Summary:
Zip code 19701 in Bear, Delaware is home to three elementary schools serving grades K-5 (or 1-5 in one case) across three different school districts, with a combined enrollment of over 2,000 students and a striking range of academic performance.
For parents exploring this area, the standout choice is clearly Loss (Olive B.) Elementary School in the Appoquinimink School District. This school ranks 6th out of 106 elementary schools statewide (94th percentile) with a 5-star rating, and its test scores far exceed state averages in every subject—most notably 89% proficiency in 5th grade Social Studies versus the state's 62%. Loss also has an exceptionally low chronic absenteeism rate of just 4.9%, compared to the state average of 17.1%. In contrast, Wilbur (Kathleen H.) Elementary School in the Colonial School District holds a 2-star rating and ranks in the 33rd percentile, though it does exceed the state average in 5th grade Social Studies (66% vs. 62%). Oberle (William) Elementary School in the Christina School District is the lowest-performing school here, with a 1-star rating and a 13th percentile ranking, despite having the most favorable student-teacher ratio (12.8:1) and the highest per-student spending ($15,226).
The disparity within this single zip code is dramatic—an 81-percentile-point gap between Loss and Oberle—and it highlights that district boundaries matter more than neighborhood geography. Notably, Oberle's district is ranked in the 56th percentile statewide, yet the school itself lags far behind, while Wilbur outperforms its own district despite that district's lower overall ranking. Chronic absenteeism appears to be a powerful predictor of success: Loss's rate is less than half of Wilbur's and Oberle's. Additionally, spending more per student does not guarantee better results, as Oberle spends the most yet achieves the least. For families, this data underscores the importance of evaluating individual schools rather than relying on district reputation alone.
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