Red Clay Consolidated School District

The Red Clay Consolidated School District in Delaware operates 27 schools, including 16 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, 5 high schools, and 2 alternative schools. The district as a whole is ranked 12 out of 32 in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Several schools in the district stand out for their exceptional academic performance. Conrad Schools of Science, a public magnet high school, is consistently ranked among the top high schools in Delaware, currently 5th out of 39. Calloway (Cab) School of the Arts, another high-performing public magnet school, is ranked 4th out of 41 Delaware high schools. At the elementary level, North Star Elementary School is ranked 2nd out of 106 Delaware elementary schools, and William F. Cooke Junior Elementary is ranked 7th.

However, the district also faces significant challenges, with a uniformly high chronic absenteeism rate of 20.4% across all schools. Additionally, there are wide disparities in academic achievement between the highest and lowest performing schools, suggesting potential equity issues. The alternative schools and some of the lowest-ranked elementary schools struggle with very low test scores and other indicators of academic difficulties. Overall, the Red Clay Consolidated School District has a mix of high-performing and low-performing schools, with the magnet schools standing out as academic standouts, but the district must address issues of equity and support its lowest-performing schools.