Summary:
The Milford School District in Delaware serves approximately 4,523 students across six schools—four elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school—in a mix of suburban and rural communities, and it currently holds a 2-star rating, ranking 21st out of 34 districts statewide.
For parents, the standout choice is Ross (Lulu M.) Elementary School, the district’s only 3-star school, which outperforms state averages in 4th-grade ELA and 3rd-grade math and has the second-lowest chronic absenteeism rate (13.0%). In contrast, Mispillion Elementary is the biggest concern, with a 1-star rating and proficiency scores trailing district and state averages across nearly all subjects. Milford Central Academy shows promise, improving its percentile rank from 26th to 36th over three years, and it uniquely exceeds the state average in 8th-grade ELA (43.63% vs. 41.44%). However, Milford Senior High School represents a sharp performance cliff, with SAT math proficiency at just 6.16% (state: 18.16%), a graduation rate of 83.7%, and a dropout rate nearly double the state average. Banneker (Benjamin) Elementary School has seen its ranking slip from the 41st to 29th percentile, though its 5th-grade scores still beat district averages, while Morris (Evelyn I.) Early Childhood struggles most with attendance, posting a 23.8% chronic absenteeism rate despite having the best student-teacher ratio (12.5:1) and highest per-student spending.
Key takeaways for families: math is a district-wide crisis, especially at secondary levels, where proficiency falls to one-third of state averages by high school. Also, spending does not predict success—Ross and Mispillion spend nearly the same per student yet achieve vastly different results. Finally, the 8th-grade social studies drop-off at Milford Central Academy (from 53.7% to 20.92% proficiency) suggests a specific curriculum issue worth investigating, while the district’s overall bright spot remains Ross Elementary, which proves that high achievement is possible within this district.
Thank you for your feedback!