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Castle Hills Elementary School

Public Grades K-5

84^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 106 Delaware Elementary Schools

Better than 21% of Delaware elementary schools

Summary

Castle Hills Elementary School serves 462 students in grades K-5 in New Castle, DE, as part of the Colonial School District. The school currently holds a 1-star rating and ranks in the bottom quartile of Delaware elementary schools, though it shows some promising signs of improvement.

One of the most encouraging trends is the school's steady progress in reading. English Language Arts proficiency climbs from 18.5% in 3rd grade to 33.3% by 5th grade—actually exceeding the district average at that level. The school also shines with its Hispanic students, who rank in the 49th percentile statewide (a 3-star rating), a remarkable jump from the 10th percentile just a few years ago. Social studies is another bright spot, with 5th graders scoring well above the district average. However, math tells a different story: proficiency drops from 22.7% in 3rd grade to just 14.5% in 5th grade, a concerning decline. There's also a notable gender gap, with female students ranking in the 6th percentile statewide compared to males at the 22nd percentile—a pattern that has persisted and widened recently.

Chronic absenteeism remains the school's biggest challenge. While Castle Hills has improved dramatically from a 40% rate in 2021-2022 to 20.1% today, that's still more than double the rate at nearby Pleasantville Elementary School (8.1%) and Wilmington Manor Elementary School (9.2%). On the positive side, the school maintains a favorable 12.1:1 student-teacher ratio—the lowest among its immediate district peers—suggesting students do get more individual attention. Compared to its closest neighbor, Eisenberg Elementary School, Castle Hills trails in most subjects, but it outperforms Downie Elementary School and New Castle Elementary School. The school appears to be on an upward trajectory, and replicating its success with Hispanic students across other groups—while tackling attendance—could be key to breaking out of the bottom quartile.

462

Students ?

12.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$24,288

Per pupil spending ?

53.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

502 Moores Lane
New Castle, DE 19720-3499

(302) 323-2915

District: Colonial School District

Students who attend Castle Hills Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Read (George) Middle School
High:	Penn (William) High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

38.7%

Hispanic:

29.9%

White:

16.9%

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Compare Castle Hills Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 28th percentile in 2016 → 21st in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Delaware average (26% vs 42% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (21st percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 7 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school26%

District avg27%

Delaware avg42%

84^th of 106

Delaware public elementary schools ?

Bottom 21%▼ down 7 pts since 2016

From bottom 28% (2016) to bottom 21% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Delaware Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 8Elementary Schools in the Colonial School District

25^th of 34Colonial 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	18.6	84 of 106	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	21.3	86 of 109	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	12.3	96 of 106	9.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.5	85 of 103	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.2	86 of 104	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	23.6	72 of 95	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.2	79 of 105	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	17.5	72 of 85	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	25.3	68 of 86	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	35.5	62 of 86	27.9%	★★☆☆☆
2015	41.8	64 of 108	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2013	34.3	70 of 91	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	34.6	67 of 90	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	54.0	49 of 91	46.2%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	20.9	57 of 69	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	24.0	55 of 68	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.5	57 of 62	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	21.1	51 of 60	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	12.9	56 of 60	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	25.7	61 of 72	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2019	43.2	15 of 29	48.3%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	10.0	92 of 98	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	14.7	89 of 97	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	7.5	94 of 97	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	12.8	82 of 89	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	9.3	85 of 90	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	21.3	81 of 99	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	50.6	23 of 45	48.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	50.0	27 of 43	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	17.7	38 of 42	9.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	32.3	26 of 36	27.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.7	23 of 37	37.8%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	25.9	64 of 75	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	21.0	64 of 70	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	11.0	63 of 66	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	19.7	56 of 62	9.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	40.2	56 of 92	39.1%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	24.1	76 of 98	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	20.4	81 of 97	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	10.9	89 of 97	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	9.7	86 of 89	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	15.5	82 of 90	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	22.9	75 of 99	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2019	21.4	71 of 82	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2026)49th percentile+28 vs school

English Language Learner (2019)48th percentile+24 vs school

Male (2026)22nd percentile~ school

African American (2026)17th percentile-3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)15th percentile-6 vs school

White (2019)13th percentile-11 vs school

Female (2026)6th percentile-15 vs school

By subject vs Delaware (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies37%-14 vs state

English Language Arts25%-18 vs state

Mathematics21%-18 vs state

Science19%-11 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, August 24, 2011

I have no problems with this school the teachers keep in contact with you and my son loves it there. Close Quote

Schools Near Castle Hills 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 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
Castle Hills Elementary School	Public	K-5	502 Moores Lane	New Castle	19720	New Castle County	Colonial School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 323-2915	462	38	12.1	53.9%	78 (16.9%)	179 (38.7%)	138 (29.9%)	28 (6.1%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	36 (7.8%)	18.6	84^th of 106 public elementary schools	20.8%		21.3	86^th of 109 public elementary schools	21.1%	2	19.1	33.3	40.6				18.5	22.5	33.3				22.7	26.6	14.5				$24,288
Eisenberg (Harry O.) Elementary School	Public	K-5	27 Landers Lane	New Castle	19720	New Castle County	Colonial School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 429-4074	436	32	13.6	99.4%	37 (8.5%)	196 (45.0%)	166 (38.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (8.3%)	29.4	75^th of 106 public elementary schools	29.2%		21.8	85^th of 109 public elementary schools	22.0%	10	25.8	26.4	54.1				21.1	29.3	44.3				23.4	30.7	35.5				$24,085
Wilmington Manor Elementary School	Public	K-5	200 East Roosevelt Avenue	New Castle	19720	New Castle County	Colonial School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 323-2901	291	22	13.2	51.0%	82 (28.2%)	101 (34.7%)	85 (29.2%)	4 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	18 (6.2%)	16.3	86^th of 106 public elementary schools	18.9%		27.3	76^th of 109 public elementary schools	30.3%	10	15.8	23.5	38.9				27.3	22.1	23.7				25.0	26.1					$30,702
New Castle Elementary School	Public	K-5	903 Delaware Street	New Castle	19720	New Castle County	Colonial School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 323-2880	383	29	13.2	57.7%	63 (16.4%)	177 (46.2%)	124 (32.4%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.8%)	2 (0.5%)	13 (3.4%)	13.3	90^th of 106 public elementary schools	15.1%		14.7	93^rd of 109 public elementary schools	14.7%	3		21.3	39.0				18.8	23.0	22.6				25.0	26.7	12.9				$25,464
Downie (Carrie) Elementary School	Public	K-5	1201 Delaware Street	New Castle	19720	New Castle County	Colonial School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 323-2926	324	25	12.9	50.3%	82 (25.3%)	122 (37.7%)	94 (29.0%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	20 (6.2%)	11.8	94^th of 106 public elementary schools	11.3%		10.8	100^th of 109 public elementary schools	8.3%	6	13.2	21.3	48.0				17.8	19.6	17.3				15.6	23.5	11.3				$23,745
Charter School of New Castle	Public, Charter	K-8	170 Lukens Drive	New Castle	19720	New Castle County	Charter School of New Castle	Yes	No	No	Yes	(302) 324-8901	788	35	22.5	51.0%	19 (2.4%)	721 (91.5%)	33 (4.2%)	2 (0.3%)	5 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	7 (0.9%)	27.5	77^th of 106 public elementary schools	27.4%		32.4	70^th of 109 public elementary schools	35.8%	7	20.9	22.9	65.4	33.3	51.9	24.5	31.7	34.2	36.1	26.7	29.4	33.0	26.6	26.8	22.4	21.7	21.4	19.6
Richardson Park Elementary School	Public	K-5	16 Idella Avenue	Wilmington	19804	New Castle County	Red Clay Consolidated School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 992-5570	522	53	9.9	99.5%	94 (18.0%)	134 (25.7%)	264 (50.6%)	6 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.4%)	7.2	101^st of 106 public elementary schools	4.7%		5.1	107^th of 109 public elementary schools	1.8%	6	13.6	11.1	37.9				16.5	11.2	22.7				13.8	12.4	9.1				$28,461
Pleasantville Elementary School	Public	K-5	16 Pleasant Street	New Castle	19720	New Castle County	Colonial School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 323-2935	389	29	13.4	46.1%	89 (22.9%)	169 (43.4%)	104 (26.7%)	4 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.7%)	23.8	80^th of 106 public elementary schools	24.5%		20.4	88^th of 109 public elementary schools	19.3%	8	20.3	22.7	66.2				21.2	21.8	39.1				27.7	22.1	18.8				$25,005
Richey Elementary School	Public	K-5	105 East Highland Avenue	Wilmington	19804	New Castle County	Red Clay Consolidated School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 992-5535	382	30	12.9	43.3%	179 (46.9%)	68 (17.8%)	107 (28.0%)	7 (1.8%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	19 (5.0%)	52.8	46^th of 106 public elementary schools	56.6%		28.1	75^th of 109 public elementary schools	31.2%	29	37.1	32.9	67.7				36.8	33.8	56.5				43.1	32.4	50.0				$24,888
Pulaski Early Education Center	Public	PK-K	1300 Cedar Street	Wilmington	19805	New Castle County	Christina School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(302) 429-4133	93	7	13.2	76.0%	8 (8.6%)	57 (61.3%)	22 (23.7%)	1 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (5.4%)								(n/a)																			$41,673

Frequently Asked Questions about Castle Hills Elementary School

Is Castle Hills Elementary School a good school?

Castle Hills Elementary School ranks in the bottom 20.8% of Delaware elementary schools.

How many students attend Castle Hills Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 462 students attended Castle Hills Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Castle Hills Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Castle Hills Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Read (George) Middle School
High : Penn (William) High School

What district is Castle Hills Elementary School in?

Colonial School District

What is the racial makeup of Castle Hills Elementary School?

Students at Castle Hills Elementary School are 39% African American, 30% Hispanic, 17% White, 8% Two or more races, 6% Asian.

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Schools in New Castle, DE

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Latest Delaware data All new data »

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

2024–25 school spending dataMar 23, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataJan 20, 2026

2021–22 through 2023–24 school spending dataJan 7, 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.