Is Discovery Middle School a good school?

Discovery Middle School ranks 48 th of 451 Missouri middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Discovery Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 663 students attended Discovery Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Discovery Middle School?

Students at Discovery Middle School are 71% White, 11% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 6% African American, 5% Asian.

What high school do graduates of Discovery Middle School attend?

Students who attend Discovery Middle School usually go on to attend Liberty High

Discovery Middle School

Summary:

Discovery Middle School is a public middle school located in Liberty, Missouri, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 653 students. The school is part of the Liberty 53 School District, which is ranked 87 out of 386 districts in Missouri and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. Discovery Middle School has consistently been ranked among the top middle schools in the state, with a current ranking of 48 out of 451 Missouri middle schools and a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Discovery Middle School consistently outperforms the state and district averages in MAP (Missouri Assessment Program) test scores across all grade levels and subject areas. In 2023-2024, the school's proficiency rates in Mathematics, Science, and English Language Arts were significantly higher than the Liberty 53 district and the state of Missouri averages. The school's Algebra I proficiency rate for the end-of-course exam was 79.9%, which is significantly higher than the district (43.6%) and state (41.5%) averages. Discovery Middle School also has a strong Gifted and Talented program, ranking 2nd out of 44 Missouri middle schools in 2021-2022 and 5th out of 121 in 2018-2019, both with a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Compared to nearby schools, Discovery Middle School outperforms Heritage Middle School and Liberty Middle School in most academic metrics, including MAP test scores and Algebra I proficiency. Another nearby school, South Valley Middle, also performs well and is ranked similarly to Discovery Middle School. However, the nearby schools in the North Kansas City 74 district generally have lower academic performance compared to Discovery Middle School and the Liberty 53 district.

Detail:

Public 6-8

800 Midjay Drive
Liberty, MO 64068-3162

(816) 736-7300

District: Liberty 53

SchoolDigger Rank:
48^th of 451 Missouri Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,634

Students who attend Discovery Middle School usually attend:

High:

Liberty High

Feeder schools for Discovery Middle School:

Elementary:	Liberty Oaks Elementary
	Shoal Creek Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 13.3

Number of students: 663

Racial breakdown:

White:

70.9%

Hispanic:

10.6%

Two or more races:

6.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 18.4%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Discovery Middle School ranks better than 89.4% of middle schools in Missouri. It also ranks first among 4 ranked middle schools in the Liberty 53 School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 84.09. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (70.9%), Hispanic (10.6%), two or more races (6.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 18.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Discovery Middle School is 13.3, which is the 2^nd best among 4 middle schools in the Liberty 53 School District. (See more...)

Compare Discovery Middle School employs 49.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Discovery Middle School is $12,634, which is the highest among 4 middle schools in the Liberty 53 School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Discovery Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Discovery Middle School 48^th of 451 Missouri public middle schools. (See Discovery Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

African American students:

White students:

Liberty 53:

SchoolDigger ranks Liberty 53 87^th of 386 Missouri school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Discovery Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Discovery Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MO State Percentile
2015	90.61	24^th	585	95.9%
2016	94.94	7^th	435	98.4%
2017	92.32	12^th	568	97.9%
2018	85.81	41^st	552	92.6%
2019	87.11	36^th	587	93.9%
2021	83.41	49^th	454	89.2%
2022	75.57	85^th	459	81.5%
2023	74.78	85^th	459	81.5%
2024	84.09	48^th	451	89.4%

See the entire list of Missouri Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Discovery Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	59.70	34^th	98	65.3%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Discovery Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	26.08	159^th	192	17.2%
2024	58.57	59^th	194	69.6%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Discovery Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	48.00	203^rd	422	51.9%
2019	62.04	135^th	482	72.0%
2021	29.69	296^th	371	20.2%
2022	27.64	293^rd	365	19.7%
2023	32.73	289^th	382	24.3%
2024	42.76	220^th	378	41.8%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Discovery Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	75.87	23^rd	162	85.8%
2019	69.56	43^rd	204	78.9%
2021	45.43	95^th	195	51.3%
2022	52.67	79^th	187	57.8%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Discovery Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	74.25	9^th	104	91.3%
2019	75.59	5^th	121	95.9%
2022	82.69	2^nd	44	95.5%
2023	74.19	9^th	48	81.3%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Middle Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Discovery Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	62.40	21^st	38	44.7%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Discovery Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	62.64	40^th	129	69.0%
2019	76.08	22^nd	149	85.2%
2024	60.60	42^nd	144	70.8%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Discovery Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	58.37	35^th	96	63.5%
2019	79.24	14^th	130	89.2%
2022	48.10	33^rd	78	57.7%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Discovery Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	87.11	32^nd	479	93.3%
2019	86.91	37^th	527	93.0%
2021	81.38	45^th	376	88.0%
2022	74.23	72^nd	381	81.1%
2023	74.85	68^th	385	82.3%
2024	85.57	39^th	379	89.7%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

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Enrollment information for Discovery Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2014	496	43	26	32	6	1	7	611
2015	540	42	34	29	5	0	8	658
2016	555	30	32	35	4	0	5	661
2017	608	30	28	33	4	0	7	710
2018	570	36	28	40	5	0	20	699
2019	579	45	30	39	3	0	25	721
2020	542	37	31	58	1	0	50	719
2021	540	35	30	56	0	0	51	712
2022	511	26	21	63	0	3	53	677
2023	473	34	30	62	0	4	50	653
2024	470	41	34	70	1	3	44	663

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Discovery Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	611	41.9	14.5	13.9
2015	658	44.0	14.9	12.9
2016	661	48.0	13.7	12
2017	710	48.8	14.5	14.4
2018	699	46.6	14.9	12.2
2019	721	47.9	15.0	12.9
2020	719	49.9	14.4	16.3
2021	712	50.2	14.1	15.6
2022	677	48.7	13.8	13
2023	653	49.7	13.1	16.8
2024	663	49.8	13.3	18.4

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Discovery Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	611	41.9	14.5	13.9
2015	658	44.0	14.9	12.9
2016	661	48.0	13.7	12
2017	710	48.8	14.5	14.4
2018	699	46.6	14.9	12.2
2019	721	47.9	15.0	12.9
2020	719	49.9	14.4	16.3
2021	712	50.2	14.1	15.6
2022	677	48.7	13.8	13
2023	653	49.7	13.1	16.8
2024	663	49.8	13.3	18.4

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Discovery Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$365 (3.5%)	$9,990 (96.5%)	$10,355
2020	$432 (3.6%)	$11,640 (96.4%)	$12,072
2021	$530 (4.5%)	$11,158 (95.5%)	$11,688
2022	$754 (6.0%)	$11,880 (94.0%)	$12,634

Data source: Missouri Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Discovery Middle School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 36^th of 587 Middle schools	Ranks 85^th of 459 Middle schools	12.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade Mathematics (Discovery Middle School)	67.5	54.3	13.2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Liberty 53)	52.7	50.4	2.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	42.5	43.7	1.2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Discovery Middle School)	69.5	50	19.5%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Liberty 53)	62	49.4	12.6%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	45.9	37.5	8.4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Discovery Middle School)	63	46.6	16.4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Liberty 53)	50.4	40.2	10.2%
7th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	38	39.5	1.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Discovery Middle School)	62.5	47.3	15.2%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Liberty 53)	56.2	44.4	11.8%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	43.6	37.3	6.3%
8th Grade Mathematics (Discovery Middle School)	44.3	24	20.3%
8th Grade Mathematics (Liberty 53)	33	27	6%
8th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	29	30	1%
8th Grade Science (Discovery Middle School)	53.6	41.8	11.8%
8th Grade Science (Liberty 53)	55.7	42.8	12.9%
8th Grade Science (Missouri)	43.7	37.8	5.9%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Discovery Middle School)	60.8	55.6	5.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Liberty 53)	58.3	51.6	6.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	47.3	42.7	4.6%
End of Course Algebra I (Discovery Middle School)	84.7	86.6	1.9%
End of Course Algebra I (Liberty 53)	51.9	45.1	6.8%
End of Course Algebra I (Missouri)	45.3	41.5	3.8%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	721	653	9.4%
African American	45	34	24.4%
American Indian	3	0	100%
Asian	30	30
Hispanic	39	62	59%
Pacific Islander	0	4
White	579	473	18.3%
Two or More Races	25	50	100%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	12.9%	16.8%	3.9%

Schools Near Discovery Middle School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MAP Mathematics (2024)			MAP Science (2024)	MAP English Language Arts (2024)			MAP Algebra I (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
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 (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MAP Science 8th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MAP Algebra I End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Discovery Middle School	Public	6-8	800 Midjay Drive	Liberty	64068	Clay County	Liberty 53	No	No	No	No	(816) 736-7300	663	50	13.3	18.4%	470 (70.9%)	41 (6.2%)	70 (10.6%)	34 (5.1%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.5%)	44 (6.6%)	84.1	48^th of 451 public middle schools	89.4%		74.8	85^th of 459 public middle schools	81.5%	37	60.0	57.5	26.6	48.4	58.2	55.9	55.9	79.9	$12,634	$754	$11,880
South Valley Middle	Public	6-8	1000 Midjay Dr	Liberty	64068	Clay County	Liberty 53	No	No	No	No	(816) 736-7180	808	55	14.5	17.8%	604 (74.8%)	48 (5.9%)	76 (9.4%)	19 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	59 (7.3%)	74	90^th of 451 public middle schools	80.0%		68.8	112^th of 459 public middle schools	75.6%	22	60.3	48.7	28.2	41.1	43.0	46.0	47.1	57.7	$11,473	$815	$10,658
Liberty Middle School	Public	6-8	1500 S Withers	Liberty	64068	Clay County	Liberty 53	No	No	No	No	(816) 736-5410	597	51	11.6	33.0%	457 (76.5%)	44 (7.4%)	49 (8.2%)	6 (1.0%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	37 (6.2%)	57.7	185^th of 451 public middle schools	59.0%		60.7	162^nd of 459 public middle schools	64.7%	23	44.4	42.3	16.3	31.9	40.1	39.5	44.2	69.0	$12,437	$867	$11,570
Heritage Middle School	Public	6-8	600 W Kansas	Liberty	64068	Clay County	Liberty 53	No	No	No	No	(816) 736-5380	751	54	13.9	25.4%	585 (77.9%)	33 (4.4%)	56 (7.5%)	16 (2.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (8.0%)	74.4	89^th of 451 public middle schools	80.3%		74.4	87^th of 459 public middle schools	81.0%	2	58.1	49.9	28.8	35.0	47.8	46.4	51.5	77.8	$11,596	$250	$11,346
Maple Park Middle	Public	7-8	5300 N Bennington	Kansas City	64119	Clay County	North Kansas City 74	No	No	No	No	(816) 321-5280	602	57	10.5	66.8%	281 (46.7%)	129 (21.4%)	106 (17.6%)	10 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.7%)	72 (12.0%)	36.6	294^th of 451 public middle schools	34.8%		34.9	309^th of 459 public middle schools	32.7%	15		25.9	21.7	27.4		32.2	33.1		$13,771	$525	$13,247
Gateway 6th Grade Center	Public	6	9201 N Indiana Ave	Kansas City	64156	Clay County	North Kansas City 74	No	No	No	No	(816) 321-5360	869	61	14.2	36.9%	502 (57.8%)	113 (13.0%)	127 (14.6%)	24 (2.8%)	1 (0.1%)	11 (1.3%)	91 (10.5%)								(n/a)	59.8				52.2				$12,434	$528	$11,907
Antioch Middle	Public	7-8	2100 NE 65th St	Gladstone	64118	Clay County	North Kansas City 74	No	No	No	No	(816) 321-5260	869	60	14.4	48.4%	472 (54.3%)	117 (13.5%)	143 (16.5%)	25 (2.9%)	1 (0.1%)	17 (2.0%)	94 (10.8%)	68.6	118^th of 451 public middle schools	73.8%		68.3	118^th of 459 public middle schools	74.3%			43.3	28.2	40.6		46.9	48.1	94.1	$12,684	$534	$12,149
Eastgate 6th Grade Center	Public	6	4700 NE Parvin Rd	Kansas City	64117	Clay County	North Kansas City 74	No	No	No	No	(816) 321-5270	639	51	12.6	72.5%	264 (41.3%)	140 (21.9%)	112 (17.5%)	33 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (2.7%)	73 (11.4%)								(n/a)	40.2				35.7				$12,395	$519	$11,876
Northgate Middle	Public	7-8	2117 NE 48th St	Kansas City	64118	Clay County	North Kansas City 74	No	No	No	No	(816) 321-5300	686	54	12.6	64.7%	259 (37.8%)	148 (21.6%)	123 (17.9%)	48 (7.0%)	4 (0.6%)	15 (2.2%)	89 (13.0%)	35.7	297^th of 451 public middle schools	34.1%		39	291^st of 459 public middle schools	36.6%	6		29.2	13.1	25.0		37.5	30.8	92.6	$13,335	$509	$12,826
Frontier School Of Innovation-M	Public, Charter	6-8	1575 Universal Dr.	Kansas City	64120	Jackson County	Frontier Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(816) 822-1331	302	30	9.9	76.8%	28 (9.3%)	37 (12.3%)	228 (75.5%)	6 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	53.7	208^th of 451 public middle schools	53.9%		60.3	164^th of 459 public middle schools	64.3%	44	31.4	35.8	69.5	35.4	27.8	23.8	52.1		$13,513	$2,308	$11,204

Discovery Middle School

Discovery Middle School:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Liberty 53:

What do you think?

Rank History for Discovery Middle School

Rank History for all students at Discovery Middle School

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Discovery Middle School

Rank History for Special Education students at Discovery Middle School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Discovery Middle School

Rank History for Disabled students at Discovery Middle School

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Discovery Middle School

Rank History for Asian students at Discovery Middle School

Rank History for African American students at Discovery Middle School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Discovery Middle School

Rank History for White students at Discovery Middle School

Enrollment information for Discovery Middle School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Discovery Middle School

Student/Teacher Ratio Discovery Middle School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Discovery Middle School

Impact of COVID-19 on Discovery Middle School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Discovery Middle School

Frequently Asked Questions about Discovery Middle School

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