Summary:
Zip code 19808 in Wilmington, Delaware is home to 2 high schools—Dickinson (John) School and McKean (Thomas) High School—both part of the Red Clay Consolidated School District, serving a combined 1,947 students in grades 6-12 and 9-12 respectively.
These two schools present a striking contrast. Dickinson (John) School shows real strength in its middle grades—7th grade Social Studies proficiency hit 75.68% and 8th grade ELA reached 59.26%, both well above state averages—but that momentum fades by 11th grade, where only 25% of students are proficient in SAT ELA and just 10.9% in SAT Math. Its graduation rate is 79.8%, and chronic absenteeism is a relatively low 11.8%. Meanwhile, McKean (Thomas) High School spends more per student ($18,132 vs. $16,480) and has a better student-teacher ratio (13.1:1 vs. 15.5:1), yet posts weaker academic results—22.2% SAT ELA proficiency and only 6.5% in SAT Math. McKean does boast a higher graduation rate (90.2% vs. 79.8%) and a lower dropout rate (1.7% vs. 4.9%), but its chronic absenteeism rate of 35% is more than double the state average and likely a major driver of its poor test scores.
Both schools significantly underperform their district and state averages across nearly every subject, especially science (6.5% and 11.0% proficiency vs. 23.9% statewide) and social studies (12.5% and 11.9% vs. 24.9% statewide). The most actionable takeaway for parents is that attendance appears to be the single biggest lever for improvement—particularly at McKean, where reducing chronic absenteeism could have outsized effects. Dickinson's middle school success also suggests that targeted support during the transition to high school could help preserve those early gains. While McKean's higher spending hasn't translated into better outcomes, both schools would benefit from focused interventions in science, SAT preparation, and attendance support.
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