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Discovery Elementary - 26

Q: Is Discovery Elementary - 26 a good school?

Discovery Elementary - 26 ranks 63 rd of 300 South Dakota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

63^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 300 South Dakota Elementary Schools

Better than 79% of South Dakota elementary schools

Summary

Discovery Elementary - 26 is a public elementary school serving 867 students in grades PK-5 within the Sioux Falls School District 49-5. Over the past 10 years, the school has seen fluctuating performance, ranking as high as 29th out of 209 South Dakota elementary schools in 2014-2015 and as low as 108th out of 206 in 2018-2019. Currently, the school is ranked 63rd out of 300 South Dakota elementary schools for the 2024-2025 school year and is rated 4 out of 5 stars by SchoolDigger.

Discovery Elementary - 26 consistently outperforms the Sioux Falls School District 49-5 and the state of South Dakota in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts and Mathematics across all grade levels. For example, in 2024-2025, the school had 59.95% of students proficient or better in ELA, compared to 49.18% for the district and 50.93% for the state. In Mathematics, the school had 62.08% proficient or better, compared to 42.76% for the district and 43.49% for the state. The school also has a strong performance across various student subgroups, often outperforming the state and district averages. However, the school has a relatively high rate of chronic absenteeism at 20.2% in 2024-2025, which is higher than the state and district averages.

When compared to other elementary schools in the Sioux Falls district, Discovery Elementary - 26 stands out as a high-performing school. For example, All City Elementary - 50, which is 3.56 miles away, has a similar student population but consistently outperforms Discovery Elementary - 26 in test scores, ranking 10th out of 300 SD elementary schools in 2024-2025. Overall, Discovery Elementary - 26 is a high-performing school within the Sioux Falls School District, with strong academic outcomes and a consistent track record of success, though its relatively high chronic absenteeism rate is an area that could benefit from further attention and intervention.

873

Students ?

17.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,792

Per pupil spending ?

21.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1506 S Discovery Ave
Sioux Falls, SD 57106

(605) 362-3530

District: Sioux Falls School District 49-5

Students who attend Discovery Elementary - 26 usually attend:

Middle:	Memorial Middle School - 04
High:	Jefferson High School - 67

Racial breakdown:

White:

80.1%

African American:

5.8%

Hispanic:

5.8%

See top rated South Dakota elementary schools

Compare Discovery Elementary - 26 to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 86th percentile in 2015 → 79th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the South Dakota average (59% vs 47% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 21% of South Dakota elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Sioux Falls School District 49-5

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 7 percentile points since 2015

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school59%

District avg45%

South Dakota avg47%

63^rd of 300

South Dakota public elementary schools ?

Top 21%▼ down 7 pts since 2015

From top 14% (2015) to top 21% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of South Dakota Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 25Elementary Schools in the Sioux Falls School District 49-5

90^th of 147Sioux Falls School District 49-5 among South Dakota 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	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	72.8	63 of 300	79.0%	★★★★☆
2024	71.6	46 of 201	77.1%	★★★★☆
2023	66.3	70 of 204	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	71.4	51 of 202	74.8%	★★★★☆
2021	63.1	80 of 202	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	48.2	108 of 206	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	61.3	81 of 204	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2017	64.0	69 of 207	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2016	68.6	54 of 206	73.8%	★★★★☆
2015	78.3	29 of 209	86.1%	★★★★☆
2013	71.2	46 of 201	77.1%	★★★★☆
2012	85.2	5 of 214	97.7%	★★★★★
2011	82.0	11 of 205	94.6%	★★★★★
2010	78.3	26 of 206	87.4%	★★★★☆
2009	76.6	23 of 196	88.3%	★★★★☆
2008	67.4	62 of 194	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2007	71.5	38 of 194	80.4%	★★★★☆
2006	72.0	37 of 197	81.2%	★★★★☆
2005	65.6	70 of 194	63.9%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	51.6	29 of 81	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	73.6	1 of 11	90.9%	★★★★★
2021	63.2	2 of 10	80.0%	★★★★☆
2019	24.2	10 of 11	9.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	35.9	6 of 9	33.3%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	53.5	27 of 58	53.4%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	49.0	68 of 176	61.4%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	68.9	70 of 291	75.9%	★★★★☆
2024	58.0	71 of 165	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.4	68 of 154	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	70.2	39 of 150	74.0%	★★★★☆
2021	65.9	48 of 151	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	52.1	80 of 155	48.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.6	65 of 163	60.1%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	61.8	36 of 163	77.9%	★★★★☆
2024	82.9	3 of 22	86.4%	★★★★★
2019	24.9	18 of 21	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	48.0	113 of 237	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	67.0	25 of 110	77.3%	★★★★☆
2023	71.7	25 of 112	77.7%	★★★★☆
2022	70.6	15 of 80	81.3%	★★★★☆
2021	63.3	27 of 106	74.5%	★★★★☆
2019	17.6	113 of 121	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	28.9	96 of 121	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	71.6	60 of 292	79.5%	★★★★☆
2024	81.3	25 of 161	84.5%	★★★★☆
2023	74.7	35 of 166	78.9%	★★★★☆
2022	73.2	35 of 154	77.3%	★★★★☆
2021	59.3	63 of 157	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	48.0	83 of 160	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	58.9	78 of 170	54.1%	★★★☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	69.8	17 of 58	70.7%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	65.3	41 of 165	75.2%	★★★★☆
2024	51.0	6 of 12	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	83.7	1 of 14	92.9%	★★★★★

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	23.7	137 of 152	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	59.1	68 of 248	72.6%	★★★★☆
2024	51.4	24 of 72	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	44.9	37 of 72	48.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.4	23 of 61	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	60.4	21 of 62	66.1%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	70.4	61 of 287	78.7%	★★★★☆
2024	67.9	48 of 184	73.9%	★★★★☆
2023	65.8	58 of 185	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	72.3	46 of 184	75.0%	★★★★☆
2021	61.6	66 of 185	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	52.0	87 of 191	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	61.5	66 of 186	64.5%	★★★☆☆

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)

Male (2025)79th percentile~ school

White (2025)79th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)78th percentile~ school

Female (2025)76th percentile-3 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)75th percentile-4 vs school

Special Education (2025)73rd percentile-6 vs school

Military Connected (2025)71st percentile-8 vs school

African American (2025)64th percentile-15 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)61st percentile-18 vs school

Asian (2025)53rd percentile-26 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)52nd percentile-27 vs school

Native American (2025)10th percentile-69 vs school

By subject vs South Dakota (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics62%+19 vs state

English Language Arts60%+9 vs state

Science47%+6 vs state

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Schools Near Discovery Elementary - 26

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts (2025)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Science (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Discovery Elementary - 26	Public	PK, KG-5	1506 S Discovery Ave	Sioux Falls	57106	Minnehaha County	Sioux Falls School District 49-5	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 362-3530	873	50	17.3	21.9%	699 (80.1%)	51 (5.8%)	51 (5.8%)	6 (0.7%)	25 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (4.7%)	72.8	63^rd of 300 public elementary schools	79.0%		71.6	46^th of 201 public elementary schools	77.1%	17	61.6	56.6	61.9	60.0	66.7	59.3	60.4	62.1	46.8	$10,792	$577	$10,214
Tea Area Frontier Elementary - 05	Public	K-5	2700 S Lancaster Dr	Sioux Falls	57106	Minnehaha County	Tea Area School District 41-5	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 498-2700	292	21	13.9	40.1%	158 (54.1%)	39 (13.4%)	57 (19.5%)	12 (4.1%)	5 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (7.2%)	53.6	152^nd of 300 public elementary schools	49.3%		49.2	113^th of 201 public elementary schools	43.8%	39	35.9	55.6	53.7	47.5	43.4	53.3	43.9	46.8	36.6	$10,586	$412	$10,174
Oscar Howe Elementary - 58	Public	K-5	2801 Valley View Rd	Sioux Falls	57106	Minnehaha County	Sioux Falls School District 49-5	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 362-2752	608	35	17.1	52.0%	366 (60.2%)	64 (10.5%)	100 (16.4%)	7 (1.2%)	34 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (6.1%)	51.5	161^st of 300 public elementary schools	46.3%		35.4	142^nd of 201 public elementary schools	29.4%	19	43.1	53.9	37.8	45.5	47.1	54.9	32.9	45.8	36.6	$11,050	$600	$10,450
Hayward Elementary - 38	Public	PK, KG-5	400 N Valley View Rd	Sioux Falls	57107	Minnehaha County	Sioux Falls School District 49-5	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 367-4590	728	51	14.1	83.5%	202 (27.7%)	73 (10.0%)	342 (47.0%)	4 (0.5%)	44 (6.0%)	2 (0.3%)	61 (8.4%)	14.8	265^th of 300 public elementary schools	11.7%		6.1	192^nd of 201 public elementary schools	4.5%	73	10.7	26.9	15.5	17.0	9.2	22.1	11.4	13.7	12.2	$11,446	$1,508	$9,938
RF Pettigrew Elementary - 17	Public	PK, KG-5	7900 W 53rd St	Sioux Falls	57106	Minnehaha County	Sioux Falls School District 49-5	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 362-3560	846	49	17.4	37.8%	542 (64.1%)	78 (9.2%)	99 (11.7%)	20 (2.4%)	24 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	83 (9.8%)	64.8	106^th of 300 public elementary schools	64.7%		67	57^th of 201 public elementary schools	71.6%	49	53.0	56.3	50.4	53.0	62.4	65.2	46.9	57.3	41.3	$11,066	$673	$10,393
John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57	Public	K-5	4501 S Holbrook Ave	Sioux Falls	57106	Minnehaha County	Sioux Falls School District 49-5	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 362-2784	661	43	15.4	37.5%	481 (72.8%)	45 (6.8%)	48 (7.3%)	10 (1.5%)	17 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (9.1%)	72.9	62^nd of 300 public elementary schools	79.3%		73.4	44^th of 201 public elementary schools	78.1%	18	51.4	69.2	66.3	61.9	57.0	68.1	54.5	59.5	51.5	$10,658	$608	$10,049
Garfield Elementary - 19	Public	PK, KG-5	705 S Roberts Dr	Sioux Falls	57104	Minnehaha County	Sioux Falls School District 49-5	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 367-6180	574	41	14.1	88.3%	183 (31.9%)	100 (17.4%)	141 (24.6%)	14 (2.4%)	59 (10.3%)	0 (0.0%)	77 (13.4%)	17	260^th of 300 public elementary schools	13.3%		7.9	189^th of 201 public elementary schools	6.0%	71	16.2	26.4	18.5	19.7	22.2	20.8	10.2	17.2	14.8	$12,120	$1,798	$10,323
Laura Wilder Elementary - 31	Public	K-5	2300 S Lyndale Ave	Sioux Falls	57105	Minnehaha County	Sioux Falls School District 49-5	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 367-4570	447	30	14.8	66.7%	226 (50.6%)	60 (13.4%)	65 (14.5%)	4 (0.9%)	40 (8.9%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (11.6%)	36.3	211^th of 300 public elementary schools	29.7%		18.7	175^th of 201 public elementary schools	12.9%	36	41.7	40.0	23.9	35.1	56.9	34.5	16.4	36.6	20.9	$10,790	$621	$10,170
All City Elementary - 50	Public	K-5	2511 W Brookings St	Sioux Falls	57104	Minnehaha County	Sioux Falls School District 49-5	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 367-6120	149	9	17.4	22.8%	123 (82.6%)	13 (8.7%)	4 (2.7%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (5.4%)	84.9	10^th of 300 public elementary schools	96.7%		85.3	17^th of 201 public elementary schools	91.5%	7	80.0	62.5	66.7	70.0	88.0	70.8	57.1	72.9	71.4	$11,236	$590	$10,646
Elementary Immersion Center - 43	Public	K-5	2511 W Brookings St	Sioux Falls	57104	Minnehaha County	Sioux Falls School District 49-5	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 367-6120	106	8	13.3	100.0%	6 (5.7%)	37 (34.9%)	55 (51.9%)	7 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	5.3	293^rd of 300 public elementary schools	2.3%					(n/a)	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	$12,099	$1,661	$10,437

Frequently Asked Questions about Discovery Elementary - 26

What is the racial makeup of Discovery Elementary - 26?

Students at Discovery Elementary - 26 are 80% White, 6% African American, 6% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 3% American Indian.

What district is Discovery Elementary - 26 in?

Sioux Falls School District 49-5

How many students attend Discovery Elementary - 26?

In the 2024-25 school year, 873 students attended Discovery Elementary - 26.

What schools do graduates of Discovery Elementary - 26 attend?

Students who attend Discovery Elementary - 26 usually go on to attend:

Middle : Memorial Middle School - 04
High : Jefferson High School - 67

Is Discovery Elementary - 26 a good school?

Discovery Elementary - 26 ranks 63^rd of 300 South Dakota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Discovery Elementary - 26!

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