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What's one thing DISCOVERY COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY gets right about preparing students for what comes next?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
572
Elementary
DISTRICT 545 · STATE 344
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·ST. CLOUD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT·NCES 273351002287
DISCOVERY COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY
700 7TH ST S, WAITE PARK, MN 56387 · (320) 370-6180 · Stearns County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY22-SUBURBTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL572 STUDENTS
D
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 14% of Minnesota public elementary schools
- DTest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- CBeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Minnesota public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
13.2:1
43 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 12.5:1 · STATE 13.7:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
79%
451 students
DISTRICT 61% · STATE 48%
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 66 | 12% |
| Kindergarten | 78 | 14% |
| Grade 1 | 95 | 17% |
| Grade 2 | 85 | 15% |
| Grade 3 | 88 | 15% |
| Grade 4 | 90 | 16% |
| Grade 5 | 70 | 12% |
This year's kindergarten class (78) is 11% larger than its 5th grade class (70).
Student demographics
70%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 69% · STATE 60% · 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
MCA 2024-25 . % Meets or Exceeds StandardsEnglish Language Arts
23.9%
MN avg 49.7%
Math
20.9%
MN avg 45.3%
What this means: On the MCA, Minnesota's statewide test, about 24 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 21 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Minnesota schools, those numbers are about 50 and 45.
Source: MCA. 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
21.0%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
22.7%
based on MN schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-1.7pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 21% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 23% typical for Minnesota 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 Minnesota'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 COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY
DISCOVERY COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY's state test result (21.0% proficient) is higher than 5 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| DISCOVERY COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY this school | 572 | 78.8% | 21.0% |
| Pillsbury Elementary MINNEAPOLIS | 439 | 72.4% | 17.5% |
| Gage Elementary School ROCHESTER | 412 | 73.3% | 15.3% |
| JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY FARIBAULT | 389 | 82.5% | 17.4% |
| Brooklyn Center Elementary School BROOKLYN CENTER | 708 | 79.9% | 7.8% |
| LAKEVIEW ELEMENTARY ROBBINSDALE | 318 | 78.3% | 18.6% |
Matched among Minnesota 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 COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Minnesota | In Stearns County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 21.0% | #753 of 844 | #18 of 21 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 20.9% | #746 of 844 | #19 of 21 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 23.9% | #754 of 844 | #19 of 21 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 572 | #197 of 1,130 | #6 of 28 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 13.2:1 | #322 of 769 | #11 of 21 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 69.9% | #130 of 796 | #3 of 21 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 78.8% | #107 of 942 | #5 of 24 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +30.6% | #32 of 244 | #3 of 11 |
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
572
+21 (+4%) vs 2020
-30% since 1990-91, when it was 822
Student : Teacher
13.2:1
was 12.5:1
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 | 572 | 43.4 | 13.2:1 | 79% (451) |
| 2023-24 | 540 | 43.6 | 12.4:1 | 85% (458) |
| 2022-23 | 483 | 33.6 | 14.4:1 | 85% (412) |
| 2020-21 | 551 | 44 | 12.5:1 | 78% (432) |
| 2017-18 | 438 | 36.2 | 12.1:1 | 91% (399) |
| 2015-16 | 461 | 41 | 11.2:1 | 90% (413) |
| 2010-11 | 464 | 46 | 10.1:1 | 76% (353) |
| 2000-01 | 704 | 52 | 13.5:1 | 34% (238) |
| 1990-91 | 822 | 42 | 19.6:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for DISCOVERY COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY.
Since 2017-18: students up 31% (438 to 572); teachers up 20% (36.2 to 43.4).
About DISCOVERY COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY
DISCOVERY COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY is a public elementary school in WAITE PARK, Minnesota. The school runs pre-K through 5 and enrolls 572 students. Elementary schools in Minnesota have about 344 students on average; enrollment here is 66% higher.
DISCOVERY COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY is a school in ST. CLOUD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT. The district has 22 schools and 9,803 students.
Black students make up 42% of enrollment at DISCOVERY COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY, the largest share of any group. The remaining shares are 25% Hispanic, 23% White, and 7% multiracial. Census estimates put the Black share of Stearns County's population at about 9%. On a 0 to 100 scale, the school's diversity index is 70, compared with 70 nationally.
DISCOVERY COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY reports a ratio of 13.2 students per teacher, from 43.4 full-time-equivalent teachers. It is about the same as the 13.7:1 average for elementary schools in Minnesota. Lunch program data show 79% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. That is 35 points above the 44% average for public schools in Stearns County.
DISCOVERY COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY holds a D allk12 Grade, placing it above 14% of Minnesota public elementary schools.
Based on its free or reduced-price lunch share, the BeatsExpectations model predicts an average proficiency rate across its state test results of 22.7% for DISCOVERY COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY. The school posts 21.0%, 1.7 points below the prediction.
In the surrounding county, Stearns County, the median household earns about $77,066 a year, roughly 29% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 8%. Stearns County has 74 public schools with about 24,160 students, including DISCOVERY COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY.
Measured in a straight line, EC Sp Ed at Quarryview Ed Center is about 0.1 miles from DISCOVERY COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY. Around the school, at least 8 other public schools are within five miles. On proficiency, DISCOVERY COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY is behind the 23.2% nearby average, ranking 2nd of 4.
DISCOVERY COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY has an NCES locale of Suburb: Mid-size.
Over 4 years, enrollment increased by 21 students, from 551 to 572.
On allk12, people connected to DISCOVERY COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY can post about special education services, counseling, and support programs. Members of the school community can share what they know.
Stearns County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
160,865
Census ACS
Median income
$77,066
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
29%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
8%
Below federal line
Schools in county
74
24,160 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in ST. CLOUD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
- TECHNICAL SENIOR HIGHHigh · 1,561 students
- APOLLO SENIOR HIGHHigh · 1,264 students
- OAK HILL COMMUNITY ELEMENTARYElementary · 878 students
- SOUTH JUNIOR HIGHMiddle · 831 students
- NORTH JUNIOR HIGHMiddle · 720 students
- MADISON ELEMENTARYElementary · 704 students
Other schools in WAITE PARK
- EC Sp Ed at Quarryview Ed CenterElementary · 245 students
- St. Cloud Area Learning CenterHigh · 237 students
- Central Minnesota Virtual AcademyHigh · 53 students
- SPECIAL EDUCATION FACILITIESCombined
Nearby schools
- EC Sp Ed at Quarryview Ed Center0.1 mi · 245
- Central Minnesota Virtual Academy0.8 mi · 53
- St. Cloud Area Learning Center1.3 mi · 237
- Stride Academy K-8 Charter School1.6 mi · 569
- OAK HILL COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY1.7 mi · 878
- Katherine Johnson Education Center1.7 mi · 79
Frequently asked questions
About DISCOVERY COMMUNITY ELEMENTARYHow large is DISCOVERY COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY?
DISCOVERY COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY enrolls approximately 572 students in grades PK-05.
What age range does DISCOVERY COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY serve?
DISCOVERY COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY serves students from grade PK through grade 05.
How many students per teacher at DISCOVERY COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY?
Approximately 13.2:1 students per teacher at DISCOVERY COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY.
What is the racial breakdown of students at DISCOVERY COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY?
At DISCOVERY COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY, the student body is approximately 23% White, 25% Hispanic, 42% Black, 2% Asian, 7% Two or more.
What district is DISCOVERY COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY in?
DISCOVERY COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY is part of ST. CLOUD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.