Summary:
Zip code 19958, serving the Lewes, Delaware area, is home to 6 schools within the highly-rated Cape Henlopen School District, which ranks 3rd out of 34 districts in the state with a 5-star rating, and includes two elementary schools, two middle schools, one high school, and one alternative school serving approximately 4,457 students.
For parents, this area offers a strong educational landscape with clear standouts. Cape Henlopen High School is the academic leader for secondary education, ranking 9th out of 41 high schools in Delaware with a 90.3% graduation rate and dramatically outperforming the state in ELA proficiency (59.41% vs. 44.02%). Among middle schools, Beacon Middle School stands out, ranking 10th of 59 middle schools and posting the highest single-grade proficiency in the zip code with 75.91% of 7th graders proficient in ELA. The elementary schools also excel, with Lewes Elementary School showing a strong 4th grade ELA proficiency of 69.64%, while Love Creek Elementary School demonstrates consistent improvement from 3rd to 5th grade. The Sussex Consortium serves specialized PK-12 needs with an impressive 5.1:1 student-teacher ratio, though it has the highest chronic absenteeism at 35.7%.
Key takeaways for families include a notable middle school paradox: both Frederick D Thomas Middle School and Beacon Middle School rank in the top 20% academically yet have chronic absenteeism rates above 25%, nearly double the district average. Mathematics remains a universal challenge, with only 28.36% of high school juniors proficient, though this still beats the state average of 18.16%. Resource allocation raises questions, as Beacon Middle achieves the highest rankings with the lowest per-student spending ($13,093) among traditional schools, while 7th grade appears to be the academic peak across all schools. Overall, this district consistently outperforms state averages, making it an excellent choice for families prioritizing strong ELA instruction and college preparation.
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