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Teachers: what resource would make the biggest difference at Discovery Primary School this year?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
506
Elementary
DISTRICT 614 · STATE 380
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·FIFE SCHOOL DISTRICT·NCES 530288000464
Discovery Primary School
1205 19th Avenue, Milton, WA 98354 · (253) 517-1200 · Pierce County
GRADES PK–02ELEMENTARY21-SUBURBTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL506 STUDENTS
·
allk12 Grade
Not graded
This school has no state test results for 2023-24 or 2024-25 to grade, which is common for schools that end before third grade. How grades work
Student : Teacher
15.8:1
32 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 16.5:1 · STATE 17.3:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
50%
253 students
DISTRICT 57% · STATE 51%
Community
1
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 | 50 | 10% |
| Kindergarten | 162 | 32% |
| Grade 1 | 144 | 28% |
| Grade 2 | 150 | 30% |
Student demographics
73%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 76% · STATE 68% · 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
School pathway
Students here typically continue to
Discovery Primary School→Hedden Elementary School→Surprise Lake Middle School→Columbia Junior High School
Based on grade levels within Fife School District. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Schools most like Discovery Primary School
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery Primary School this school | 506 | 50.0% | N/A |
| Allen Creek Elementary School Marysville | 437 | 49.2% | 37.2% |
| Olympic View Elementary Lacey | 552 | 46.7% | 53.5% |
| Hedden Elementary School Edgewood | 469 | 52.0% | 48.2% |
| Seven Oaks Elementary Lacey | 428 | 52.1% | 44.1% |
| Woodland Elementary Puyallup | 606 | 49.8% | 59.9% |
Matched among Washington 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 Primary School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Washington | In Pierce County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 506 | #273 of 1,268 | #47 of 155 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 15.8:1 | #555 of 1,085 | #61 of 145 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 72.8% | #198 of 1,088 | #63 of 145 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 50.0% | #633 of 1,169 | #81 of 148 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -19.9% | #290 of 778 | #30 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.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
506
-80 (-14%) vs 2020
-8% since 1990-91, when it was 549
Student : Teacher
15.8:1
was 15.0:1
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 | 506 | 31.9 | 15.8:1 | 50% (253) |
| 2023-24 | 473 | 35.3 | 13.4:1 | 50% (236) |
| 2022-23 | 496 | 32.8 | 15.1:1 | 47% (233) |
| 2020-21 | 586 | 39 | 15.0:1 | 37% (214) |
| 2017-18 | 632 | 41 | 15.4:1 | 43% (273) |
| 2015-16 | 628 | 38 | 16.5:1 | 47% (297) |
| 2010-11 | 559 | 28 | 20.0:1 | 52% (288) |
| 2000-01 | 642 | 37 | 17.4:1 | N/A |
| 1990-91 | 549 | 22 | 24.9:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Discovery Primary School.
Since 2017-18: students down 20% (632 to 506); teachers down 22% (41 to 31.9).
About Discovery Primary School
Discovery Primary School is a medium-sized elementary school in Milton, Washington. School enrollment was 506 students in 2024-25, in pre-K through 2. The average among elementary schools in Washington is roughly 380 students; this school is 33% above that.
Discovery Primary School is one of the 7 schools that make up Fife School District (3,983 students in total).
White students are the largest group at Discovery Primary School, with 42% of enrollment. The rest of enrollment is 25% Hispanic, 14% multiracial, 9% Asian, and 6% Black. Among all residents of Pierce County, the White share is about 64%. By the diversity index, Discovery Primary School comes in at 73%.
At Discovery Primary School, 31.9 full-time-equivalent teachers work with students, a ratio of about 15.8:1. For comparison, elementary schools in Washington average 17.3:1. Roughly 50% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. That is close to the 50% average for public schools in Pierce County.
In the county around the school, Pierce County, median household income is about $99,564, roughly 31% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 6%. Discovery Primary School is among the 287 public schools in Pierce County.
Surprise Lake Middle School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.1 miles away. Counting only straight-line distance, at least 8 other public schools are within five miles.
The school's setting, by NCES definition, is Suburb: Large: in a suburban area outside a principal city, within an urbanized area with a population of 250,000 or more.
Discovery Primary School had 586 students in 2020-21 and 506 in 2024-25, a 14% decrease.
To ask about sports tryouts, band and choir, and theater, start a discussion on this page. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.
Pierce County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
930,319
Census ACS
Median income
$99,564
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
31%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
6%
Below federal line
Schools in county
287
138,462 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Fife School District
- Fife High SchoolHigh · 885 students
- Fife Elementary SchoolElementary · 866 students
- Columbia Junior High SchoolHigh · 619 students
- Surprise Lake Middle SchoolMiddle · 613 students
- Hedden Elementary SchoolElementary · 469 students
- Fife Open DoorsHigh · 25 students
Nearby schools
- Surprise Lake Middle School0.1 mi · 613
- Northwood Elementary0.9 mi · 732
- Hedden Elementary School1.5 mi · 469
- Edgemont Jr High1.5 mi · 590
- Rainier View Elementary School1.7 mi · 495
- Todd Beamer High School2.0 mi · 1,412
Frequently asked questions
About Discovery Primary SchoolHow many students attend Discovery Primary School?
Discovery Primary School enrolls approximately 506 students in grades PK-02.
What age range does Discovery Primary School serve?
Discovery Primary School serves students from grade PK through grade 02.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Discovery Primary School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Discovery Primary School is approximately 15.8:1 (32 FTE teachers).
What is the student diversity at Discovery Primary School?
Student demographics at Discovery Primary School are roughly 42% White, 25% Hispanic, 6% Black, 9% Asian, 14% Two or more.
What district is Discovery Primary School in?
Discovery Primary School is part of Fife School District.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.