Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Elementary· 13 schools in district

Discovery School

650 W 1200 S, VERNAL, UT 84078Uintah District
Federal DataRegular SchoolGrades KG05Non-Charter
700
Students
Total enrolled
$11,230
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
22% vs nat'l
24.0 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
56% vs nat'l
Large public school
Serves 700 students in grades KG–05 in VERNAL, Utah.
22% below average funding
District spends $11,230 per pupil, 22% less than the national average of $14,347.
24.0 : 1 student-teacher ratio
This is above the national average — larger classes of 15.4:1.
About This School

Discovery School is a large elementary in VERNAL, Utah, serving grades KG–05 with 700 students. The district invests $11,230 per student — 22% below the national average of $14,347, with a 24.0:1 student-teacher ratio that is higher than the national norm of 15.4:1. About 33% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mixed-income student body.

Student Body & Demographics at Discovery School

700
Total Students
24.0 : 1
Student:Teacher
33%
Free Lunch
29
Teacher FTE
Grade Range
Highlighted grades (KG05) are served by this school
Gender Distribution356 male · 344 female
51%
49%
Male 51%Female 49%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility33%
National avg 52% · 232 students
Student Composition
82%
13%
Asian1%
White82%
Hispanic / Latino13%
Black1%
Multiracial2%
Native American1%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 490108000736

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$11,230Below avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$11,230
State avg
$12,252
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$4,941
Student Support$2,134
Administration$1,348
Operations$1,684
Other$1,123
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $11,230 spent per student, an estimated $4,975 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
46%
41%
State government
45.8%
Local (property tax)
41.0%
Federal programs
13.1%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Worth Considering
  • Below-average funding — $11,230/student, 22% less than the national average
  • 24.0:1 student-teacher ratio — larger classes than the national average of 15.4:1
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
School Profile
TypeRegular School
LevelElementary
GradesKG – 05
Location
CountyUintah County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
Phone: (435)781-3146
NCES ID: 490108000736
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in VERNAL seeking a public elementary school, especially those prioritizing a solid, no-frills public education. We always recommend an in-person visit and a conversation with current families before making any enrollment decision.

Location
650 W 1200 S, VERNAL, UT 84078
Data Sources & Transparency
Enrollment & Profile
NCES Common Core of Data. Grades, enrollment, demographics, school characteristics. Updated annually.
Funding & Spending
NCES F-33 Finance Survey. District-level spending data. School-level breakdowns are not publicly reported.
Graduation Rate
EDFacts Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR). High schools only. Small cohorts may be range-coded for privacy.
Opportunity Score
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census Bureau). Census tract outcomes for children born in the 1980s.
Fact-Based Rankings
Best-school rankings are computed from federal metrics only — enrollment, per-pupil spending, student-teacher ratio, opportunity score, and graduation rate. No editorial opinion or paid placements.
Equity Data (Coming Soon)
AP access, counselor ratios, and chronic absenteeism from the CRDC will be added in a future update.

Questions to Ask on Your School Visit

Research shows the most important factors are invisible in the data. Here is what to ask when you visit.

Elementary
1
How is early reading and literacy taught?
Look for evidence-based, structured approaches
2
How does the school communicate with families?
Frequency, channels, translation support
3
What support exists for students who fall behind?
Tutoring, intervention programs, IEPs
4
What's the average class size here?
National avg is ~23 for elementary
5
What before/after-school programs are available?
Important for working parents
6
How is student social-emotional wellbeing supported?
Counselors, community circles, conflict resolution
7
What does the school do with student performance data?
How data is used to personalize instruction
8
How would you describe teacher retention here?
High turnover can disrupt continuity of learning
9
What's the culture around student diversity and inclusion?
How differences are celebrated and managed

Frequently Asked Questions

About this school and the data on this page

About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets — NCES Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Opportunity Atlas — and we work hard to keep them accurate and up to date. That said, federal data is published on an annual cycle, so some figures may not yet reflect the very latest school-year changes or local updates. We recommend using this page as a helpful starting point and cross-checking with the school or district directly, or visiting the NCES Common Core of Data and ed.gov for the most authoritative figures before making any important decisions.