Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Nellie Hughes Stokes Elementary School

Q: Is Nellie Hughes Stokes Elementary School a good school?

Nellie Hughes Stokes Elementary School ranks 50 th of 109 Delaware elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 1-5

50^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 109 Delaware Elementary Schools

Better than 54% of Delaware elementary schools

Summary

Nellie Hughes Stokes Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades 1-5 in the Caesar Rodney School District in Dover, Delaware, with 512 students enrolled.

The school has seen a decline in its statewide ranking over the past several years, dropping from a high of 23 out of 85 Delaware elementary schools in 2017-2018 to a low of 74 out of 95 in 2020-2021. In the most recent school year (2024-2025), the school ranked 50 out of 109 Delaware elementary schools and received a 3-star rating. In comparison, the top-performing school in the district, Major George S. Welch Elementary School, has consistently ranked in the top 5 schools in the state and maintained a 5-star rating. Nellie Hughes Stokes Elementary School's student performance on standardized tests lags behind the district and state averages across all grade levels and subject areas, particularly in Mathematics.

The school's performance varies significantly across different student subgroups, with male students generally outperforming female students, and African American and White students performing weaker compared to the state. English Language Learners and Special Education students also struggle at the school. Additionally, Nellie Hughes Stokes Elementary School has consistently high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 17.5% to 23.3% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the nearby Major George S. Welch Elementary School. These challenges suggest a need for the school to implement more targeted interventions and support to address the unique needs of its diverse student population.

487

Students ?

16.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,106

Per pupil spending ?

47.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3874 Upper King Road
Dover, DE 19934

(302) 697-3205

District: Caesar Rodney School District

Students who attend Nellie Hughes Stokes Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Fred Fifer III Middle School
High:	Caesar Rodney High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

50.9%

African American:

29.6%

Hispanic:

11.3%

See top rated Delaware elementary schools

Compare Nellie Hughes Stokes Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 22nd percentile in 2021 → 54th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 54th (2025) from a 22nd-percentile low (2021)

✓Above the Delaware median (54th percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school39%

District avg47%

Delaware avg40%

50^th of 109

Delaware public elementary schools ?

Top 46%▼ down 16 pts since 2015

From top 30% (2015) to top 46% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Delaware Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 7Elementary Schools in the Caesar Rodney School District

5^th of 32Caesar Rodney 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	48.8	50 of 109	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	32.1	72 of 106	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.1	66 of 103	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	26.9	73 of 104	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	20.9	74 of 95	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	41.2	66 of 105	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	71.6	23 of 85	72.9%	★★★★☆
2017	48.0	47 of 86	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2016	67.7	30 of 86	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2015	69.4	32 of 108	70.4%	★★★★☆
2013	76.0	22 of 91	75.8%	★★★★☆
2012	82.0	15 of 90	83.3%	★★★★☆
2011	88.8	5 of 91	94.5%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2025	43.2	35 of 68	48.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	24.6	53 of 62	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.8	43 of 60	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	43.2	37 of 60	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	26.9	57 of 72	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2024	31.9	10 of 15	33.3%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2025	32.6	62 of 97	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	17.2	84 of 97	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.2	73 of 89	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.1	79 of 90	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	31.7	72 of 99	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2025	55.6	26 of 70	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	32.8	50 of 66	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	38.9	44 of 66	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.8	41 of 62	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	43.2	53 of 92	42.4%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2025	51.4	41 of 97	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	37.6	57 of 97	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.5	57 of 89	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	26.2	69 of 90	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	45.3	56 of 99	43.4%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2025	43.0	19 of 27	29.6%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2025	37.1	51 of 77	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	27.2	59 of 73	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	34.1	50 of 70	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	10.6	71 of 75	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	28.0	48 of 65	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	41.2	56 of 82	31.7%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)63rd percentile+9 vs school

Male (2025)58th percentile+4 vs school

African American (2025)49th percentile-6 vs school

Female (2025)36th percentile-18 vs school

White (2025)34th percentile-20 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)33rd percentile~ school

Special Education (2025)30th percentile-24 vs school

By subject vs Delaware (2024-2025) ?

Social Studies45%~ state avg

English Language Arts42%~ state avg

Mathematics36%~ state avg

Science29%~ state avg

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Nellie Hughes Stokes Elementary School and help other families decide.

Rate Nellie Hughes Stokes Elementary School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Nellie Hughes Stokes Elementary 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 5th Grade	DeSSA Social Studies 4th Grade	DeSSA Social Studies 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Total
Nellie Hughes Stokes Elementary School	Public	1-5	3874 Upper King Road	Dover	19934	Kent County	Caesar Rodney School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 697-3205	487	30	16.2		248 (50.9%)	144 (29.6%)	55 (11.3%)	7 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (6.6%)	48.8	50^th of 109 public elementary schools	54.1%		32.1	72^nd of 106 public elementary schools	32.1%	22	28.8	26.6	62.0	40.6	39.4	46.6	39.1	28.8	38.4	$17,106
Star Hill Elementary School	Public	1-5	594 Voshells Mill/Star Hill Ro	Dover	19901	Kent County	Caesar Rodney School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 697-6117	429	29	14.7		192 (44.8%)	149 (34.7%)	55 (12.8%)	8 (1.9%)	2 (0.5%)	3 (0.7%)	20 (4.7%)	24.5	80^th of 109 public elementary schools	26.6%					(n/a)	22.5	28.8	39.2	21.7	27.9	25.3	32.4	30.9	20.0	$17,773
Kent Elementary Intensive Learning Center	Public	3	5 Old North Road	Camden	19934	Kent County	Caesar Rodney School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 697-3504	1	6	.1		1 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
W. B. Simpson Elementary School	Public	1-5	5 Old North Road	Camden	19934	Kent County	Caesar Rodney School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 697-3207	465	31	15.0		273 (58.7%)	91 (19.6%)	37 (8.0%)	18 (3.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (9.7%)	86.6	12^th of 109 public elementary schools	89.0%		66.4	28^th of 106 public elementary schools	73.6%	16	47.4	64.6	71.0	58.6	76.0	54.7	58.0	70.8	44.1	$17,266
Allen Frear Elementary School	Public	1-5	238 Sorghum Mill Road	Camden	19901	Kent County	Caesar Rodney School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 697-3279	504	41	12.2		256 (50.8%)	115 (22.8%)	49 (9.7%)	30 (6.0%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	51 (10.1%)	87.6	9^th of 109 public elementary schools	91.7%		88.6	10^th of 106 public elementary schools	90.6%	1	37.9	56.6	64.7	70.9	65.5	61.2	71.8	66.4	54.4	$18,309
W. Reily Brown Elementary School	Public	1-5	360 Webbs Lane	Dover	19904	Kent County	Caesar Rodney School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 697-2101	506	37	13.6		158 (31.2%)	222 (43.9%)	66 (13.0%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (10.9%)	34.4	68^th of 109 public elementary schools	37.6%		31	73^rd of 106 public elementary schools	31.1%	5	34.3	28.4	52.0	26.5	32.0	38.5	25.5	28.6	25.0	$18,320
David E. Robinson Elementary School	Public	1-5	1038 Briarbush road	Wyoming	19962	Kent County	Caesar Rodney School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 698-4230	514	31	16.5		220 (42.8%)	168 (32.7%)	51 (9.9%)	17 (3.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (11.1%)	62.6	34^th of 109 public elementary schools	68.8%		44.9	54^th of 106 public elementary schools	49.1%	20	42.6	40.3	57.9	37.6	53.0	50.9	42.6	43.0	38.3	$16,007
Major George S. Welch Elementary School	Public	K-5	3100 Hawthorne Drive	Dover	19901	Kent County	Caesar Rodney School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 674-9080	261	29	9.0		153 (58.6%)	30 (11.5%)	32 (12.3%)	10 (3.8%)	1 (0.4%)	6 (2.3%)	29 (11.1%)	92.6	4^th of 109 public elementary schools	96.3%		95.3	3^rd of 106 public elementary schools	97.2%	1	60.9	48.2	86.4	68.1	61.0	76.1	76.7	55.9	61.8	$22,108
South Dover Elementary School	Public	K-4	955 South State Street	Dover	19901	Kent County	Capital School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 672-1980	577	31	18.8		69 (12.0%)	353 (61.2%)	93 (16.1%)	4 (0.7%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (9.2%)	12.5	97^th of 109 public elementary schools	11.0%		11.7	98^th of 106 public elementary schools	7.5%	1		18.8		22.8	19.4		19.1	16.2		$18,906
Booker T. Washington Elementary School	Public	K-4	901 Forest Street	Dover	19904	Kent County	Capital School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 672-1900	314	31	10.1		57 (18.2%)	195 (62.1%)	27 (8.6%)	2 (0.6%)	4 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	28 (8.9%)	35.2	67^th of 109 public elementary schools	38.5%		44.8	55^th of 106 public elementary schools	48.1%	12		26.4		32.5	41.6		31.0	32.5		$34,688

Frequently Asked Questions about Nellie Hughes Stokes Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Nellie Hughes Stokes Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Nellie Hughes Stokes Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Fred Fifer III Middle School
High : Caesar Rodney High School

How many students attend Nellie Hughes Stokes Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 487 students attended Nellie Hughes Stokes Elementary School.

What district is Nellie Hughes Stokes Elementary School in?

Caesar Rodney School District

What is the racial makeup of Nellie Hughes Stokes Elementary School?

Students at Nellie Hughes Stokes Elementary School are 51% White, 30% African American, 11% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

Is Nellie Hughes Stokes Elementary School a good school?

Nellie Hughes Stokes Elementary School ranks 50^th of 109 Delaware elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Nellie Hughes Stokes Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

DEDelaware Elementary School Rankings

DEDelaware District Rankings

Schools in Dover, DE

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Nellie Hughes Stokes Elementary School!

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.