Summary:
The Colonial School District in New Castle, DE, serves approximately 8,513 students across 13 schools—8 elementary, 3 middle, 1 high, and 1 alternative school—and currently holds a 2-star rating, ranking 25th out of 34 districts in Delaware.
For parents, the standout elementary option is Wilbur (Kathleen H.) Elementary, the district’s largest elementary school with 1,052 students. It consistently outperforms district averages, especially in 5th grade Social Studies where 66% of students are proficient—beating the state average—and it has a low chronic absenteeism rate of 11.3%. Eisenberg (Harry O.) Elementary is also on the rise, improving its state ranking from 85th to 75th, with strong 5th grade ELA (44%) and Math (35%) proficiency. In contrast, Southern Elementary struggles, ranking 91st despite spending $21,301 per student—63% more than Wilbur—suggesting that higher spending doesn’t guarantee better results. Among middle schools, Bedford (Gunning) Middle School is the strongest, with the highest math proficiency (21% in 8th grade), while McCullough (Calvin R. ) Middle School is the most concerning, ranking in the 7th percentile with just 3% science proficiency and a 39.7% chronic absenteeism rate. Penn (William) High School faces significant challenges, with only 9.4% of 11th graders proficient in SAT Math and a graduation rate of 84%.
The most striking pattern is the middle school math crisis—proficiency rates range from just 3% to 21%, far below state averages. Chronic absenteeism is a clear predictor of low performance; the three middle schools with the highest absenteeism rates (McCullough at 39.7%, Read (George) Middle School at 28.7%, and Bedford at 28.5%) also show the weakest academics. Conversely, elementary schools like Pleasantville Elementary (8.1% absenteeism) and Wilmington Manor Elementary (9.2%) perform relatively better. The Leach (John G.) School, the alternative school, spends $123,173 per student—nearly 9 times the district average—yet faces a 43.8% absenteeism rate and 10.3% dropout rate, highlighting the extreme challenges of alternative education. On a positive note, several schools are improving, including Eisenberg, Pleasantville, Castle Hills Elementary, and Read Middle, suggesting targeted interventions may be starting to work.
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