Is First State Montessori Academy a good school?

First State Montessori Academy ranks 17 th of 106 Delaware elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend First State Montessori Academy?

In the 2023-24 school year, 643 students attended First State Montessori Academy.

What is the racial makeup of First State Montessori Academy?

Students at First State Montessori Academy are 70% White, 19% African American, 7% Two or more races, 2% Asian, 2% Hispanic.

First State Montessori Academy

Summary:

First State Montessori Academy is a public charter elementary school serving 629 students in grades K-8 in Wilmington, Delaware. This high-performing school consistently ranks among the top 20 elementary schools in the state and outperforms the state averages in academic assessments across all grade levels.

First State Montessori Academy's students excel academically, with 71.7% of 8th-graders proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 40.51%. The school also boasts higher proficiency rates in science and social studies than nearby schools like Harlan (David W.) Elementary and Shortlidge (Evan G.) Academy, which have much lower proficiency rates. Additionally, First State Montessori Academy has a lower chronic absenteeism rate of 15.8% compared to the nearby schools, which range from 22.0% to 78.1%.

One unique aspect of First State Montessori Academy is its diverse student population, with a higher percentage of white (68.36%) and Asian (2.38%) students compared to the nearby schools, which tend to have a higher percentage of African American students. This diversity may contribute to a more inclusive and enriching learning environment. However, the school's higher student-teacher ratio of 18.5 may present challenges in providing individualized attention and support to students, an area that could be improved upon. Overall, First State Montessori Academy stands out as a high-performing public charter school in Wilmington, offering a strong academic program and a diverse student body.

Detail:

Public, Charter K-8

Null
Wilmington, DE 19801

(302) 576-1500

District: First State Montessori Academy

SchoolDigger Rank:
17^th of 106 Delaware Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,194

Student/teacher ratio: 17.8

Number of students: 643

Racial breakdown:

White:

70.1%

African American:

18.5%

Two or more races:

7.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 8.9%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details First State Montessori Academy ranks better than 84% of elementary schools in Delaware. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 79.78. (See more...)

Compare Details First State Montessori Academy ranks better than 79.6% of middle schools in Delaware. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 79.37. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (70.1%), African American (18.5%), two or more races (7.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at First State Montessori Academy is 17.8. (See more...)

Compare First State Montessori Academy employs 36 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at First State Montessori Academy is $13,194.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

First State Montessori Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks First State Montessori Academy 17^th of 106 Delaware public elementary schools. (See First State Montessori Academy in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

SchoolDigger ranks First State Montessori Academy 11^th of 54 Delaware public middle schools. (See First State Montessori Academy in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

First State Montessori Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks First State Montessori Academy 1^st of 32 Delaware school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for First State Montessori Academy

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Rank History for all elementary school students at First State Montessori Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	DE State Percentile
2015	53.56	49^th	108	54.6%
2019	68.97	30^th	105	71.4%
2021	87.54	13^th	95	86.3%
2022	75.93	20^th	104	80.8%
2023	73.68	20^th	103	80.6%
2024	79.78	17^th	106	84.0%

See the entire list of Delaware Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Female students at First State Montessori Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	DE State Percentile
2019	60.82	41^st	99	58.6%
2022	72.15	18^th	90	80.0%
2023	73.95	18^th	89	79.8%
2024	65.74	27^th	97	72.2%

See the entire list of Best Delaware Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for elementary school Male students at First State Montessori Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	DE State Percentile
2019	73.54	21^st	99	78.8%
2022	68.86	23^rd	90	74.4%
2023	62.02	28^th	89	68.5%
2024	83.80	9^th	97	90.7%

See the entire list of Best Delaware Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for elementary school African American students at First State Montessori Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	DE State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	76.43	8^th	60	86.7%

See the entire list of Best Delaware Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for elementary school White students at First State Montessori Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	DE State Percentile
2019	59.09	36^th	82	56.1%
2021	75.84	14^th	65	78.5%
2022	58.98	29^th	75	61.3%
2023	57.40	29^th	70	58.6%
2024	67.99	24^th	73	67.1%

See the entire list of Best Delaware Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Delaware Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for First State Montessori Academy

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Rank History for all middle school students at First State Montessori Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	DE State Percentile
2019	67.30	16^th	52	69.2%
2021	86.07	8^th	47	83.0%
2022	87.65	8^th	51	84.3%
2023	80.95	11^th	53	79.2%
2024	79.37	11^th	54	79.6%

See the entire list of Delaware Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Female students at First State Montessori Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	DE State Percentile
2019	64.81	16^th	49	67.3%
2022	68.49	13^th	50	74.0%
2023	71.80	11^th	50	78.0%
2024	80.96	9^th	49	81.6%

See the entire list of Best Delaware Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at First State Montessori Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	DE State Percentile
2019	77.89	10^th	49	79.6%
2022	90.54	5^th	50	90.0%
2023	78.47	11^th	50	78.0%
2024	65.78	14^th	49	71.4%

See the entire list of Best Delaware Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school White students at First State Montessori Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	DE State Percentile
2019	68.38	14^th	43	67.4%
2022	84.31	5^th	45	88.9%
2023	68.54	14^th	44	68.2%
2024	71.16	13^th	45	71.1%

See the entire list of Best Delaware Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Delaware Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Delaware Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:
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Enrollment information for First State Montessori Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2015	142	54	13	18	2	1	0	230
2016	202	56	22	17	2	3	3	305
2017	274	67	20	20	5	2	14	402
2018	304	69	21	14	3	2	21	434
2019	396	91	22	17	2	1	31	560
2020	416	102	23	16	2	1	39	599
2021	426	102	21	12	3	0	40	604
2022	415	107	18	9	3	0	48	600
2023	430	119	15	12	3	0	50	629
2024	451	119	13	10	2	0	48	643

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at First State Montessori Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2015	230	14.0	16.4	12.2
2016	305	20.0	15.2	8.9
2017	402	36.2	11.1	n/a
2018	434	46.2	9.3	n/a
2019	560	50.8	11.0	n/a
2020	599	32.0	18.7	n/a
2021	604	31.0	19.4	n/a
2022	600	33.0	18.1	n/a
2023	629	34.0	18.5	n/a
2024	643	36.0	17.8	n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio First State Montessori Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2015	230	14.0	16.4	12.2
2016	305	20.0	15.2	8.9
2017	402	36.2	11.1	n/a
2018	434	46.2	9.3	n/a
2019	560	50.8	11.0	n/a
2020	599	32.0	18.7	n/a
2021	604	31.0	19.4	n/a
2022	600	33.0	18.1	n/a
2023	629	34.0	18.5	n/a
2024	643	36.0	17.8	n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for First State Montessori Academy

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$351 (2.7%)	$13,226 (100.2%)	$13,194

Data source: Delaware Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on First State Montessori Academy

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 30^th of 105 Elementary schools	Ranks 20^th of 103 Elementary schools	9.2%
Ranks 16^th of 52 Middle schools	Ranks 11^th of 53 Middle schools	10%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (First State Montessori Academy)	64.6	68.1	3.5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Delaware)	50.5	38.4	12.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (First State Montessori Academy)	58.2	55.6	2.7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Delaware)	53	42.2	10.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (First State Montessori Academy)	57.8	63.2	5.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Delaware)	53.5	39.9	13.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (First State Montessori Academy)	42.2	42.1	0.1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Delaware)	50.8	39.1	11.7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (First State Montessori Academy)	71	68.8	2.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Delaware)	56.9	44.1	12.8%
5th Grade Mathematics (First State Montessori Academy)	53.2	39	14.3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Delaware)	44.4	32.3	12.1%
6th Grade English Language Arts (First State Montessori Academy)	74	53.1	20.9%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Delaware)	51.9	35	16.9%
6th Grade Mathematics (First State Montessori Academy)	68	26.6	41.4%
6th Grade Mathematics (Delaware)	37.6	26.5	11.1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (First State Montessori Academy)	68.1	67.3	0.8%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Delaware)	54.6	42.6	12%
7th Grade Mathematics (First State Montessori Academy)	36.2	56.4	20.2%
7th Grade Mathematics (Delaware)	41	28.9	12.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (First State Montessori Academy)	50	69.1	19.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Delaware)	52.1	41.3	10.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (First State Montessori Academy)	38.9	38.1	0.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Delaware)	38	24.3	13.7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	560	629	12.3%
African American	91	119	30.8%
American Indian	2	3	50%
Asian	22	15	31.8%
Hispanic	17	12	29.4%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	396	430	8.6%
Two or More Races	31	50	61.3%

Schools Near First State Montessori Academy

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				DeSSA Science (2024)		DeSSA Social Studies (2024)	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts (2024)						Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2024)						Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	DeSSA Science 5th Grade	DeSSA Science 8th Grade	DeSSA Social Studies 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
First State Montessori Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	Null	Wilmington	19801	New Castle County	First State Montessori Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(302) 576-1500	643	36	17.8		451 (70.1%)	119 (18.5%)	10 (1.6%)	13 (2.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (7.5%)	79.8	17^th of 106 public elementary schools	84.0%		73.7	20^th of 103 public elementary schools	80.6%	3	38.5	41.5	53.7	55.1	64.3	70.5	65.6	55.0	71.7	47.4	42.9	41.0	42.2	25.0	37.7	$13,194	$351	$13,226
Kuumba Academy Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	1200 North French Street	Wilmington	19801	New Castle County	Kuumba Academy Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(302) 472-6450	599	53	11.3		4 (0.7%)	543 (90.7%)	28 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (2.8%)	17.1	90^th of 106 public elementary schools	15.1%		12.5	94^th of 103 public elementary schools	8.7%	4			28.0	33.3	24.4	12.9	16.4	26.8	48.0	28.1	21.8			14.3	18.4	$14,625	$1,500	$13,687
Stubbs Early Education Center	Public	PK-K	1100 North Pine Street	Wilmington	19801	New Castle County	Christina School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 429-4175	135	18	7.5		8 (5.9%)	106 (78.5%)	14 (10.4%)	2 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.7%)								(n/a)																$22,914	$4,271	$22,613
Shortlidge (Evan G.) Academy	Public	K-2	100 West 18th Street	Wilmington	19802	New Castle County	Red Clay Consolidated School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 651-2710	394	33	11.9		29 (7.4%)	299 (75.9%)	57 (14.5%)	7 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)								(n/a)																$19,041	$2,770	$19,149
Edison (Thomas A.) Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	2200 North Locust Street	Wilmington	19802	New Castle County	Edison (Thomas A.) Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(302) 778-1101	601	41	14.6		7 (1.2%)	581 (96.7%)	6 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (0.8%)	3.5	104^th of 106 public elementary schools	1.9%		5	101^st of 103 public elementary schools	1.9%	3			18.6	10.0	8.0		10.0	26.2	46.6	15.0	6.7			13.1		$12,255	$1,492	$11,434
Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary School	Public	K-5	920 North Van Buren Street	Wilmington	19806	New Castle County	Red Clay Consolidated School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 651-2695	316	36	8.7		47 (14.9%)	89 (28.2%)	174 (55.1%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	22.4	81^st of 106 public elementary schools	23.6%		13	93^rd of 103 public elementary schools	9.7%	12	18.0			25.5	33.3	39.2				14.3	16.7	17.7				$18,137	$2,090	$18,969
Warner Elementary School	Public	3-5	801 West 18th Street	Wilmington	19802	New Castle County	Red Clay Consolidated School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 651-2740	374	42	8.9		17 (4.5%)	300 (80.2%)	46 (12.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.7%)	4.8	103^rd of 106 public elementary schools	2.8%		4.5	102^nd of 103 public elementary schools	1.0%	1				5.5	18.9	12.6				7.6	13.8	7.9				$23,146	$3,422	$23,526
East Side Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	3000 North Claymont Street	Wilmington	19802	New Castle County	East Side Charter School	Yes	No	No	No	(302) 762-5834	446	43	10.3		13 (2.9%)	415 (93.0%)	12 (2.7%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	13.6	93^rd of 106 public elementary schools	12.3%		14.1	91^st of 103 public elementary schools	11.7%	2	12.2		20.6	10.6		24.1	26.4	44.9	37.1		16.2	12.1	15.1	33.3	26.5	$18,093	$1,727	$19,180
The Bayard School	Public	1-8	200 South duPont Street	Wilmington	19805	New Castle County	Christina School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 429-4118	545	51	10.6		34 (6.2%)	341 (62.6%)	145 (26.6%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.0%)								(n/a)					10.3	10.0		8.6	11.1							$22,651	$1,346	$26,470
Pulaski Early Education Center	Public	PK-K	1300 Cedar Street	Wilmington	19805	New Castle County	Christina School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(302) 429-4136	74	10	7.4		5 (6.8%)	46 (62.2%)	21 (28.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.7%)								(n/a)																$19,609	$1,063	$24,408

First State Montessori Academy

First State Montessori Academy:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

First State Montessori Academy:

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for First State Montessori Academy

Rank History for all elementary school students at First State Montessori Academy

Rank History for elementary school Female students at First State Montessori Academy

Rank History for elementary school Male students at First State Montessori Academy

Rank History for elementary school African American students at First State Montessori Academy

Rank History for elementary school White students at First State Montessori Academy

Rank History for First State Montessori Academy

Rank History for all middle school students at First State Montessori Academy

Rank History for middle school Female students at First State Montessori Academy

Rank History for middle school Male students at First State Montessori Academy

Rank History for middle school White students at First State Montessori Academy

Review counts

Enrollment information for First State Montessori Academy

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at First State Montessori Academy

Student/Teacher Ratio First State Montessori Academy

Per Pupil Expenditures for First State Montessori Academy

Impact of COVID-19 on First State Montessori Academy

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near First State Montessori Academy

Frequently Asked Questions about First State Montessori Academy

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