Laurel Senior High School

Laurel Senior High School serves 753 students in grades 9-12 in the town of Laurel, DE, and is part of the Laurel School District, which currently holds a 2-star rating.

For parents, the most important thing to know is that Laurel faces significant academic challenges. In the most recent testing, only about 5% of 11th graders were proficient in math on the SAT, compared to the state average of 18%, and English proficiency was also well below state levels at 29% versus 44%. Chronic absenteeism is a serious concern, with 27% of students missing significant school time—much higher than the state's 17% average. The graduation rate has also been volatile, dropping to 79% recently, below the state's 89% average. However, there is a notable bright spot: the school's Low Socio-Economic Status (SES) students are performing remarkably well, ranking in the 52nd percentile statewide and earning a 3-star rating—a stark contrast to the school's overall 1-star rating. This suggests that targeted support for this group is working, even as other student groups struggle.

When comparing Laurel to nearby schools, the picture is mixed. Delmar High School, just 6 miles away, is a top performer with a 93.8% graduation rate, while Sussex Technical High School also significantly outperforms Laurel in both graduation and science proficiency. On the other hand, Seaford Senior High School has a nearly identical profile, with similar low rankings and graduation rates, indicating these challenges are shared across some neighboring districts. Laurel spends about $12,283 per student—less than Sussex Tech but more than Delmar—and has a higher student-teacher ratio (18.3:1) than many peers. While the school's overall ranking has improved slightly in the last year, the data suggests that families should carefully consider the academic support and engagement strategies in place when evaluating this school.