Summary
Southern Elementary School is a public elementary school located in New Castle, Delaware, serving 743 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Colonial School District, which is ranked 26 out of 32 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.
Southern Elementary School consistently ranks in the bottom half of Delaware elementary schools, with significantly below-average performance on standardized tests across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2024-2025, only 23.26% of 3rd graders, 13.89% of 4th graders, and 23.08% of 5th graders were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state averages of 38.72%, 41.51%, and 43.71%, respectively. The school's performance in Mathematics is also low, with only 22.48% of 3rd graders, 25% of 4th graders, and 15.25% of 5th graders scoring proficient or better, compared to the state averages of 42.17%, 41.07%, and 32.87%. The school's performance for specific student subgroups, such as female students, male students, African American students, white students, and students with special needs, is particularly concerning, ranking in the bottom 5% to 10% of Delaware elementary schools.
Despite the relatively high spending per student at Southern Elementary School ($21,301 in 2018-2019), the school's academic performance remains significantly below that of nearby schools, such as Pleasantville Elementary School and Wilbur (Kathleen H.) Elementary, which have lower per-student spending but higher proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics. The school also faces high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 20.4% to 29.7% in recent years, which may be contributing to its poor academic performance.
Thank you for your feedback!