Capital School District

The Capital School District in Delaware serves approximately 6,346 students across 13 schools in the Dover area, including seven elementary schools (K-4), three middle schools, one high school, and two alternative schools, and currently ranks 24th out of 34 districts in the state with a 2-star rating.

For parents, the standout school in this district is clearly Hartly Elementary School, which ranks 55th of 106 elementary schools in Delaware and is the only school in the district with proficiency rates at or above state averages—its 3rd grade ELA proficiency of 54% is more than double the district average of 26.5%, and it also has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (15.9%) among traditional schools. North Dover Elementary School shows the most positive momentum, improving its state ranking and posting 5th grade science scores (30.19%) that essentially match the state average. On the other end, South Dover Elementary School is the most concerning, ranking 100th of 106 schools with a 5th grade math proficiency of just 4.95%—the lowest single metric in the district. The middle schools, Middle School of Innovation and Middle School of Excellence, perform uniformly low in the bottom quartile of Delaware middle schools, while Dover High School has a graduation rate above the state average (90.6%) but critically low SAT math proficiency at 7.31%.

Chronic absenteeism is a district-wide crisis, with 10 of 13 schools exceeding the state average of 17.1%; the worst offenders are Kent County Community School (33.9%), Middle School of Innovation (29.3%), and Dover High School (29.2%). A consistent 5th grade math drop-off affects all elementary schools, and resource allocation is uneven—Middle School of Excellence has a 26.4:1 student-teacher ratio while Booker T. Washington Elementary School has 10.1:1. The alternative schools (Kent County Community School and Kent County Secondary ILC) spend over $53,000 per student but serve highly challenging populations. The district's bright spots include Hartly Elementary's success model and Dover High's 9th grade science proficiency (44.44%) that exceeds the state average, suggesting targeted interventions could replicate these successes elsewhere.