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Discovery Middle School

Q: Is Discovery Middle School a good school?

Discovery Middle School ranks 74 th of 546 Minnesota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

74^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 546 Minnesota Middle Schools

Better than 86% of Minnesota middle schools

Summary

Discovery Middle School is a public middle school in Alexandria, MN, serving 898 students in grades 6–8 as part of the Alexandria Public School District. It ranks 74th of 546 Minnesota middle schools in 2025–2026—86th percentile, 4 stars—and is much larger than nearby middle-school options. It performs above Minnesota in math (51.3% vs. 44.9%) and reading (57.7% vs. 48.6%), but below the state in science (19.9% vs. 25.5%). Reading is the clearest strength, with all-grade reading above both district and state.

Compared with nearby schools, Minnewaska Area Intermediate School and Minnewaska Area Junior High score higher in math, while Brandon-Evansville Middle School scores lower. Discovery is second of four in reading, behind Minnewaska Intermediate but ahead of Minnewaska Junior High and Brandon-Evansville. Science is roughly tied with Minnewaska Junior High, above Brandon-Evansville, and far below Minnewaska Intermediate—though that last comparison is not grade-aligned because it tests 5th grade, not 8th. Grade-level results show 6th-grade reading at 62.5%, 7th-grade math at 44.5%, and 8th-grade reading at 61.8%; the 7th-grade math dip is notable. Discovery has the lowest student-teacher ratio (15.8) among these schools and a free/reduced lunch rate of 28.06%.

Rank history is encouraging: Discovery rebounded from the 74th percentile in 2022–2023 to 86th percentile in 2025–2026, close to its strongest showings. Low-income students improved to the 78th percentile, but special education students remain the weakest subgroup at the 36th percentile and 2 stars. Science remains the main academic concern; its all-grade score is below the district and state, though the grade-aligned 8th-grade science score of 19.9% is slightly above the district’s 19.6% and the state’s 16.7%. Overall, Discovery is a large, improving, 4-star school with strong reading, solid math relative to the state, and areas to monitor in science, 7th-grade math, and special education.

898

Students ?

15.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,711

Per pupil spending ?

28.1%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Minnesota receive free school meals.

510 N McKay Ave
Alexandria, MN 56308-8888

(320) 762-7900

District: Alexandria Public School District

Students who attend Discovery Middle School usually attend:

High:

Alexandria Area High School

Feeder schools for Discovery Middle School:

Elementary:	Carlos Elementary
	Garfield Elementary
	Lincoln Elementary
	Miltona Elementary
	More...
	Voyager Elementary
	Woodland Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

87.0%

Hispanic:

5.8%

Two or more races:

5.0%

See top rated Minnesota middle schools

Compare Discovery Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 87th percentile in 2016 → 86th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Minnesota average (50% vs 43% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 14% of Minnesota middle schools

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school50%

District avg51%

Minnesota avg43%

74^th of 546

Minnesota public middle schools ?

Top 14%▼ down 1 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

55^th of 458Alexandria Public School District among Minnesota districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	79.3	74 of 546	86.4%	★★★★☆
2025	75.7	100 of 519	80.7%	★★★★☆
2024	73.4	119 of 545	78.2%	★★★★☆
2023	69.1	138 of 529	73.9%	★★★★☆
2022	69.8	129 of 520	75.2%	★★★★☆
2021	79.8	76 of 521	85.4%	★★★★☆
2019	79.9	72 of 533	86.5%	★★★★☆
2018	79.0	78 of 518	84.9%	★★★★☆
2017	82.2	63 of 523	88.0%	★★★★☆
2016	80.3	64 of 508	87.4%	★★★★☆
2015	80.2	67 of 516	87.0%	★★★★☆
2014	81.9	57 of 490	88.4%	★★★★☆
2013	83.3	46 of 488	90.6%	★★★★★
2012	77.2	70 of 469	85.1%	★★★★☆
2011	74.2	96 of 478	79.9%	★★★★☆
2010	73.6	89 of 454	80.4%	★★★★☆
2009	74.1	42 of 230	81.7%	★★★★☆
2008	79.4	50 of 409	87.8%	★★★★☆
2007	80.2	53 of 403	86.8%	★★★★☆
2006	83.1	39 of 406	90.4%	★★★★★
2005	81.0	50 of 396	87.4%	★★★★☆
2004	89.1	16 of 387	95.9%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	78.8	74 of 467	84.2%	★★★★☆
2025	74.3	92 of 450	79.6%	★★★★☆
2024	72.4	102 of 474	78.5%	★★★★☆
2023	69.0	113 of 455	75.2%	★★★★☆
2022	67.8	119 of 467	74.5%	★★★★☆
2021	75.7	70 of 443	84.2%	★★★★☆
2019	80.4	58 of 439	86.8%	★★★★☆
2018	76.3	79 of 436	81.9%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	57.8	66 of 195	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	47.0	85 of 175	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	37.9	115 of 186	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.1	107 of 178	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	55.7	69 of 188	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	41.1	95 of 171	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	58.2	54 of 163	66.9%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	66.7	103 of 458	77.5%	★★★★☆
2025	55.2	173 of 432	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.4	184 of 473	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	59.7	145 of 459	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.9	175 of 404	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	78.0	35 of 399	91.2%	★★★★★
2019	79.3	49 of 415	88.2%	★★★★☆
2018	77.5	54 of 401	86.5%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	73.7	93 of 483	80.7%	★★★★☆
2025	70.8	108 of 452	76.1%	★★★★☆
2024	68.6	124 of 479	74.1%	★★★★☆
2023	64.2	145 of 464	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	66.1	142 of 476	70.2%	★★★★☆
2021	76.8	81 of 437	81.5%	★★★★☆
2019	75.0	98 of 454	78.4%	★★★★☆
2018	77.5	68 of 438	84.5%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	37.9	76 of 113	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	62.1	30 of 97	69.1%	★★★★☆
2018	31.9	89 of 114	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	37.5	189 of 296	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	33.7	186 of 265	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	28.6	239 of 307	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.1	220 of 298	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.5	238 of 288	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	46.1	133 of 260	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.7	148 of 282	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	57.0	100 of 253	60.5%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	67.9	109 of 435	74.9%	★★★★☆
2025	62.9	131 of 415	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.6	149 of 440	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.8	189 of 436	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.6	180 of 438	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	67.6	107 of 422	74.6%	★★★★☆
2019	69.3	101 of 428	76.4%	★★★★☆
2018	69.5	102 of 428	76.2%	★★★★☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Female (2026)84th percentile~ school

Male (2026)81st percentile-6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)78th percentile-9 vs school

White (2026)75th percentile-12 vs school

Hispanic (2026)66th percentile-20 vs school

Special Education (2026)36th percentile-50 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)33rd percentile-48 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2025-2026) ?

Reading58%+9 vs state

Math51%+6 vs state

Science20%-6 vs state

★

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Schools Near Discovery Middle School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MCA-IV Reading (2026)						MCA-IV Science (2026)			MCA-III Math (2026)						Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCA-IV Reading 4th Grade	MCA-IV Reading 5th Grade	MCA-IV Reading 6th Grade	MCA-IV Reading 7th Grade	MCA-IV Reading 8th Grade	MCA-IV Reading All Grades	MCA-IV Science 5th Grade	MCA-IV Science 8th Grade	MCA-IV Science All Grades	MCA-III Math 4th Grade	MCA-III Math 5th Grade	MCA-III Math 6th Grade	MCA-III Math 7th Grade	MCA-III Math 8th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	Total
Discovery Middle School	Public	6-8	510 N McKay Ave	Alexandria	56308	Douglas County	Alexandria Public School District	No	No	No	No	(320) 762-7900	898	57	15.8	28.1%	781 (87.0%)	9 (1.0%)	52 (5.8%)	9 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	45 (5.0%)	79.3	74^th of 546 public middle schools	86.4%		75.7	100^th of 519 public middle schools	80.7%	26			62.5	49.0	61.8	57.7		19.9	19.9			52.8	44.5	56.8	51.3	$10,711
Discovery Launch	Public	6-8	510 N McKay Ave	Alexandria	56308	Douglas County	Alexandria Public School District	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(320) 762-7900	0			—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)															0.0
Brandon-Evansville Middle School	Public	6-8	206 3rd St W	Brandon	56315	Douglas County	Brandon-Evansville Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(218) 948-2241	124	7	18.3	30.6%	118 (95.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (4.0%)	68	137^th of 546 public middle schools	74.9%		69.8	135^th of 519 public middle schools	74.0%	2			62.5	40.0	47.7	50.4		15.9	15.9			45.0	57.1	43.2	47.9	$8,416
Minnewaska Area Intermediate School	Public	4-6	25122 State Highway 28	Glenwood	56334	Pope County	Minnewaska School District	No	No	No	No	(320) 239-4800	295	12	25.2	27.5%	274 (92.9%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.0%)	4 (1.4%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	9 (3.1%)								(n/a)	65.8	73.5	84.5			75.6	39.8		39.8	75.0	43.4	75.7			65.3	$8,440
Minnewaska Area Junior High	Public	7-8	25122 State Highway 28	Glenwood	56334	Pope County	Minnewaska School District	No	No	No	No	(320) 239-4800	212	12	17.5	28.3%	198 (93.4%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.7%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	2 (0.9%)	83.1	62^nd of 546 public middle schools	88.6%		71.1	130^th of 519 public middle schools	75.0%	68				48.7	59.0	53.7		20.2	20.2				61.9	64.8	63.3	$3,060

Frequently Asked Questions about Discovery Middle School

What district is Discovery Middle School in?

Alexandria Public School District

What high school do graduates of Discovery Middle School attend?

Students who attend Discovery Middle School usually go on to attend Alexandria Area High School

How many students attend Discovery Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 898 students attended Discovery Middle School.

Is Discovery Middle School a good school?

Discovery Middle School ranks 74^th of 546 Minnesota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Discovery Middle School?

Students at Discovery Middle School are 87% White, 6% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 1% African American, 1% Asian.

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Schools in Alexandria, MN

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Latest Minnesota data All new data »

2019–20 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)Oct 19, 2026

2024–25 through 2025–26 MCA-III & MCA-IV test scoresSep 30, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 MCA-III test scoresAug 29, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Minnesota Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.