DISCOVERY COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY

www.isd742.org/discovery

483 Students

Elementary School Pre-K - 5th

School Overview

Discovery Community Elementary, located in Waite Park, Minnesota, serves as a key educational institution within the St. Cloud Area School District (District 742). The school is designed to foster a supportive and inclusive environment for students in the early stages of their academic journey, typically serving pupils from kindergarten through fifth grade. As part of a larger district, the school focuses on foundational literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional development, aiming to prepare students for middle school while encouraging active participation within the local community.

Beyond traditional classroom instruction, Discovery Community Elementary emphasizes the importance of a collaborative partnership between educators, families, and the surrounding Waite Park area. The school utilizes a variety of resources and programming designed to address the diverse needs of its student body, often integrating modern teaching strategies to enhance engagement. By prioritizing a "community-first" approach, the school strives to create a welcoming atmosphere where students feel empowered to explore their interests, develop critical thinking skills, and build lasting friendships in a safe, structured setting.

483

Total Students

33.6

Full-Time Teachers

14.4

Student/Teacher Ratio

93.4%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for DISCOVERY COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY
Demographic	Student Count
White	94
Hispanic	95
Black	251
Asian	6
Two or More	32
American Indian	2
Pacific Islander	3

Black
251 (52.0 %)
Hispanic
95 (19.7 %)
White
94 (19.5 %)
Two or More
32 (6.6 %)
Asian
6 (1.2 %)
Pacific Islander
3 (0.6 %)
American Indian
2 (0.4 %)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Elementary School
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Public Non-Charter
Virtual Instruction:	No virtual instruction
Shared Time Status:	No
District:	ST. CLOUD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
Phone:	(320)370-6180
Website:	http://www.isd742.org/discovery
Grade Range:	Pre-K - 5th
Total Students:	483
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	33.6
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	14.4
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Community Eligibility Option (CEO)
Qualified Free Lunch:	409
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	42

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Pre-Kindergarten 35

Kindergarten 90

Grade 1 74

Grade 2 73

Grade 3 77

Grade 4 64

Grade 5 70