Summary:
Zip code 19734 in Townsend, Delaware, is served by a single high school, Odessa High School, part of the Appoquinimink School District, which enrolls 1,254 students in grades 9 through 12.
Odessa High School is a consistently high-performing school, ranking in the top 8 of all Delaware high schools for three consecutive years. Its standout academic strengths are in Social Studies and Science, where it dramatically outperforms state averages—by 14 percentage points in 11th-grade Social Studies and by over 9 points in 10th-grade Science. The school also posts strong English Language Arts scores, with 54% of 11th graders proficient, compared to 44% statewide. Its dropout rate is exceptionally low at just 1.0%, far better than the state's 3.9% average. However, math remains a persistent weakness, with only about 1 in 5 students proficient, barely above the state average and well below the district's 25% proficiency rate.
The most concerning issue is chronic absenteeism. A staggering 23.9% of students are chronically absent, which is nearly 10 points higher than the district average and almost 7 points above the state. This disconnect between strong test scores and poor attendance suggests that while engaged students excel, a significant portion of the student body is missing substantial instructional time. Additionally, test scores show notable year-to-year volatility, with ELA dropping 10 points and Social Studies falling 6 points, while Essay and Science scores improved. For parents, this means Odessa High School offers a strong academic environment with excellent teaching in several subjects, but the high absenteeism rate and weak math performance are critical areas to consider when evaluating the school's overall health and stability.
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