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Mariner Middle School

Q: Is Mariner Middle School a good school?

Mariner Middle School ranks 20 th of 59 Delaware middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

20^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 59 Delaware Middle Schools

Better than 66% of Delaware middle schools

Summary

Mariner Middle School is a public middle school located in Milton, Delaware, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 682 students. It is part of the Cape Henlopen School District, which is ranked 2 out of 32 districts in Delaware and is rated 5 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Academically, Mariner Middle School's performance, as measured by standardized tests, is generally lower than the district and state averages across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the percentage of students proficient or better in English Language Arts ranged from 37.7% to 46.03%, compared to the district averages of 57.02% to 58.91% and the state averages of 38.49% to 43.82%. Similarly, in mathematics, the school's proficiency rates ranged from 30.43% to 45.76%, while the district and state averages were higher. The school's performance in science and social studies also lagged behind the district and state.

Interestingly, Mariner Middle School's performance varies across different student subgroups. For instance, in the 2023-2024 school year, the school ranked 7th out of 42 Delaware middle schools for its African American students, but only 24th out of 37 for its Hispanic students. The school has also experienced relatively high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 16.4% to 23.3% in recent years, which is higher than the state average. In comparison, Beacon Middle School, another school in the Cape Henlopen School District, consistently outperforms Mariner Middle School in academic assessments, with proficiency rates that are significantly higher than Mariner's and the state averages.

552

Students ?

11.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,633

Per pupil spending ?

34.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

16391 Harbeson Rd
Milton, DE 19968

(302) 685-8516

District: Cape Henlopen School District

Students who attend Mariner Middle School usually attend:

High:

Cape Henlopen High School

Feeder schools for Mariner Middle School:

Elementary:	H. O. Brittingham Elementary School
	Milton Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

54.7%

Hispanic:

27.4%

African American:

11.1%

See top rated Delaware middle schools

Compare Mariner Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 71st percentile in 2015 → 66th in 2025

Strengths

✓Above the Delaware median (66th percentile)

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 5 percentile points since 2015

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school40%

District avg51%

Delaware avg36%

20^th of 59

Delaware public middle schools ?

Top 34%▼ down 5 pts since 2015

From top 29% (2015) to top 34% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Delaware Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2Middle Schools in the Cape Henlopen School District

2^nd of 32Cape Henlopen School District among Delaware 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	Delaware percentile	Rating
2025	57.4	20 of 59	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.2	17 of 54	68.5%	★★★★☆
2023	59.0	18 of 53	66.0%	★★★★☆
2022	64.4	14 of 51	72.5%	★★★★☆
2021	59.3	15 of 47	68.1%	★★★★☆
2019	57.8	20 of 52	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.8	15 of 35	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	70.7	10 of 35	71.4%	★★★★☆
2016	70.2	10 of 35	71.4%	★★★★☆
2015	66.6	14 of 49	71.4%	★★★★☆
2013	56.9	19 of 37	48.6%	★★★☆☆
2012	49.0	24 of 38	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2011	46.5	22 of 38	42.1%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2024	70.5	7 of 42	83.3%	★★★★☆
2019	46.4	24 of 44	45.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2025	51.8	22 of 55	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.0	18 of 49	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.5	23 of 50	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.8	15 of 50	70.0%	★★★★☆
2021	49.8	16 of 38	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.9	24 of 49	51.0%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2025	46.0	21 of 42	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	36.8	24 of 37	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.3	24 of 37	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.0	17 of 37	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	52.5	7 of 18	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.3	15 of 35	57.1%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2025	49.5	18 of 48	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	69.3	9 of 39	76.9%	★★★★☆
2023	48.4	16 of 40	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.3	15 of 38	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	55.1	6 of 19	68.4%	★★★★☆
2019	64.5	10 of 41	75.6%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2025	55.4	21 of 55	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.2	16 of 49	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.5	16 of 50	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	64.3	15 of 50	70.0%	★★★★☆
2021	62.4	11 of 38	71.1%	★★★★☆
2019	62.5	17 of 49	65.3%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2024	74.5	3 of 9	66.7%	★★★★☆
2023	39.7	5 of 5	0.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.5	5 of 9	44.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.5	4 of 9	55.6%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2025	55.7	20 of 47	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.0	18 of 45	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.4	15 of 44	65.9%	★★★★☆
2022	72.1	12 of 45	73.3%	★★★★☆
2021	69.9	11 of 41	73.2%	★★★★☆
2019	63.8	17 of 43	60.5%	★★★☆☆

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)

African American (2024)83rd percentile+15 vs school

Special Education (2024)67th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)62nd percentile-4 vs school

Male (2025)62nd percentile-4 vs school

Female (2025)60th percentile-6 vs school

White (2025)57th percentile-9 vs school

Hispanic (2025)50th percentile-16 vs school

By subject vs Delaware (2024-2025) ?

Social Studies43%~ state avg

English Language Arts41%~ state avg

Mathematics40%+11 vs state

Science28%+11 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, May 16, 2013

Mariner is a different school than it was years ago. The Admin staff have clearly made a difference. They have a wonderful active PTO. Teachers and staff are happy and it shows. The school looks great with positive saying posted all around the school. They encourage self respect by treating the students with self respect. The building itself feels comfortable and promotes a learning environment. My son in now in eighth grade. After spending all three years in Mariner Middle I can say I am completely happy with his whole experience. I am confident that he is ready for High School. I would recommend Mariner over Beacon anytime. Close Quote

Schools Near Mariner Middle School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				DeSSA Science (2025)	DeSSA Social Studies (2025)			Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts (2025)			Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (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	DeSSA Science 8th Grade	DeSSA Social Studies 6th Grade	DeSSA Social Studies 7th Grade	DeSSA Social Studies 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Total
Mariner Middle School	Public	6-8	16391 Harbeson Rd	Milton	19968	Sussex County	Cape Henlopen School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 685-8516	552	47	11.7		302 (54.7%)	61 (11.1%)	151 (27.4%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	33 (6.0%)	57.4	20^th of 59 public middle schools	66.1%		62.2	17^th of 54 public middle schools	68.5%	3	27.7	42.9	57.8	28.5	37.7	46.0	39.8	30.4	43.9	45.8	$21,633
Georgetown Middle School	Public	6-8	301 West Market Street	Georgetown	19947	Sussex County	Indian River School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 856-1900	861	59	14.5		184 (21.4%)	88 (10.2%)	556 (64.6%)	3 (0.3%)	5 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (2.9%)	48	25^th of 59 public middle schools	57.6%		47.5	23^rd of 54 public middle schools	57.4%	2	16.8	53.4	50.4	31.2	37.3	40.9	41.2	35.9	27.6	28.3	$20,206
Bryan Allen Stevenson School of Excellence	Public, Charter	6-8	20346 Ennis St	Georgetown	19947	Sussex County	Bryan Allen Stevenson School of Excellence	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(302) 556-3297	208	5	41.6		118 (56.7%)	44 (21.2%)	19 (9.1%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (11.1%)								(n/a)
Frederick D Thomas Middle School	Public	6-8	1270 Kings Highway	Lewes	19958	Sussex County	Cape Henlopen School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(302) 645-6686	451	27	16.7		304 (67.4%)	31 (6.9%)	66 (14.6%)	12 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	37 (8.2%)								(n/a)	39.1	55.2	63.2	45.7	66.9	63.1	71.2	51.8	55.7	52.6	$30,746
Beacon Middle School	Public	6-8	19483 John J. Williams Highway	Lewes	19958	Sussex County	Cape Henlopen School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 645-6288	427	40	10.6		313 (73.3%)	26 (6.1%)	51 (11.9%)	8 (1.9%)	5 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.6%)	88.6	8^th of 59 public middle schools	86.4%		92	5^th of 54 public middle schools	90.7%	3	32.6	64.6	66.7	46.0	71.5	71.0	70.9	65.0	52.9	50.0	$26,240
Millsboro Middle School	Public	6-8	302 East State Street	Millsboro	19966	Sussex County	Indian River School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 934-3200	726	53	13.6		339 (46.7%)	112 (15.4%)	208 (28.7%)	7 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (8.3%)	37.8	33^rd of 59 public middle schools	44.1%		40.5	29^th of 54 public middle schools	46.3%	4	11.2	37.4	59.9	29.5	30.7	36.7	33.9	25.3	30.4	23.2	$15,831
Milford Central Academy	Public	6-8	1021 N Walnut Street	Milford	19963	Kent County	Milford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 430-7900	1,013	54	18.7		441 (43.5%)	279 (27.5%)	240 (23.7%)	7 (0.7%)	5 (0.5%)	4 (0.4%)	37 (3.7%)	26	42^nd of 59 public middle schools	28.8%		28.2	40^th of 54 public middle schools	25.9%	2	9.1	37.2	48.1	17.3	23.3	34.8	37.1	21.6	16.4	13.2	$14,818
Woodbridge Middle School	Public	6-8	307 Laws Street	Bridgeville	19933	Sussex County	Woodbridge School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 337-8289	596	40	14.9		280 (47.0%)	116 (19.5%)	173 (29.0%)	6 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.5%)	30.9	37^th of 59 public middle schools	37.3%		22.5	45^th of 54 public middle schools	16.7%	8	12.6	40.4	43.3	23.5	33.2	30.4	33.9	31.0	17.3	14.8	$19,297
Seaford Middle School	Public	6-8	500 East Stein Highway	Seaford	19973	Sussex County	Seaford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 629-4587	800	49	16.3		187 (23.4%)	298 (37.3%)	259 (32.4%)	9 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	45 (5.6%)	27.2	40^th of 59 public middle schools	32.2%		26.9	42^nd of 54 public middle schools	22.2%	2	10.0	25.8	47.2	22.5	30.2	36.7	36.9	17.0	20.8	18.0	$18,593
Chipman (W.T.) Middle School	Public	6-8	101 West Center Street	Harrington	19952	Kent County	Lake Forest School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 398-8197	905	48	18.8		502 (55.5%)	214 (23.6%)	84 (9.3%)	13 (1.4%)	8 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	84 (9.3%)	42.4	31^st of 59 public middle schools	47.5%		36.5	34^th of 54 public middle schools	37.0%	3	16.7	43.6	57.5	30.4	35.3	45.2	33.9	26.8	24.6	24.1	$18,729

Frequently Asked Questions about Mariner Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Mariner Middle School?

Students at Mariner Middle School are 55% White, 27% Hispanic, 11% African American, 6% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of Mariner Middle School attend?

Students who attend Mariner Middle School usually go on to attend Cape Henlopen High School

Is Mariner Middle School a good school?

Mariner Middle School ranks 20^th of 59 Delaware middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Mariner Middle School in?

Cape Henlopen School District

How many students attend Mariner Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 552 students attended Mariner Middle School.

Rate Mariner Middle School!

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Schools in Milton, DE

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