Richey Elementary School

Richey Elementary School in Wilmington, DE, serves 382 students in Kindergarten through 5th grade as part of the Red Clay Consolidated School District. The school has shown a strong upward trajectory in recent years, jumping from a 2-star rating to a 3-star rating and climbing 29 spots in the state rankings to 46th out of 106 schools for the 2025-2026 school year.

Richey's most distinctive strength is its exceptional performance in 5th grade, particularly in math and social studies. In the most recent school year, 5th graders achieved 50% proficiency in math—outperforming the state average by 15 points and even edging out the highly-regarded Brandywine Springs School (49.53%). Social studies proficiency hit 67.74%, and ELA reached 56.45%, both well above district and state averages. The school also demonstrated remarkable year-over-year improvement, with 5th grade ELA jumping nearly 29 points and social studies rising over 31 points. This pattern suggests effective upper-grade instruction and a curriculum that builds strong skills by the time students reach 5th grade. Richey also outperforms several nearby schools, including Richardson Park Elementary School (ranked 101st) and Baltz (Austin D.) Elementary School (ranked 97th), where 5th grade math proficiency is more than five times lower.

Despite these academic gains, Richey faces a significant challenge with chronic absenteeism at 23.4%—well above the district (16.8%) and state (17.1%) averages, and dramatically higher than Brandywine Springs' 2.3%. The school's performance has also shown some year-to-year volatility, with a notable dip in 2024-2025 followed by a strong recovery. With a favorable student-teacher ratio of 12.9:1 and per-student spending of $17,060 that yields better results than several higher-spending neighbors, Richey appears to use resources effectively. If the school can address attendance challenges, it may be well-positioned for continued improvement.