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McKean (Thomas) High School

Q: Is McKean (Thomas) High School a good school?

McKean (Thomas) High School ranks in the bottom 9.8% of Delaware high schools.

Q: How many students attend McKean (Thomas) High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 920 students attended McKean (Thomas) High School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of McKean (Thomas) High School?

Students at McKean (Thomas) High School are 42% Hispanic, 28% African American, 26% White, 3% Two or more races.

Q: What schools feed into McKean (Thomas) High School?

McKean (Thomas) High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Baltz (Austin D.) Elementary School Elementary : Linden Hill Elementary School Elementary : Mote (Anna P.) Elementary School Middle : Stanton Middle School

Public Grades 9-12

37^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 41 Delaware High Schools

Better than 10% of Delaware high schools

Summary

McKean (Thomas) High School is a comprehensive public high school in Wilmington, DE, serving 920 students in grades 9-12 as part of the Red Clay Consolidated School District.

McKean faces significant academic challenges, with proficiency rates well below district and state averages across all subjects. On the 11th-grade SAT, only 22% of students met ELA benchmarks and just 6.5% met math benchmarks, compared to 55% and 36% district-wide respectively. Science and social studies proficiency rates hover around 11-12%, roughly one-third of district levels. The school also struggles with chronic absenteeism at 35%, more than double the district rate of 16.8%. This attendance challenge likely compounds learning difficulties, as students missing substantial instructional time struggle to keep pace. When comparing to nearby options, the contrast is stark—Calloway (Cab) School of the Arts (4.2 miles away) ranks 1st in the state with 68.6% ELA proficiency and just 2.3% chronic absenteeism, while Delcastle Technical High School (3 miles away) outperforms McKean in every subject while maintaining a 95.3% graduation rate and 7.4% absenteeism.

Despite these challenges, there are meaningful bright spots. McKean's graduation rate has improved dramatically from 76.8% in 2020-2021 to 90.2% in 2022-2023, now exceeding the state average of 88.9%. The dropout rate of 1.7% is well below the state average of 3.9%. Math proficiency, while still low, has more than doubled from 2.89% to 6.54% over two years. The school also spends a robust $18,132 per student—higher than several higher-performing schools in the district—suggesting resources are available but may need reallocation toward more effective interventions. Compared to duPont (Alexis I.) High School (3.7 miles away), McKean actually outperforms in most subjects and has a better graduation rate (90.2% vs. 87.3%). While the school's overall ranking remains low (37th of 41 statewide), the upward trajectory in graduation and math scores suggests targeted efforts may be starting to take hold.

920

Students ?

13.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$25,951

Per pupil spending ?

47.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

301 McKennan's Church Road
Wilmington, DE 19808-1398

(302) 992-5520

District: Red Clay Consolidated School District

Feeder schools for McKean (Thomas) High School:

Elementary:	Baltz (Austin D.) Elementary School
	Linden Hill Elementary School
	Mote (Anna P.) Elementary School
Middle:	Stanton Middle School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

41.5%

African American:

27.9%

White:

25.7%

See top rated Delaware high schools

Compare McKean (Thomas) High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 3rd percentile in 2016 → 10th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 7 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Delaware average (13% vs 31% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (10th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (35% vs 17% Delaware)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school13%

District avg44%

Delaware avg31%

37^th of 41

Delaware public high schools ?

Bottom 10%▲ up 7 pts since 2016

From bottom 3% (2016) to bottom 10% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Delaware High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 5High Schools in the Red Clay Consolidated School District

16^th of 34Red Clay Consolidated 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	14.5	37 of 41	9.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	12.7	38 of 41	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.8	40 of 41	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.0	38 of 39	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	5.8	38 of 39	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	4.4	39 of 39	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	6.1	40 of 40	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	7.8	30 of 30	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	7.0	30 of 30	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	7.8	30 of 31	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	9.1	33 of 35	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	2.3	14 of 14	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	7.6	26 of 26	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	7.3	26 of 27	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	13.7	25 of 27	7.4%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	22.6	25 of 35	28.6%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	9.6	38 of 39	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	17.2	34 of 40	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	9.0	38 of 39	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	7.5	37 of 38	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	2.6	41 of 41	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	12.0	32 of 33	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	12.2	30 of 32	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	12.1	29 of 31	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	11.7	22 of 22	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	1.9	19 of 19	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2025	19.1	30 of 33	9.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.7	24 of 32	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	13.6	37 of 39	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	9.7	39 of 40	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	10.7	38 of 39	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.5	38 of 38	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	5.8	41 of 41	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	9.8	36 of 36	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	7.9	35 of 35	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.5	35 of 35	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

African American (2026)29th percentile+19 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)9th percentile~ school

Male (2026)5th percentile-5 vs school

Hispanic (2026)3rd percentile-7 vs school

Female (2026)3rd percentile-7 vs school

White (2026)<1st percentile-10 vs school

By subject vs Delaware (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts22%-22 vs state

Essay14%-29 vs state

Science12%-16 vs state

Social Studies12%-13 vs state

Mathematics7%-12 vs state

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Schools Near McKean (Thomas) High 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)				SAT English Language Arts (2026)	SAT Mathematics (2026)	SAT Essay (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	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 8th Grade	DeSSA Science 9th Grade	DeSSA Science 10th Grade	DeSSA Social Studies 6th Grade	DeSSA Social Studies 7th Grade	DeSSA Social Studies 8th Grade	DeSSA Social Studies 11th Grade	SAT English Language Arts 11th Grade	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	SAT Essay 11th 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 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Total
McKean (Thomas) High School	Public	9-12	301 McKennan's Church Road	Wilmington	19808	New Castle County	Red Clay Consolidated School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 992-5520	920	70	13.1		236 (25.7%)	257 (27.9%)	382 (41.5%)	9 (1.0%)	6 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (3.3%)	14.5	37^th of 41 public high schools	9.8%		12.7	38^th of 41 public high schools	7.3%	1		17.2	11.0				11.9	22.2	6.5	14.2							$25,951
Dickinson (John) School	Public	6-12	1801 Milltown Road	Wilmington	19808	New Castle County	Red Clay Consolidated School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 992-5500	1,027	66	15.5		349 (34.0%)	257 (25.0%)	367 (35.7%)	25 (2.4%)	4 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (2.4%)	20.4	34^th of 41 public high schools	17.1%		25.9	30^th of 41 public high schools	26.8%	4	18.5	25.5	6.5	55.6	56.3	48.2	12.5	25.0	10.9	28.6	31.9	43.7	59.3	31.9	24.1	42.0	$21,935
Delcastle Technical High School	Public	9-12	1417 Newport Road	Wilmington	19804	New Castle County	New Castle County Vocational-Technical School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 995-8100	1,605	118	13.6		318 (19.8%)	483 (30.1%)	707 (44.0%)	15 (0.9%)	9 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	72 (4.5%)	43.7	24^th of 41 public high schools	41.5%		35.3	26^th of 41 public high schools	36.6%	2			29.6				22.0	34.9	7.4	37.9
duPont (Alexis I.) High School	Public	9-12	50 Hillside Road	Wilmington	19807	New Castle County	Red Clay Consolidated School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 651-2626	550	40	13.7		64 (11.6%)	248 (45.1%)	219 (39.8%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.1%)	8.6	41^st of 41 public high schools	0.0%		10.4	40^th of 41 public high schools	2.4%	1		7.0					9.5	14.0	5.0	12.5							$28,885
Charter School of Wilmington	Public, Charter	9-12	100 North duPont Road	Wilmington	19807	New Castle County	Charter School of Wilmington	Yes	No	No	Yes	(302) 651-2727	977	51	19.1		394 (40.3%)	74 (7.6%)	79 (8.1%)	382 (39.1%)	4 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	42 (4.3%)								(n/a)
Calloway (Cab) School of the Arts	Public, Magnet	6-12	100 North duPont Road	Wilmington	19807	New Castle County	Red Clay Consolidated School District	No	Yes	No	No	(302) 651-2700	941	48	19.6		423 (45.0%)	198 (21.0%)	141 (15.0%)	126 (13.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (5.5%)	96.4	1^st of 41 public high schools	97.6%		96.4	4^th of 41 public high schools	90.2%	3			61.4	67.8	80.3	79.5	60.2	68.6	32.2	71.6	58.6	70.3	75.7	46.2	48.7	49.3	$18,162
Conrad Schools of Science	Public, Magnet	6-12	201 Jackson Avenue	Wilmington	19804	New Castle County	Red Clay Consolidated School District	No	Yes	No	No	(302) 992-5545	1,164	64	18.1		582 (50.0%)	142 (12.2%)	338 (29.0%)	53 (4.6%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	46 (4.0%)	89.8	4^th of 41 public high schools	90.2%		77.6	6^th of 41 public high schools	85.4%	2	34.3	63.2		59.2	80.2	61.3	36.3	64.2	38.3	58.3	59.0	67.1	61.3	53.0	54.5	62.5	$16,838
Delaware Military Academy	Public, Charter	9-12	112 Middleboro Road	Wilmington	19804	New Castle County	Delaware Military Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(302) 998-0745	547	37	14.7		369 (67.5%)	62 (11.3%)	94 (17.2%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	18 (3.3%)								(n/a)
Freire Charter School	Public, Charter	8-12	201 West 14th Street	Wilmington	19801	New Castle County	Freire Charter School Wilmington	Yes	No	No	Yes	(302) 407-4800	406	17	23.8		19 (4.7%)	344 (84.7%)	31 (7.6%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.0%)	10.9	39^th of 41 public high schools	4.9%		15.7	37^th of 41 public high schools	9.8%	2			10.7			14.8	8.3	19.7		14.6			17.7
Great Oaks Charter School	Public, Charter	9-12	1200 North French St	Wilmington	19801	New Castle County	Great Oaks Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(302) 660-4790	149	10	14.9		1 (0.7%)	129 (86.6%)	15 (10.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.0%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about McKean (Thomas) High School

What district is McKean (Thomas) High School in?

Red Clay Consolidated School District

What is the racial makeup of McKean (Thomas) High School?

Students at McKean (Thomas) High School are 42% Hispanic, 28% African American, 26% White, 3% Two or more races.

Is McKean (Thomas) High School a good school?

McKean (Thomas) High School ranks in the bottom 9.8% of Delaware high schools.

What schools feed into McKean (Thomas) High School?

McKean (Thomas) High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Baltz (Austin D.) Elementary School
Elementary : Linden Hill Elementary School
Elementary : Mote (Anna P.) Elementary School
Middle : Stanton Middle School

How many students attend McKean (Thomas) High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 920 students attended McKean (Thomas) High School.

Rate McKean (Thomas) High School!

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Latest Delaware data All new data »

2025–26 DeSSA, SAT & Smarter Balanced Assessments scoresNewAug 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.