Discovery STEM Academy

Discovery STEM Academy is a reasonably sized K-5 school in Newport News, Virginia, part of Newport News City Public Schools. The school caters to 561 students in grades pre-K through 5.

Newport News City Public Schools runs 40 schools in total, collectively educating 25,882 students. Discovery STEM Academy is one of those campuses.

Looking at the student body, Discovery STEM Academy logs that the student body is overwhelmingly Black (81%); the rest reads as 9% Hispanic, 7% multiracial, 2% White. By comparison, Newport News city as a whole is about 41% Black, so the school skews noticeably more Black than its surroundings.

On the resource side, On paper, Discovery STEM Academy has 32 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 17.5:1. The state averages around 13.8:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. An estimated 99% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Discovery STEM Academy tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 61.2% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 47.3%.

In the broader community, Newport News city reports that median household income runs about $69,634, about 31% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 11%. Discovery STEM Academy is one of 48 public schools in Newport News city (combined enrollment of about 25,882 students).

Nearest neighbor: Achievable Dream Academy, around 0.7 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Discovery STEM Academy ranks 6th on composite proficiency, below the local average of 57.7%.

Geographically, the school is in a metropolitan area.

Five-year trend. Discovery STEM Academy's enrollment has grew 10% since 2018, when it stood at 508 (now 561). Black enrollment moved from 88% to 81% across the same window. The student-to-teacher ratio rose from 15.4:1 in 2018 to 17.5:1 today.

On the community side, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.