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Wilbur (Kathleen H.) Elementary

Q: Is Wilbur (Kathleen H.) Elementary a good school?

Wilbur (Kathleen H.) Elementary ranks 73 rd of 109 Delaware elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

73^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 109 Delaware Elementary Schools

Better than 33% of Delaware elementary schools

Summary

Wilbur (Kathleen H.) Elementary is a public elementary school located in Bear, Delaware, serving 1,063 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.

Wilbur (Kathleen H.) Elementary faces several challenges, including consistently high chronic absenteeism rates ranging from 17.1% to 29.7% over the past few years, significantly higher than the state average and the rates of nearby schools like Southern Elementary (20.4%) and Lorewood Grove Elementary (20.4%). The school's test scores in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies are generally lower than the state and district averages, with particularly weak performance in 4th and 5th grade Mathematics.

Wilbur (Kathleen H.) Elementary's performance varies significantly across different student subgroups, and its statewide ranking has declined over the past several years, from 34th out of 86 Delaware elementary schools in 2015-2016 to 73rd out of 109 schools in 2024-2025. This trend is concerning and suggests the school may be struggling to keep up with the academic performance of other elementary schools in the state. The consistently high chronic absenteeism rates at Wilbur (Kathleen H.) Elementary may be a significant factor contributing to the school's low academic performance.

1,052

Students ?

15.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,634

Per pupil spending ?

32.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4050 Wrangle Hill Road
Bear, DE 19701

(302) 832-6330

District: Colonial School District

Students who attend Wilbur (Kathleen H.) Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Bedford (Gunning) Middle School
High:	Penn (William) High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

48.0%

White:

25.0%

Hispanic:

16.3%

See top rated Delaware elementary schools

Compare Wilbur (Kathleen H.) Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 64th percentile in 2015 → 33rd in 2025

Strengths

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Colonial School District

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Delaware average (31% vs 40% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 31 percentile points since 2015

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school31%

District avg25%

Delaware avg40%

73^rd of 109

Delaware public elementary schools ?

Bottom 33%▼ down 31 pts since 2015

From top 36% (2015) to bottom 33% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Delaware Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 8Elementary Schools in the Colonial School District

26^th of 32Colonial 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	30.7	73 of 109	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.9	61 of 106	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.7	60 of 103	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.3	61 of 104	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	46.0	44 of 95	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	31.4	73 of 105	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	29.9	62 of 85	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	42.9	52 of 86	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2016	58.4	34 of 86	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	64.1	39 of 108	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2013	66.3	33 of 91	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2012	57.0	41 of 90	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2011	64.0	32 of 91	64.8%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2025	37.2	45 of 68	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.7	32 of 62	48.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.1	23 of 60	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.5	27 of 60	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	58.8	7 of 22	68.2%	★★★★☆
2019	41.9	43 of 72	40.3%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2025	45.9	11 of 22	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.4	8 of 17	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	38.9	17 of 29	41.4%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2025	27.9	71 of 97	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	35.4	59 of 97	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.8	61 of 89	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.4	64 of 90	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	39.1	38 of 67	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	31.4	73 of 99	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2025	33.8	34 of 43	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	59.9	15 of 37	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	46.6	25 of 42	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	54.8	16 of 36	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	46.9	19 of 37	48.6%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2025	25.5	60 of 70	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.9	53 of 66	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.3	55 of 66	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	34.2	43 of 62	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	42.9	10 of 18	44.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	27.3	72 of 92	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2025	21.1	79 of 97	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.1	74 of 97	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.3	58 of 89	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.3	59 of 90	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.1	43 of 67	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	25.5	72 of 99	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2025	17.3	69 of 77	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.4	68 of 73	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	27.5	59 of 70	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.7	62 of 75	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	26.9	51 of 65	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	20.8	72 of 82	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆

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 (2025)50th percentile+17 vs school

African American (2025)34th percentile~ school

Female (2025)27th percentile-6 vs school

Hispanic (2025)21st percentile-12 vs school

Male (2025)19th percentile-14 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)14th percentile-19 vs school

White (2025)10th percentile-23 vs school

By subject vs Delaware (2024-2025) ?

Social Studies38%-7 vs state

English Language Arts31%-10 vs state

Mathematics28%-11 vs state

Science24%-5 vs state

★

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Schools Near Wilbur (Kathleen H.) Elementary

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
Wilbur (Kathleen H.) Elementary	Public	K-5	4050 Wrangle Hill Road	Bear	19701	New Castle County	Colonial School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 832-6330	1,052	66	15.9		263 (25.0%)	505 (48.0%)	171 (16.3%)	39 (3.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	73 (6.9%)	30.7	73^rd of 109 public elementary schools	33.0%		38.9	61^st of 106 public elementary schools	42.5%	12	24.2	23.0	53.0	29.9	23.9	38.5	37.3	26.6	20.8	$19,634
Southern Elementary School	Public	K-5	795 Cox Neck Road	New Castle	19720	New Castle County	Colonial School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 832-6300	729	57	12.7		251 (34.4%)	362 (49.7%)	68 (9.3%)	16 (2.2%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	29 (4.0%)	13	96^th of 109 public elementary schools	11.9%		12.4	95^th of 106 public elementary schools	10.4%	1	11.8	13.5	31.6	23.3	13.9	23.1	22.5	25.0	15.3	$36,601
Leasure (May B.) Elementary School	Public	K-5	1015 Church Road	Newark	19702	New Castle County	Christina School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 454-2103	316	30	10.5		29 (9.2%)	207 (65.5%)	54 (17.1%)	9 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (5.4%)	33	69^th of 109 public elementary schools	36.7%		24.1	80^th of 106 public elementary schools	24.5%	11	16.3	28.3	54.2	36.5	35.6	28.6	44.2	28.3	12.2	$31,421
Oberle (William) Elementary School	Public	K-5	500 South Caledonia Way	Bear	19701	New Castle County	Christina School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 834-5910	512	40	12.8		59 (11.5%)	155 (30.3%)	279 (54.5%)	3 (0.6%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	12 (2.3%)	19.7	89^th of 109 public elementary schools	18.3%		14.7	92^nd of 106 public elementary schools	13.2%	3	20.7	13.9	38.8	21.7	29.2	31.8	18.4	23.3	23.3	$26,351
Keene (William B.) Elementary School	Public	K-5	200 Cpl Stephen J. Ballard Way	Newark	19702	New Castle County	Christina School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 454-2018	408	31	13.1		69 (16.9%)	210 (51.5%)	81 (19.9%)	15 (3.7%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.1%)	58.5	38^th of 109 public elementary schools	65.1%		49.9	48^th of 106 public elementary schools	54.7%	10	39.0	35.8	77.9	41.8	44.8	44.2	47.8	34.3	29.9	$27,444
Lorewood Grove Elementary School	Public	1-5	820 Mapleton Ave.	Middletown	19709	New Castle County	Appoquinimink School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 842-2575	492	32	15.3		208 (42.3%)	123 (25.0%)	31 (6.3%)	102 (20.7%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	24 (4.9%)	76.9	27^th of 109 public elementary schools	75.2%		75.9	23^rd of 106 public elementary schools	78.3%	4	56.0	43.4	76.6	42.3	53.6	49.5	64.0	51.0	45.0	$22,241
Loss (Olive B.) Elementary School	Public	1-5	200 Brennan Boulevard	Bear	19701	New Castle County	Appoquinimink School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 832-1343	499	37	13.6		175 (35.1%)	100 (20.0%)	38 (7.6%)	145 (29.1%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (7.4%)	91	7^th of 109 public elementary schools	93.6%		86.3	13^th of 106 public elementary schools	87.7%	6	60.2	68.0	80.0	55.9	61.7	64.8	60.8	63.6	57.4	$18,162
Marshall (Thurgood) Elementary School	Public	K-5	101 Barrett Run Road	Newark	19702	New Castle County	Christina School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 454-4700	529	35	15.1		98 (18.5%)	198 (37.4%)	84 (15.9%)	105 (19.8%)	4 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	39 (7.4%)	57.9	39^th of 109 public elementary schools	64.2%		71.8	27^th of 106 public elementary schools	74.5%	12	32.1	55.2	51.8	35.6	67.1	43.4	37.8	53.5	29.8	$23,952
Crystal Run Elementary School	Public	1-5	1470 Aviator Wy	Middletown	19709	New Castle County	Appoquinimink School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(302) 376-4128	427	29	14.7		232 (54.3%)	76 (17.8%)	30 (7.0%)	69 (16.2%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (4.2%)								(n/a)	55.4	67.2	80.7	54.7	73.5	54.2	68.4	73.5	41.0	$19,859
Brader (Henry M.) Elementary School	Public	K-5	1899 South College Avenue	Newark	19702	New Castle County	Christina School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 552-6200	324	27	12.0		72 (22.2%)	127 (39.2%)	88 (27.2%)	8 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (9.0%)	26.1	79^th of 109 public elementary schools	27.5%		24.3	79^th of 106 public elementary schools	25.5%		9.4	28.6	41.5	36.5	27.3	34.0	36.5	26.9	13.0	$33,115

Frequently Asked Questions about Wilbur (Kathleen H.) Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Wilbur (Kathleen H.) Elementary?

Students at Wilbur (Kathleen H.) Elementary are 48% African American, 25% White, 16% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 4% Asian.

How many students attend Wilbur (Kathleen H.) Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,052 students attended Wilbur (Kathleen H.) Elementary.

What district is Wilbur (Kathleen H.) Elementary in?

Colonial School District

What schools do graduates of Wilbur (Kathleen H.) Elementary attend?

Students who attend Wilbur (Kathleen H.) Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Bedford (Gunning) Middle School
High : Penn (William) High School

Is Wilbur (Kathleen H.) Elementary a good school?

Wilbur (Kathleen H.) Elementary ranks 73^rd of 109 Delaware elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Wilbur (Kathleen H.) Elementary!

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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.