Sussex Montessori School

Summary:

Sussex Montessori School is a public charter elementary school serving 403 students in grades K-6 in Seaford, Delaware, a predominantly White and African American community. While the school aims to provide a Montessori-based education, it faces significant challenges, including high chronic absenteeism rates, low academic performance, and equity issues among student subgroups.

Compared to nearby schools like North Georgetown Elementary, Georgetown Elementary, and Phillis Wheatley Elementary, which serve similar demographics, Sussex Montessori School consistently underperforms on academic measures. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school's 3rd-grade English Language Arts proficiency rate was 23.81%, compared to the state average of 39.45%, and its 3rd-grade Mathematics proficiency rate was 15.87%, compared to the state average of 43.61%. Additionally, the school's chronic absenteeism rate of 33.8% is significantly higher than the rates at nearby schools, which range from 15.6% to 25.1%.

Further analysis reveals concerning equity challenges at Sussex Montessori School. The performance of different student subgroups varies significantly, with male students ranking 66th out of 97 Delaware elementary schools and female students ranking 83rd. The school's White students also ranked very low, at 69th out of 73 Delaware elementary schools. These disparities suggest that the school may be struggling to provide a high-quality education to all students, regardless of their gender or race. Addressing the root causes of these issues, such as chronic absenteeism and inequitable practices, should be a top priority for the school and the Seaford School District to ensure that all students at Sussex Montessori School have the opportunity to succeed.

Detail:

Public, Charter K-6

24970 Dairy Lane
Seaford, DE 19973

(302) 404-5367

District: Sussex Montessori School

SchoolDigger Rank:
82^nd of 106 Delaware Elementary Schools

Student/teacher ratio: 19.9

Number of students: 439

Racial breakdown:

White:

49.7%

African American:

28.7%

Hispanic:

11.8%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Sussex Montessori School ranks worse than 77.4% of elementary schools in Delaware. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 22.13. (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

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Teachers

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Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Sussex Montessori School:

SchoolDigger ranks Sussex Montessori School 82^nd of 106 Delaware public elementary schools. (See Sussex Montessori School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Sussex Montessori School:

SchoolDigger ranks Sussex Montessori School 26^th of 32 Delaware school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Sussex Montessori School

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Rank History for all students at Sussex Montessori School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	DE State Percentile
2022	18.27	84^th	104	19.2%
2023	13.98	92^nd	103	10.7%
2024	22.13	82^nd	106	22.6%

See the entire list of Delaware Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Female students at Sussex Montessori School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	DE State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	6.59	88^th	89	1.1%
2024	17.30	83^rd	97	14.4%

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

Rank History for Male students at Sussex Montessori School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	DE State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	10.80	83^rd	89	6.7%
2024	32.42	66^th	97	32.0%

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

Rank History for White students at Sussex Montessori School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	DE State Percentile
2022	10.49	72^nd	75	4.0%
2023	7.49	69^th	70	1.4%
2024	14.12	69^th	73	5.5%

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

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Enrollment information for Sussex Montessori School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Two or More Races	Total
2021	133	68	6	27	2	24	260
2022	187	84	8	35	2	25	341
2023	226	96	10	43	0	28	403
2024	218	126	5	52	1	37	439

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 Sussex Montessori School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2021	260	11.0	23.6	n/a
2022	341	16.0	21.3	n/a
2023	403	19.0	21.2	n/a
2024	439	22.0	19.9	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 Sussex Montessori School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2021	260	11.0	23.6	n/a
2022	341	16.0	21.3	n/a
2023	403	19.0	21.2	n/a
2024	439	22.0	19.9	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.

Schools Near Sussex Montessori School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				DeSSA Science (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	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 Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Sussex Montessori School	Public, Charter	K-6	24970 Dairy Lane	Seaford	19973	Sussex County	Sussex Montessori School	Yes	No	No	No	(302) 404-5367	439	22	19.9		218 (49.7%)	126 (28.7%)	52 (11.8%)	5 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (8.4%)	22.1	82^nd of 106 public elementary schools	22.6%		14	92^nd of 103 public elementary schools	10.7%	10	21.4	23.8	30.8	30.4	36.4	15.9	20.5	17.9
West Seaford Elementary School	Public	K-2	511 Sussex Avenue	Seaford	19973	Sussex County	Seaford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 628-4587	427	24	17.7		116 (27.2%)	179 (41.9%)	96 (22.5%)	8 (1.9%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (6.1%)								(n/a)										$12,805	$953	$12,025
Seaford Central Elementary School	Public	3-5	1 Delaware Place	Seaford	19973	Sussex County	Seaford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 629-4587	448	28	16.0		136 (30.4%)	180 (40.2%)	91 (20.3%)	5 (1.1%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (7.4%)	64.3	31^st of 106 public elementary schools	70.8%		61.3	35^th of 103 public elementary schools	66.0%	4	16.3	47.9	50.4	50.4		52.8	52.0	37.1		$13,699	$996	$12,956
Frederick Douglass Elementary School	Public	3-5	1 Swain Road	Seaford	19973	Sussex County	Seaford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 629-4587	426	34	12.5		117 (27.5%)	114 (26.8%)	159 (37.3%)	4 (0.9%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (7.0%)	63.7	33^rd of 106 public elementary schools	68.9%		61.9	34^th of 103 public elementary schools	67.0%	1	12.6	60.5	53.7	46.2		56.7	49.7	33.3		$14,030	$1,172	$12,848
Blades Elementary School	Public	K-2	900 South Arch Street	Blades	19973	Sussex County	Seaford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 629-4587	405	26	15.5		98 (24.2%)	101 (24.9%)	162 (40.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (10.4%)								(n/a)										$14,698	$1,522	$13,277
North Laurel Early Learning Academy	Public	PK-K	300 Wilson Street	Laurel	19956	Sussex County	Laurel School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 875-6130	234	19	12.3		96 (41.0%)	61 (26.1%)	54 (23.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (9.0%)								(n/a)										$19,909	$1,625	$18,431
Laurel Elementary School	Public	1-6	801 South Central Avenue	Laurel	19956	Sussex County	Laurel School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 875-6110	1,134	62	18.2		469 (41.4%)	246 (21.7%)	299 (26.4%)	11 (1.0%)	9 (0.8%)	1 (0.1%)	99 (8.7%)	17.2	89^th of 106 public elementary schools	16.0%		19.9	80^th of 103 public elementary schools	22.3%	9	11.6	22.7	18.9	32.1	26.0	22.7	17.3	13.3	23.3	$10,110	$720	$9,156
Phillis Wheatley Elementary School	Public	3-5	48 Church Street	Bridgeville	19933	Sussex County	Woodbridge School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 337-3469	607	44	13.7		286 (47.1%)	108 (17.8%)	163 (26.9%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	43 (7.1%)	50.9	47^th of 106 public elementary schools	55.7%		45.2	57^th of 103 public elementary schools	44.7%	10	16.2	44.3	41.7	46.9		45.7	34.9	34.0		$13,148	$1,049	$11,755
Woodbridge Early Childhood Education Center	Public	PK, KG-2	400 Governors Ave	Greenwood	19950	Sussex County	Woodbridge School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 349-4010	599	49	12.2		282 (47.1%)	115 (19.2%)	156 (26.0%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (7.2%)								(n/a)										$14,969	$1,062	$13,901
North Georgetown Elementary School	Public	K-5	664 North Bedford Street	Georgetown	19947	Sussex County	Indian River School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 855-2430	723	51	14.3		136 (18.8%)	50 (6.9%)	527 (72.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.2%)	30.1	75^th of 106 public elementary schools	29.2%		27.9	70^th of 103 public elementary schools	32.0%	5	12.1	17.1	30.9	31.2		33.6	35.3	36.3		$13,388	$937	$14,341

Frequently Asked Questions about Sussex Montessori School

Is Sussex Montessori School a good school?

Sussex Montessori School ranks in the bottom 22.6% of Delaware elementary schools.

What district is Sussex Montessori School in?

Sussex Montessori School

How many students attend Sussex Montessori School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 439 students attended Sussex Montessori School.

What is the racial makeup of Sussex Montessori School?

Students at Sussex Montessori School are 50% White, 29% African American, 12% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Delaware Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.