 692 students covers kindergarten through 8. Enrollment is 83% higher than the average for elementary schools in Colorado, which is about 379.
School District 27J counts 24,044 students in its 33 schools, and Discovery Magnet School is one of them.
Discovery Magnet School's enrollment is 57% White. Enrollment also includes 32% Hispanic, 6% Asian, and 4% multiracial. The county population is about 55% White, within a few points of the school. Discovery Magnet School has a diversity index of 57%, compared with 70% for all US public school students.
Federal data list 36.4 full-time-equivalent teachers at Discovery Magnet School in 2024-25, for a ratio of 19.0:1. Among elementary schools in Colorado, the typical ratio is 16.6:1. The lunch program counts 23% of students at Discovery Magnet School as eligible for free or reduced-price meals. For comparison, public schools in Adams County average 62%.
Discovery Magnet School sits between the top and bottom 10% of Colorado schools on BeatsExpectations, with an actual average proficiency rate on state tests of 48.0% and a predicted 52.5%.
Among Adams County residents, median household income is about $94,571, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 29%, and about 7% of people live in poverty. Discovery Magnet School is one of 171 public schools in Adams County, which together enroll about 87,938 students.
The shortest distance from Discovery Magnet School to another public school is about 1.3 miles, to Bright Horizons Preschool. The five-mile area around Discovery Magnet School holds at least 8 other public schools. The school's 48.0% average proficiency ranks 3rd among 7 nearby schools.
The school's locale code, Rural: Fringe, means it is in rural territory close to an urban area.
Discussion on this page can cover school safety, transportation, and start times. Reviews and ratings from people who know the school are welcome.
Adams County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
530,225
Census ACS
Median income
$94,571
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
29%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
171
87,938 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in School District 27J
- Colorado Connections @ 27JCombined · 2,042 students
- Prairie View High SchoolHigh · 1,809 students
- Riverdale Ridge High SchoolHigh · 1,784 students
- Brighton High SchoolHigh · 1,733 students
- Bromley East Charter SchoolElementary · 1,214 students
- Rodger Quist Middle SchoolMiddle · 855 students
Other schools in THORNTON
- Riverdale Ridge High SchoolHigh · 1,784 students
- Stargate Charter SchoolCombined · 1,572 students
- Thornton High SchoolHigh · 1,439 students
- Rocky Top Middle SchoolMiddle · 1,052 students
- Rodger Quist Middle SchoolMiddle · 855 students
- York InternationalCombined · 776 students
Nearby schools
- Bright Horizons Preschool1.3 mi · 36
- Horizon High School1.3 mi · 1,966
- Prairie Hills Elementary School1.4 mi · 378
- Silver Creek Elementary1.5 mi · 538
- Rocky Top Middle School1.7 mi · 1,052
- Ascent Classical Academy of Northern Denver1.8 mi · 305
Frequently asked questions
About Discovery Magnet SchoolHow many students attend Discovery Magnet School?
Discovery Magnet School enrolls approximately 692 students in grades KG-08.
What age range does Discovery Magnet School serve?
Discovery Magnet School serves students from grade KG through grade 08.
How many students per teacher at Discovery Magnet School?
Approximately 19.0:1 students per teacher at Discovery Magnet School.
How diverse is Discovery Magnet School?
Discovery Magnet School reports a student body of 57% White, 32% Hispanic, 2% Black, 6% Asian, 4% Two or more.
Who oversees Discovery Magnet School?
Discovery Magnet School is overseen by School District 27J in Adams County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.