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Clayton Elementary School

Q: Is Clayton Elementary School a good school?

Clayton Elementary School ranks 28 th of 106 Delaware elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-4

28^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 106 Delaware Elementary Schools

Better than 74% of Delaware elementary schools

Summary

Clayton Elementary School in Clayton, DE, serves 487 students in Kindergarten through 4th grade and is part of the highly-rated Smyrna School District, which ranks 7th out of 34 districts statewide. The school has earned a 4-star rating and currently ranks 28th out of 106 elementary schools in Delaware, a significant jump from its 44th-place ranking just two years ago. This upward trajectory shows a school that is not only recovering from pandemic disruptions but exceeding its pre-pandemic performance levels.

What truly sets Clayton Elementary apart is its exceptional work with students from low socio-economic backgrounds. In the 2024-2025 school year, the school ranked 5th out of 70 schools statewide for this subgroup—a remarkable 93rd percentile achievement that represents a dramatic improvement from just a few years prior. The school also excels in mathematics, with 61% of 3rd graders proficient in math compared to just 42.7% statewide. Even more impressive is the school's low chronic absenteeism rate of 8.4%, which is less than half the state average of 17.1% and dramatically better than nearby Fairview Elementary (24.4%) and North Dover Elementary (23.7%). This strong attendance likely plays a key role in the school's academic success.

Clayton Elementary also delivers strong results efficiently. Despite having a higher student-teacher ratio (17.3) than nearby schools like Smyrna Elementary (13.1) and North Smyrna Elementary (13.9), Clayton outperforms both in 3rd grade math and reading. The school even surpasses the highly-ranked Providence Creek Academy Charter School in 3rd and 4th grade math proficiency. Students also shine in social studies, with 54.6% of 4th graders proficient compared to just 39% statewide. With strong performance across all student subgroups and a clear focus on attendance and math instruction, Clayton Elementary is a model of effective, inclusive education in Delaware.

487

Students ?

17.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,925

Per pupil spending ?

25.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

510 West Main Street
Clayton, DE 19938-3400

(302) 653-8587

District: Smyrna School District

Students who attend Clayton Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Clayton Intermediate School
	Smyrna Middle School
High:	Smyrna High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

61.8%

African American:

26.7%

Hispanic:

8.6%

See top rated Delaware elementary schools

Compare Clayton Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 66th percentile in 2016 → 74th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Delaware average (54% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 8 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the Delaware median (74th percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school54%

District avg47%

Delaware avg41%

28^th of 106

Delaware public elementary schools ?

Top 26%▲ up 7 pts since 2016

From top 34% (2016) to top 26% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Delaware Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2Elementary Schools in the Smyrna School District

7^th of 34Smyrna 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	76.4	28 of 106	73.6%	★★★★☆
2025	77.7	26 of 109	76.1%	★★★★☆
2024	53.5	44 of 106	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.0	29 of 103	71.8%	★★★★☆
2022	47.0	51 of 104	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	42.2	50 of 95	47.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	60.2	49 of 105	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	72.6	21 of 85	75.3%	★★★★☆
2017	68.1	27 of 86	68.6%	★★★★☆
2016	69.6	29 of 86	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2015	78.1	21 of 108	80.6%	★★★★☆
2014	80.7	10 of 36	72.2%	★★★★☆
2013	79.4	16 of 91	82.4%	★★★★☆
2012	86.1	9 of 90	90.0%	★★★★★
2011	76.0	20 of 91	78.0%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	60.4	23 of 69	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	63.9	16 of 68	76.5%	★★★★☆
2024	41.7	39 of 62	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	93.4	3 of 60	95.0%	★★★★★
2022	69.6	13 of 60	78.3%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	68.2	30 of 98	69.4%	★★★★☆
2025	65.2	30 of 97	69.1%	★★★★☆
2024	31.3	65 of 97	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	52.3	35 of 89	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	32.3	66 of 90	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	36.1	43 of 67	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	53.1	47 of 99	52.5%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2025	81.9	5 of 70	92.9%	★★★★★
2023	70.8	13 of 66	80.3%	★★★★☆
2019	50.2	49 of 92	46.7%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	77.0	23 of 98	76.5%	★★★★☆
2025	81.8	17 of 97	82.5%	★★★★☆
2024	62.1	31 of 97	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	66.9	24 of 89	73.0%	★★★★☆
2022	45.4	47 of 90	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	26.2	51 of 67	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	62.8	40 of 99	59.6%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2025	46.8	16 of 27	40.7%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	72.8	17 of 78	78.2%	★★★★☆
2025	62.9	30 of 77	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	36.0	53 of 73	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	42.8	44 of 70	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	24.7	63 of 75	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	20.9	58 of 65	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	33.3	63 of 82	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)93rd percentile+17 vs school

White (2026)78th percentile+5 vs school

Male (2026)77th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)69th percentile-4 vs school

African American (2026)67th percentile-7 vs school

Special Education (2025)41st percentile-35 vs school

By subject vs Delaware (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics58%+16 vs state

Social Studies55%+16 vs state

English Language Arts49%+9 vs state

3.0

2 ratings

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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Schools Near Clayton Elementary 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	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2016)	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 4th 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 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 4th 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 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th 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
Clayton Elementary School	Public	K-4	510 West Main Street	Clayton	19938	Kent County	Smyrna School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 653-8587	487	28	17.3	25.3%	301 (61.8%)	130 (26.7%)	42 (8.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.5%)	76.4	28^th of 106 public elementary schools	73.6%		77.7	26^th of 109 public elementary schools	76.1%	2			54.6					55.2	43.7					61.1	54.4					$16,925
Providence Creek Academy Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	273 West Duck Creek Road	Clayton	19938	Kent County	Providence Creek Academy Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(302) 653-6276	769	49	15.6	19.4%	350 (45.5%)	293 (38.1%)	29 (3.8%)	11 (1.4%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	83 (10.8%)	81.2	19^th of 106 public elementary schools	82.1%		75.2	28^th of 109 public elementary schools	74.3%	9	44.6	24.3	60.0	89.2	81.8	72.4	54.3	50.0	56.3	48.0	70.1	64.5	56.3	52.1	50.0	47.3	55.1	54.0	45.7
Smyrna Elementary School	Public	K-3	121 South School Lane	Smyrna	19977	Kent County	Smyrna School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 653-8588	420	32	13.1	29.4%	179 (42.6%)	161 (38.3%)	44 (10.5%)	7 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (6.9%)								(n/a)								45.3						40.0						$22,146
Sunnyside Elementary School	Public	K-4	123 Rabbit Chase Road	Smyrna	19977	Kent County	Smyrna School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 653-8580	507	32	15.8	23.2%	262 (51.7%)	168 (33.1%)	39 (7.7%)	7 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	30 (5.9%)	79.3	23^rd of 106 public elementary schools	78.3%		78.6	25^th of 109 public elementary schools	77.1%	2			52.9					63.8	45.2					71.3	55.7					$18,088
North Smyrna Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	365 North Main Street	Smyrna	19977	Kent County	Smyrna School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 653-8589	557	40	13.9	39.0%	228 (40.9%)	209 (37.5%)	61 (11.0%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	54 (9.7%)								(n/a)								46.2						39.3						$46,011
Townsend Early Childhood Center	Public	K	10 Brook Ramble Lane	Townsend	19734	New Castle County	Appoquinimink School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 378-9960	176	11	16.0	25.2%	74 (42.0%)	50 (28.4%)	32 (18.2%)	9 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (6.3%)								(n/a)																				$26,927
Townsend Elementary School	Public	1-5	126 Main Street	Townsend	19734	New Castle County	Appoquinimink School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 378-5020	435	32	13.5	27.6%	250 (57.5%)	85 (19.5%)	59 (13.6%)	7 (1.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (7.6%)	85.5	16^th of 106 public elementary schools	84.9%		84.5	16^th of 109 public elementary schools	85.3%		57.0		63.3	82.6				64.1	62.5	61.3				54.4	53.8	46.2				$20,122
North Dover Elementary School	Public	1-5	855 College Road	Dover	19904	Kent County	Capital School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 672-1500	333	17	19.5	51.3%	79 (23.7%)	167 (50.2%)	52 (15.6%)	7 (2.1%)	4 (1.2%)	3 (0.9%)	21 (6.3%)	32	72^nd of 106 public elementary schools	32.1%		26.2	78^th of 109 public elementary schools	28.4%	6	30.2		26.5	58.8				24.2	32.9	39.6				33.9	31.0	28.3				$20,734
Hartly Elementary School	Public	K-5	2617 Arthursville Road	Hartly	19953	Kent County	Capital School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 672-1500	240	22	11.0	34.5%	156 (65.0%)	18 (7.5%)	37 (15.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (11.7%)	47.4	55^th of 106 public elementary schools	48.1%		51.5	46^th of 109 public elementary schools	57.8%	9	16.7		43.6	73.8				54.0	32.5	45.2				48.0	30.0	14.3				$28,054
Fairview Early Childhood Center	Public	PK-K	700 Walker Road	Dover	19904	Kent County	Capital School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 672-1500	287	22	13.0	58.9%	58 (20.2%)	145 (50.5%)	47 (16.4%)	4 (1.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (11.1%)								(n/a)																				$20,508

Frequently Asked Questions about Clayton Elementary School

How many students attend Clayton Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 487 students attended Clayton Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Clayton Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Clayton Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Clayton Intermediate School
Middle : Smyrna Middle School
High : Smyrna High School

What is the racial makeup of Clayton Elementary School?

Students at Clayton Elementary School are 62% White, 27% African American, 9% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

What district is Clayton Elementary School in?

Smyrna School District

Is Clayton Elementary School a good school?

Clayton Elementary School ranks 28^th of 106 Delaware elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

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Schools in Clayton, DE

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Latest Delaware data All new data »

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