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Laurel Middle School

Q: Is Laurel Middle School a good school?

Laurel Middle School ranks 34 th of 60 Delaware middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 7-8

34^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 60 Delaware Middle Schools

Better than 43% of Delaware middle schools

Summary

Laurel Middle School in Laurel, DE, serves 373 students in grades 7 and 8 within the Laurel School District, a small-town district in southern Delaware. The school has shown a strong upward trend in recent years, climbing from a 1-star rating in 2023-2024 to a 2-star rating (42nd percentile) for 2025-2026, signaling meaningful academic recovery.

The most remarkable achievement at Laurel Middle is its chronic absenteeism rate, which plummeted to just 1.7% in 2024-2025—a dramatic improvement from 10.1% the prior year and a far cry from the district (18.7%) and state (17.1%) averages. This turnaround aligns with a strong rebound in test scores, particularly in 7th-grade ELA, where proficiency jumped from 33.9% to 45.2% and now sits right at the state average. The school also excels at supporting specific student groups: it ranked 1st out of 6 schools for English Language Learners (5 stars) and 6th out of 22 for Special Education students (4 stars) in 2024-2025. However, 8th-grade science remains a critical weakness, with only 7.65% proficiency compared to the state's 16.36%.

Compared to nearby Seaford Middle School, Laurel outperforms in most areas—better overall rank (34th vs. 39th), stronger 7th-grade ELA (43.5% vs. 35.4%), and comparable math scores. Both schools struggle with 8th-grade science, though Laurel's attendance success is a standout difference. Notably, Laurel achieves these gains with per-student spending ($12,007) that is lower than Millsboro Middle School ($14,048) and Georgetown Middle School ($13,441), suggesting effective internal strategies rather than just additional resources. For parents, this is a school that has clearly turned a corner, with exceptional attendance and strong support for diverse learners, though science instruction and 8th-grade reading deserve attention.

373

Students ?

14.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,682

Per pupil spending ?

40.5%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

1133 S Central Ave
Laurel, DE 19956

(302) 875-6110

District: Laurel School District

Students who attend Laurel Middle School usually attend:

High:

Laurel Senior High School

Feeder schools for Laurel Middle School:

Elementary:	Laurel Elementary School
	North Laurel Early Learning Academy

Racial breakdown:

White:

38.9%

Hispanic:

29.5%

African American:

23.6%

See top rated Delaware middle schools

Compare Laurel Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 29th percentile in 2016 → 43rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 14 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Delaware average (32% vs 37% meeting standards)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school32%

District avg36%

Delaware avg37%

34^th of 60

Delaware public middle schools ?

Bottom 43%▲ up 15 pts since 2016

From bottom 29% (2016) to bottom 43% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Delaware Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

22^nd of 34Laurel 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	36.5	34 of 60	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	35.6	36 of 59	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	22.4	46 of 54	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.3	34 of 53	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.1	32 of 51	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	25.2	36 of 47	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	49.8	28 of 52	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	63.9	12 of 35	65.7%	★★★★☆
2017	44.5	21 of 35	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2016	31.4	25 of 35	28.6%	★★☆☆☆
2015	18.6	40 of 49	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	46.6	19 of 46	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	42.1	21 of 49	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	28.5	33 of 43	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	41.4	19 of 41	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	58.3	14 of 44	68.2%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2025	79.7	1 of 6	83.3%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	29.4	39 of 53	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	38.3	31 of 55	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	24.3	39 of 49	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	36.6	31 of 50	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.3	33 of 50	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	24.3	30 of 38	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	56.4	23 of 49	53.1%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	43.1	26 of 42	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	60.9	13 of 42	69.0%	★★★★☆
2024	48.3	18 of 37	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	45.5	17 of 37	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	47.1	18 of 37	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	33.2	15 of 18	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	62.1	11 of 35	68.6%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	50.2	19 of 46	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.1	17 of 48	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	33.6	27 of 39	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.8	18 of 40	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.5	13 of 38	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	26.0	16 of 19	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	59.1	14 of 41	65.9%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	36.3	31 of 53	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	33.3	36 of 55	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	16.5	44 of 49	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.7	36 of 50	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	32.1	32 of 50	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	20.0	32 of 38	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	44.8	29 of 49	40.8%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2025	56.2	6 of 22	72.7%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	25.4	36 of 46	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	21.3	36 of 47	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.1	41 of 45	8.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.0	33 of 44	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	31.5	31 of 45	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	21.8	36 of 41	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	47.3	26 of 43	39.5%	★★☆☆☆

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)83rd percentile+44 vs school

Special Education (2025)73rd percentile+34 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)59th percentile+15 vs school

African American (2026)59th percentile+15 vs school

Male (2026)42nd percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)38th percentile-5 vs school

Female (2026)26th percentile-17 vs school

White (2026)22nd percentile-22 vs school

By subject vs Delaware (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies40%-9 vs state

English Language Arts39%-4 vs state

Mathematics28%~ state avg

Science8%-9 vs state

★

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Schools Near Laurel Middle 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	Directly certified (2024-25)	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 5th Grade	DeSSA Social Studies 6th Grade	DeSSA Social Studies 7th Grade	DeSSA Social Studies 8th 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 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Total
Laurel Middle School	Public	7-8	1133 S Central Ave	Laurel	19956	Sussex County	Laurel School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 875-6110	373	26	14.6	40.5%	145 (38.9%)	88 (23.6%)	110 (29.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (7.5%)	36.5	34^th of 60 public middle schools	43.3%		35.6	36^th of 59 public middle schools	39.0%	2		7.7			51.4	29.3			43.5	33.7			28.8	27.9	$20,682
Delmar Middle School	Public	5-8	200 North Eighth Street	Delmar	19940	Sussex County	Delmar School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 846-9544	732	37	19.7	14.6%	405 (55.3%)	162 (22.1%)	88 (12.0%)	24 (3.3%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (7.0%)	45.3	28^th of 60 public middle schools	53.3%		45.1	27^th of 59 public middle schools	54.2%	1	22.6	11.8	52.3	50.3	61.5	28.4	35.2	41.1	42.6	36.9	23.5	28.7	31.7	27.3	$14,430
Seaford Middle School	Public	6-8	500 East Stein Highway	Seaford	19973	Sussex County	Seaford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 629-4587	800	49	16.3	37.9%	187 (23.4%)	298 (37.3%)	259 (32.4%)	9 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	45 (5.6%)	31.5	39^th of 60 public middle schools	35.0%		27.2	40^th of 59 public middle schools	32.2%	1		10.2		37.7	50.4	28.7		32.3	35.4	35.1		24.4	20.6	22.5	$18,593
Bryan Allen Stevenson School of Excellence	Public, Charter	6-9	20346 Ennis St	Georgetown	19947	Sussex County	Bryan Allen Stevenson School of Excellence	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(302) 556-3297	208	5	41.6	28.4%	118 (56.7%)	44 (21.2%)	19 (9.1%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (11.1%)	17.1	48^th of 60 public middle schools	20.0%					(n/a)					32.6	28.1			15.9	32.4
Georgetown Middle School	Public	6-8	301 West Market Street	Georgetown	19947	Sussex County	Indian River School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 856-1900	861	59	14.5	26.5%	184 (21.4%)	88 (10.2%)	556 (64.6%)	3 (0.3%)	5 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (2.9%)	47.7	27^th of 60 public middle schools	55.0%		48	25^th of 59 public middle schools	57.6%	2		11.8		51.6	64.5	28.6		38.7	49.6	30.5		31.7	43.1	25.5	$20,206
Woodbridge Middle School	Public	6-8	307 Laws Street	Bridgeville	19933	Sussex County	Woodbridge School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 337-8289	596	40	14.9	33.7%	280 (47.0%)	116 (19.5%)	173 (29.0%)	6 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.5%)	36.3	35^th of 60 public middle schools	41.7%		30.9	37^th of 59 public middle schools	37.3%	2		7.3		50.7	58.9	32.2		31.7	39.5	30.2		26.1	25.3	15.2	$19,297
Sussex Central Middle	Public	6-8	26026 Patriots Way	Georgetown	19947	Sussex County	Indian River School District	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(302) 934-3166	0			—															(n/a)		9.3		48.7	56.1	34.4		28.4	36.1	37.1		24.9	31.4	30.2

Frequently Asked Questions about Laurel Middle School

What high school do graduates of Laurel Middle School attend?

Students who attend Laurel Middle School usually go on to attend Laurel Senior High School

Is Laurel Middle School a good school?

Laurel Middle School ranks 34^th of 60 Delaware middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Laurel Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 373 students attended Laurel Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Laurel Middle School?

Students at Laurel Middle School are 39% White, 29% Hispanic, 24% African American, 8% Two or more races.

What district is Laurel Middle School in?

Laurel School District

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DEDelaware Middle School Rankings

DEDelaware District Rankings

Schools in Laurel, DE

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Latest Delaware data All new data »

2023–24 through 2024–25 graduation ratesSep 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.