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Alumni: what's one memory from Discovery Elementary that still sticks with you?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
674
Elementary
DISTRICT 443 · STATE 369
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·KENTWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOLS·NCES 262034001874
Discovery Elementary
2461 60TH ST SE, GRAND RAPIDS, MI 49508 · (616) 871-1080 · Kent County
GRADES KG–05ELEMENTARY13-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL674 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
18.4:1
37 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 16.2:1 · STATE 15.8:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
72%
485 students
DISTRICT 75% · STATE 55%
Community
5
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 | 113 | 17% |
| Grade 1 | 107 | 16% |
| Grade 2 | 108 | 16% |
| Grade 3 | 103 | 15% |
| Grade 4 | 109 | 16% |
| Grade 5 | 134 | 20% |
This year's kindergarten class (113) is 16% smaller than its 5th grade class (134).
Student demographics
76%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 76% · STATE 56% · 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
M-STEP 2024-25 . % Advanced + ProficientEnglish Language Arts
41.4%
MI avg 47.7%
Math
34.6%
MI avg 44.8%
What this means: On the M-STEP, Michigan's statewide test, about 41 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 35 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Michigan schools, those numbers are about 48 and 45.
Source: M-STEP. 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
38.6%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
34.4%
based on MI schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+4.2pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 39% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 34% typical for Michigan 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 Michigan'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 Elementary
Discovery Elementary's state test result (38.6% proficient) is higher than 3 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery Elementary this school | 674 | 72.0% | 38.6% |
| Endeavor Elementary GRAND RAPIDS | 553 | 68.7% | 37.8% |
| Glenwood Elementary GRAND RAPIDS | 543 | 77.2% | 36.1% |
| May V Peck Elementary School CENTER LINE | 493 | 68.0% | 20.4% |
| Challenger Elementary GRAND RAPIDS | 413 | 80.1% | 38.7% |
| Paragon Charter Academy JACKSON | 627 | 63.8% | 46.8% |
Matched among Michigan 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 Elementary ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Michigan | In Kent County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 38.6% | #751 of 1,085 | #61 of 79 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 34.6% | #818 of 1,072 | #68 of 79 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 41.4% | #737 of 1,139 | #62 of 82 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 674 | #81 of 1,630 | #7 of 115 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 18.4:1 | #1,207 of 1,424 | #83 of 105 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 76.3% | #5 of 1,424 | #3 of 105 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 72.0% | #484 of 1,563 | #44 of 114 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +19.1% | #104 of 440 | #7 of 22 |
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.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
674
+3 (+0%) vs 2020
+47% since 2010-11, when it was 457
Student : Teacher
18.4:1
was 18.6:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 674 | 36.7 | 18.4:1 | 72% (485) |
| 2023-24 | 700 | 38.7 | 18.1:1 | 70% (492) |
| 2022-23 | 711 | 37.7 | 18.9:1 | 66% (470) |
| 2020-21 | 671 | 36 | 18.6:1 | 64% (427) |
| 2017-18 | 566 | 28.4 | 19.9:1 | 59% (332) |
| 2015-16 | 516 | 28 | 18.4:1 | 54% (279) |
| 2010-11 | 457 | 25 | 18.3:1 | 50% (227) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Discovery Elementary.
Since 2017-18: students up 19% (566 to 674); teachers up 29% (28.4 to 36.7).
About Discovery Elementary
Discovery Elementary is a large elementary school serving families in GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan. It reports enrollment of 674 students in kindergarten through 5. Across elementary schools in Michigan, the average enrollment is about 369.
Kentwood Public Schools enrolls 9,536 students, and its 16 schools include Discovery Elementary.
The biggest share of students at Discovery Elementary, 34%, is Black. The rest of enrollment is 25% White, 16% Hispanic, 16% Asian, and 9% multiracial. Census estimates put the Black share of Kent County's population at about 10%. The diversity index for Discovery Elementary is 76%. For US public schools as a whole it is 70%.
Its staff includes 36.7 full-time-equivalent teachers, for about 18.4 students per teacher. Compared with the 15.8:1 average for elementary schools in Michigan, this school's ratio is higher. Roughly 72% of students at Discovery Elementary can receive free or reduced-price lunch. Among public schools in Kent County, the average eligibility rate is 47%.
Discovery Elementary sits between the top and bottom 10% of Michigan schools on BeatsExpectations, with an actual average proficiency rate across its state test results of 38.6% and a predicted 34.4%.
Census data for Kent County show the median household earns about $82,631 a year, 41% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 6% of people live in poverty. Counting Discovery Elementary, Kent County has 239 public schools.
Measured in a straight line, Pinewood Middle School is about 0.5 miles from Discovery Elementary. Around the school, at least 8 other public schools are within five miles. Among its closest neighbors with test data, Discovery Elementary is 4th of 7 on proficiency.
Discovery Elementary is inside a principal city with a population under 100,000, a location NCES labels City: Small.
Enrollment went from 671 in 2020-21 to 674 in 2024-25, a change of 3 students.
Parents, students, and staff can share information on special education services, counseling, and support programs here. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to post.
Kent County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
663,150
Census ACS
Median income
$82,631
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
41%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
6%
Below federal line
Schools in county
239
97,253 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Kentwood Public Schools
- East Kentwood High SchoolHigh · 2,068 students
- Pinewood Middle SchoolMiddle · 842 students
- East Kentwood Freshman CampusHigh · 742 students
- Crestwood Middle SchoolMiddle · 700 students
- Explorer ElementaryElementary · 556 students
- Endeavor ElementaryElementary · 553 students
Other schools in GRAND RAPIDS
- East Kentwood High SchoolHigh · 2,068 students
- Northern High SchoolHigh · 1,088 students
- PrepNet Virtual AcademyCombined · 1,080 students
- Northview High SchoolHigh · 1,078 students
- Central High SchoolHigh · 999 students
- City High Middle SchoolHigh · 955 students
Other Discovery Elementary schools
16 other US public schools in 10 states are named Discovery Elementary. Discovery Elementary is the 6th largest of the 17.
- Discovery Elementary - 26Sioux Falls, SD · 873 students
- DISCOVERY ELEMENTARY SCHOOLSUNRISE, FL · 789 students
- Discovery ElementarySan Marcos, CA · 717 students
- Discovery ElementaryBakersfield, CA · 706 students
- DISCOVERY ELEMENTARY SCHOOLPALM BAY, FL · 679 students
Nearby schools
- Pinewood Middle School0.5 mi · 842
- East Kentwood Freshman Campus0.6 mi · 742
- East Kentwood High School0.9 mi · 2,068
- Explorer Elementary0.9 mi · 556
- Challenger Elementary1.0 mi · 413
- Brookwood Elementary1.3 mi · 370
Frequently asked questions
About Discovery ElementaryWhat is the total enrollment at Discovery Elementary?
Discovery Elementary enrolls approximately 674 students in grades KG-05.
What grades does Discovery Elementary serve?
Discovery Elementary serves grades KG-05.
How many teachers does Discovery Elementary have?
Discovery Elementary employs 37 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 18.4:1.
What is the student diversity at Discovery Elementary?
Student demographics at Discovery Elementary are roughly 25% White, 16% Hispanic, 34% Black, 16% Asian, 9% Two or more.
Who oversees Discovery Elementary?
Discovery Elementary is overseen by Kentwood Public Schools in Kent County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.