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Smith (Jennie E.) Elementary School

Q: Is Smith (Jennie E.) Elementary School a good school?

Smith (Jennie E.) Elementary School ranks 61 st of 107 Delaware elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

61^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 107 Delaware Elementary Schools

Better than 43% of Delaware elementary schools

Summary

Smith (Jennie E.) Elementary School is a K-5 public school in Newark, DE, serving 413 students as part of the Christina School District. The school has been on a steady upward climb since the pandemic, improving its state ranking from the 16th percentile in 2020-2021 to the 42nd percentile today, though it hasn't quite returned to its pre-pandemic 3-star performance levels.

The most remarkable thing about Smith Elementary is its success with English Language Learners. The school ranks 3rd out of 21 schools statewide for ELL performance—an 86th percentile rating with 5 stars. This is especially striking when you compare it to Academia Antonia Alonso, a nearby charter school serving a similar demographic that ranks at just the 7th percentile. Smith also does notably well with its African American students, ranking in the 59th percentile for that group, which is better than its overall school ranking. Another huge win: chronic absenteeism has plummeted from nearly 30% in 2021-2022 to just 8.2% now—far better than the district average of 19.8%. The school also maintains a favorable 10.3:1 student-teacher ratio, meaning smaller class sizes and more individual attention.

That said, there are some areas to watch. Science is a persistent weakness, with only 17.8% of 5th graders proficient compared to the state average of 30.1%. Math performance is inconsistent—4th graders exceed state averages, but 5th graders lag significantly. There's also a notable gender gap shift: boys have improved dramatically (from the 23rd to 48th percentile in two years) while girls have declined (from the 53rd to 35th percentile). When compared to nearby Christina School District schools, Smith sits in the middle tier alongside Gallaher (Robert S.) Elementary School and Maclary (R. Elisabeth) Elementary School, while Wilson (Etta J.) Elementary School and West Park Place Elementary School outperform it. Notably, Smith spends less per student ($15,306) than many nearby schools yet achieves comparable results, suggesting efficient use of resources.

413

Students ?

10.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$28,999

Per pupil spending ?

43.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

142 Brennen Drive
Newark, DE 19713-3998

(302) 722-2864

District: Christina School District

Students who attend Smith (Jennie E.) Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Kirk (George V.) Middle School
High:	Christiana High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

31.5%

African American:

29.8%

Hispanic:

25.9%

See top rated Delaware elementary schools

Compare Smith (Jennie E.) Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 16th percentile in 2021 → 43rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 43rd (2026) from a 16th-percentile low (2021)

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Science scores 12 pts below the Delaware average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school38%

District avg39%

Delaware avg42%

61^st of 107

Delaware public elementary schools ?

Bottom 43%▼ down 10 pts since 2016

From top 47% (2016) to bottom 43% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Delaware Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

11^th of 16Elementary Schools in the Christina School District

16^th of 34Christina 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
2026	41.9	61 of 107	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	40.5	58 of 109	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.3	56 of 106	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.3	69 of 103	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	21.7	79 of 104	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.6	80 of 95	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	52.1	55 of 105	47.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.9	37 of 85	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2017	59.6	35 of 86	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2016	49.9	40 of 86	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	32.6	80 of 108	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	43.8	58 of 91	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2012	55.1	43 of 90	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2011	52.9	50 of 91	45.1%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	54.4	28 of 70	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	56.2	24 of 68	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.6	33 of 62	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	54.7	24 of 60	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	68.4	18 of 72	75.0%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	87.3	3 of 21	85.7%	★★★★★
2023	49.2	9 of 18	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	41.7	16 of 29	44.8%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	34.6	64 of 98	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	40.6	51 of 97	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.7	46 of 97	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	35.3	60 of 89	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.0	62 of 90	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	51.0	51 of 99	48.5%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	49.1	25 of 45	44.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	59.1	18 of 43	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.6	19 of 37	48.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	30.1	33 of 42	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	75.2	4 of 37	89.2%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	46.0	41 of 75	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	44.9	35 of 70	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.3	34 of 66	48.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	44.0	40 of 66	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	69.6	23 of 92	75.0%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	43.1	51 of 98	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	33.2	62 of 97	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	25.7	75 of 97	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.4	79 of 89	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	8.2	90 of 90	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	48.7	54 of 99	45.5%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	33.6	54 of 78	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	21.8	64 of 77	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.1	60 of 73	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.5	62 of 70	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	8.4	73 of 75	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	30.9	44 of 65	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	32.4	64 of 82	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2026)86th percentile+43 vs school

African American (2026)60th percentile+17 vs school

Male (2026)48th percentile+5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)45th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)44th percentile~ school

Female (2026)35th percentile-8 vs school

White (2026)31st percentile-12 vs school

By subject vs Delaware (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies53%~ state avg

Mathematics37%~ state avg

English Language Arts36%-6 vs state

Science18%-12 vs state

★

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Schools Near Smith (Jennie E.) Elementary School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				DeSSA Science (2026)		DeSSA Social Studies (2026)					Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts (2026)						Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2026)						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 (2016)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	DeSSA Science 5th Grade	DeSSA Science 8th Grade	DeSSA Social Studies 4th Grade	DeSSA Social Studies 5th Grade	DeSSA Social Studies 6th Grade	DeSSA Social Studies 7th Grade	DeSSA Social Studies 8th 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 English Language Arts 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Total
Smith (Jennie E.) Elementary School	Public	K-5	142 Brennen Drive	Newark	19713	New Castle County	Christina School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 722-2864	413	40	10.3	43.6%	130 (31.5%)	123 (29.8%)	107 (25.9%)	29 (7.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	21 (5.1%)	41.9	61^st of 107 public elementary schools	43.0%		40.5	58^th of 109 public elementary schools	46.8%	3	17.8		51.3	54.2				34.4	39.7	33.3				36.9	46.8	26.0				$28,999
Brookside Elementary School	Public	K-5	800 Marrows Road	Newark	19713	New Castle County	Christina School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 454-5454	260	26	10.0	59.9%	50 (19.2%)	85 (32.7%)	97 (37.3%)	10 (3.8%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (6.5%)	59.4	37^th of 107 public elementary schools	65.4%		36.1	65^th of 109 public elementary schools	40.4%	28	33.3		37.0	72.6				51.5	41.7	52.0				47.1	41.7	37.3				$34,709
Gallaher (Robert S.) Elementary School	Public	K-5	800 North Brownleaf Road	Newark	19713	New Castle County	Christina School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 454-2464	469	49	9.5	40.7%	123 (26.2%)	148 (31.6%)	140 (29.9%)	29 (6.2%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	26 (5.5%)	46.9	56^th of 107 public elementary schools	47.7%		39.2	61^st of 109 public elementary schools	44.0%	5	23.3		38.3	62.5				43.5	39.8	46.6				50.7	31.0	30.1				$29,427
Academia Antonia Alonso	Public, Charter	K-8	300 North Wakefield Drive	Newark	19702	New Castle County	Academia Antonia Alonso	Yes	No	No	Yes	(302) 351-8200	910	50	18.2	73.1%	65 (7.1%)	52 (5.7%)	784 (86.2%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.5%)	10.4	99^th of 107 public elementary schools	7.5%		11.2	99^th of 109 public elementary schools	9.2%			7.3	14.9	31.2	22.1	49.0	28.4	14.7	23.7	28.1	17.9	26.6	28.0	24.5	19.4	12.2	7.6	14.4	10.9
Maclary (R. Elisabeth) Elementary School	Public	K-5	300 St. Regis Drive	Newark	19711	New Castle County	Christina School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 454-2142	244	23	10.6	41.3%	80 (32.8%)	61 (25.0%)	84 (34.4%)	7 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.9%)	43	59^th of 107 public elementary schools	44.9%		41.4	57^th of 109 public elementary schools	47.7%	2	22.0		45.2	64.1				37.5	40.4	37.5				29.4	38.5	29.3				$35,752
McVey (Joseph M.) Elementary School	Public	K-5	908 Janice Drive	Newark	19713	New Castle County	Christina School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 454-2145	319	28	11.3	49.1%	98 (30.7%)	135 (42.3%)	64 (20.1%)	9 (2.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.8%)	40.7	62^nd of 107 public elementary schools	42.1%		39.7	59^th of 109 public elementary schools	45.9%	3	29.6		32.7	66.0				31.3	42.1	35.2				31.3	38.6	33.3				$31,338
Marshall (Thurgood) Elementary School	Public	K-5	101 Barrett Run Drive	Newark	19702	New Castle County	Christina School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 454-4700	529	35	15.1	20.8%	98 (18.5%)	198 (37.4%)	84 (15.9%)	105 (19.8%)	4 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	39 (7.4%)	78.5	25^th of 107 public elementary schools	76.6%		57.9	39^th of 109 public elementary schools	64.2%	14	38.5		52.7	75.0				58.7	58.8	56.9				52.3	56.7	44.6				$23,952
Jones (Albert H.) Elementary School	Public	K-5	35 West Main Street	Newark	19702	New Castle County	Christina School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 454-2131	329	23	14.3	45.3%	49 (14.9%)	184 (55.9%)	70 (21.3%)	10 (3.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.6%)	74.9	31^st of 107 public elementary schools	71.0%		84.3	17^th of 109 public elementary schools	84.4%	14	38.1		50.0	66.7				45.6	66.7	66.7				42.9	67.2	45.2				$25,836
Forest Oak Elementary School	Public	K-5	55 South Meadowood Drive	Newark	19711	New Castle County	Red Clay Consolidated School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 454-3420	429	33	13.2	42.6%	139 (32.4%)	30 (7.0%)	235 (54.8%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.1%)	34.3	67^th of 107 public elementary schools	37.4%		44.2	54^th of 109 public elementary schools	50.5%	13	21.4		29.5	60.0				37.5	20.9	44.3				40.3	20.6	30.0				$24,451
West Park Place Elementary School	Public	K-5	193 West Park Place	Newark	19711	New Castle County	Christina School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 454-2290	350	27	12.9	33.8%	128 (36.6%)	101 (28.9%)	41 (11.7%)	45 (12.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (10.0%)	85.7	15^th of 107 public elementary schools	86.0%		83.3	20^th of 109 public elementary schools	81.7%	5	54.4		63.8	78.2				64.2	61.7	55.4				59.3	54.4	52.6				$25,094

Frequently Asked Questions about Smith (Jennie E.) Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Smith (Jennie E.) Elementary School?

Students at Smith (Jennie E.) Elementary School are 31% White, 30% African American, 26% Hispanic, 7% Asian, 5% Two or more races.

Is Smith (Jennie E.) Elementary School a good school?

Smith (Jennie E.) Elementary School ranks 61^st of 107 Delaware elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Smith (Jennie E.) Elementary School in?

Christina School District

How many students attend Smith (Jennie E.) Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 413 students attended Smith (Jennie E.) Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Smith (Jennie E.) Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Smith (Jennie E.) Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Kirk (George V.) Middle School
High : Christiana High School

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Latest Delaware data All new data »

2023–24 through 2024–25 graduation ratesNewSep 29, 2026

2025–26 DeSSA, SAT & Smarter Balanced Assessments scoresAug 18, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataMar 23, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataJan 20, 2026

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.