Best Public Schools in Zip Code 19809

Zip code 19809 is home to two schools within the highly-rated Brandywine School District, which ranks 9th out of 34 districts in Delaware: Mount Pleasant High School, a traditional high school serving grades 9-12 with 1,084 students, and Mount Pleasant Elementary School, a uniquely classified "Alternative" school serving grades K-12 with 674 students.

For parents, the standout choice for traditional academic performance is Mount Pleasant High School, which has shown consistent improvement in its state ranking, moving from 15th to 12th out of 41 high schools over three years and earning a 4-star rating. Its 11th-grade science proficiency rate of 66.18% is exceptional, nearly triple the state average of 22.47%, and its ELA proficiency (52.17%) also exceeds state averages. The school boasts a solid 88.1% graduation rate and a low 2.7% dropout rate. However, chronic absenteeism is a concern at 21.2%, well above district and state averages. In contrast, Mount Pleasant Elementary School presents a puzzling picture: despite its name, it operates as an alternative program for K-12 students. While 3rd graders perform strongly (57.81% ELA and 58.59% Math proficiency, well above state averages), proficiency plummets dramatically by 4th and 5th grades, with 4th-grade math at just 10% compared to the state's 40.37%.

The most striking takeaway is the stark contrast between these two schools within the same district. Mount Pleasant High School generally meets or exceeds district and state benchmarks, while Mount Pleasant Elementary School falls far behind after a strong 3rd-grade year, likely reflecting its alternative student population. Both schools share a weakness in math, with high school SAT math proficiency at just 18.84% and the elementary school's math scores collapsing between 3rd and 4th grade. This suggests a potential systemic issue with math instruction or curriculum alignment in the district, particularly during the transition from 3rd to 4th grade.