The top reported proficiency rate is 78% in English language arts. The lowest is 60% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Discovery Plus Academy (6357)
DiscoveryPlus Academy is a small school district in Graham County, Arizona, serving only kindergarten through fifth grade. With a single school that carries the district’s name, it is essentially a neighborhood elementary—compact in size and scope. The enrollment is small, and the student body is predominantly white, with a modest Hispanic share and a very small number of students identifying as two or more races. Data on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals was not available, and information on students with disabilities or English learners was also absent, so a parent would want to ask the school directly about those support systems.
Because the district does not serve grades beyond fifth, there is no graduation rate to consider. All academic measures come from state assessments in grades three through five. In reading and language arts, the results are quite strong across the tested grades, with high proficiency rates in third and fourth grades and a noticeably lower but still solid rate in fifth grade. In mathematics, performance is mixed: third and fifth graders show moderate proficiency, while fourth-grade results were suppressed because the tested group was too small to report. Science results for fifth grade were also suppressed for the same reason, though a sizable number of students took the test. Taken together, the district’s overall proficiency across subjects and grades places it in the top quarter among Graham County’s dozen districts—a clear marker of academic strength relative to its local peers.
Chronic absenteeism, a risk factor for learning loss, is low here, and the district sits in the top quartile for that measure as well, meaning very few students are missing substantial amounts of school. Per-pupil current spending falls in the middle to lower half of the county’s districts, which is worth noting given the strong academic outcomes; it suggests the school is operating efficiently or benefiting from factors beyond spending alone.
The district search did not turn up any recent parent-relevant changes—no boundary shifts, program launches, or policy overhauls were publicly reported—so a family moving into the area can expect a stable, straightforward elementary program rather than one in flux.
The setting is Graham County, a mostly rural area in southeastern Arizona. Without a specific town listed for the school’s location, it is not possible to describe the immediate community fabric, but the county itself includes a mix of small towns and agricultural land. The district’s size and grade span mean that families needing middle or high school would have to transition to another district after fifth grade, which is an important planning consideration.
Who fits here? This district works well for a family looking for a small elementary environment with a strong academic record in a low-absenteeism school, and who are comfortable with the limited demographic diversity and the lack of publicly available data on special education and English learner services. The small enrollment means children may receive more individual attention, but it also means fewer course or program options than a larger district could offer. A parent concerned about support for students with identified needs should follow up with the school directly, as the available data does not shed light on that dimension. For families already living in the area or considering a move to Graham County, Discovery Plus Academy presents a high-performing, low-absenteeism elementary option that is academically on par with the top tier of the county’s districts.
See more original research from School Decision →