Baltz (Austin D.) Elementary School

Baltz (Austin D.) Elementary School serves approximately 549 students in grades K-5 in Wilmington, DE, as part of the Red Clay Consolidated School District. The school has a favorable 13:1 student-to-teacher ratio, but faces significant academic challenges, ranking in the bottom 10% of Delaware elementary schools in recent years.

Academic proficiency at Baltz lags well behind district and state averages across all subjects and grade levels. The most concerning area is 5th grade mathematics, where only 8.25% of students are proficient compared to 32% district-wide and 35% statewide—a gap of nearly 27 percentage points. This represents a persistent, systemic issue, with proficiency rates hovering between 5-8% over the past four years. Reading scores tell a similar story: 5th grade ELA proficiency is 20.62% versus 46% statewide. When comparing Baltz to nearby schools in the same district, the differences are stark. Richey Elementary School, just 1.8 miles away, achieves 56% proficiency in 5th grade ELA and 50% in 5th grade math, while Marbrook Elementary School (1.4 miles away) reaches 48% and 45% respectively. Even First State Montessori Academy, which spends significantly less per student ($13,194 vs. $17,310), ranks in the 81st percentile with 61% 3rd grade ELA proficiency.

Chronic absenteeism is another concern, with 22.5% of students missing significant school time in 2024-2025—a sharp increase from 16.6% the prior year and well above the district (16.8%) and state (17.1%) averages. There is one relative bright spot: the school's work with English Language Learner students ranks in the 33rd percentile, the strongest performance among all student subgroups. The school also shows relatively better results in 5th grade Social Studies (31% proficient) compared to math and science. While Baltz faces substantial hurdles, the adequate student-teacher ratio and relative success with ELL students suggest potential foundations for improvement.