The Bancroft School

Summary:

The Bancroft School is an alternative public school located in Wilmington, Delaware, serving grades 1-9 with a student population of 524. It is part of the Christina School District, which is ranked 18th out of 32 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

The Bancroft School faces significant challenges, including a student population that is 85.69% African American, which is in stark contrast to the more diverse racial makeup of nearby charter schools like Newark Charter School and Las Americas ASPIRA Academy. The school also has alarmingly high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 29.9% to 55.2% over the past 5 years, which is much higher than the state and district averages. Academically, the Bancroft School's performance, as measured by the Smarter Balanced Assessments, is significantly lower than the state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas.

Despite spending significantly more per student ($28,875) compared to nearby charter schools like Newark Charter School ($12,033) and Las Americas ASPIRA Academy ($14,228), the Bancroft School's academic outcomes are much worse. This raises questions about the effective use of resources and the need for a closer examination of the school's instructional practices and support systems. The Bancroft School's performance stands in stark contrast to the nearby charter schools, which have much higher academic achievement and lower chronic absenteeism rates, highlighting the need for the school and the Christina School District to learn from the successful practices of these charter schools.

Detail:

Public, Alternative 1-9

700 North Lombard Street
Wilmington, DE 19801-4299

(302) 429-4102

District: Christina School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
106^th of 106 Delaware Alternative Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $28,875

Student/teacher ratio: 13.3

Number of students: 535

Racial breakdown:

African American:

84.3%

Hispanic:

6.7%

White:

5.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 81.6%

See top rated Delaware elementary schools

Compare The Bancroft School to nearby alternative schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details The Bancroft School ranks worse than 100% of elementary schools in Delaware. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 2.42. (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 The Bancroft School has the largest alternative school student body size in the Christina School District. Racial makeup is: African American (84.3%), Hispanic (6.7%), White (5.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at The Bancroft School is 13.3. 2 alternative schools in the Christina School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare The Bancroft School employs 40 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at The Bancroft School is $28,875. 2 alternative schools in the Christina School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

The Bancroft School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Christina School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Christina School District 18^th of 32 Delaware school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for The Bancroft School

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Rank History for all students at The Bancroft School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	DE State Percentile
2011	1.83	89^th	91	2.2%
2012	6.12	86^th	90	4.4%
2013	1.18	91^st	91	0.0%
2015	2.14	107^th	108	0.9%
2016	3.28	84^th	86	2.3%
2017	2.64	84^th	86	2.3%
2018	3.48	83^rd	85	2.4%
2019	5.88	100^th	105	4.8%
2024	2.42	106^th	106	0.0%

See the entire list of Delaware Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at The Bancroft School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	DE State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	11.29	87^th	92	5.4%

See the entire list of Best Delaware Alternative Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for African American students at The Bancroft School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	DE State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	12.37	68^th	72	5.6%

See the entire list of Best Delaware Alternative Schools for African American 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 The Bancroft School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	719	303	21	12	0	n/a	n/a	1055
1989	842	255	23	15	0	n/a	n/a	1135
1990	899	315	23	25	n/a	n/a	n/a	1262
1991	759	362	15	20	0	n/a	n/a	1156
1992	752	385	23	26	0	n/a	n/a	1186
1993	706	390	22	25	1	n/a	n/a	1144
1994	654	342	22	20	2	n/a	n/a	1040
1995	664	355	26	27	3	n/a	n/a	1075
1996	664	355	26	27	3	n/a	n/a	1075
1997	639	365	29	27	2	n/a	n/a	1062
1998	458	277	28	24	4	n/a	n/a	791
1999	470	553	31	23	1	n/a	n/a	1078
2000	524	555	35	86	2	n/a	n/a	1202
2001	488	460	29	83	0	n/a	n/a	1060
2002	414	426	22	111	0	n/a	n/a	973
2003	414	426	22	111	0	n/a	n/a	973
2004	354	504	31	136	0	n/a	n/a	1025
2005	226	458	25	154	0	n/a	n/a	863
2006	192	492	22	195	1	n/a	n/a	902
2007	182	438	14	218	2	n/a	n/a	854
2008	111	378	18	195	1	n/a	n/a	703
2009	8	307	1	13	0	n/a	n/a	329
2010	1	279	0	18	0	n/a	n/a	298
2011	3	293	0	25	0	0	0	321
2012	3	287	1	25	0	0	0	316
2013	36	281	8	24	0	1	8	358
2014	41	326	11	31	0	1	5	415
2015	29	323	4	40	2	0	3	401
2016	14	317	5	47	0	0	9	392
2017	18	308	3	32	0	0	11	372
2018	15	235	0	25	0	0	11	286
2019	7	216	0	14	0	0	9	246
2020	8	359	0	25	0	0	13	405
2021	8	333	1	21	0	0	10	373
2022	27	444	2	32	1	0	13	519
2023	24	449	3	35	1	0	12	524
2024	30	451	3	36	1	0	14	535

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 The Bancroft School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1055	61.5	17.1	14.2
1989	1135	62.0	18.3	16.5
1990	1262	62.0	20.3	16.6
1991	1156	65.5	17.6	22
1992	1186	65.0	18.2	22.2
1993	1144	67.0	17.1	28.5
1994	1040	60.0	17.3	29.1
1995	1075	60.0	17.9	30.4
1996	1075	60.0	17.9	30.4
1997	1062	61.0	17.4	32.6
1998	791	44.0	18.0	31.1
1999	1078	56.0	19.3	45.9
2000	1202	67.0	17.9	42.8
2001	1060	64.0	16.6	40.4
2002	973	66.0	14.7	47.6
2003	973	66.0	14.7	47.6
2004	1025	66.0	15.5	37.2
2005	863	66.0	13.1	58.7
2006	902	67.0	13.5	68
2007	854	55.0	15.5	60.1
2008	703	55.0	12.8	73
2009	329	33.4	9.9	92.7
2010	298	29.0	10.2	95.3
2011	321	25.0	12.8	99.1
2012	316	26.0	12.1	94.6
2013	358	33.0	10.8	86
2014	415	38.0	10.9	79
2015	401	39.0	10.2	80.5
2016	392	28.0	14.0	81.6
2017	372	31.0	12.0	n/a
2018	286	30.0	9.5	n/a
2019	246	25.0	9.8	n/a
2020	405	45.0	9.0	n/a
2021	373	49.0	7.6	n/a
2022	519	44.0	11.7	n/a
2023	524	45.0	11.6	n/a
2024	535	40.0	13.3	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 The Bancroft School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1055	61.5	17.1	14.2
1989	1135	62.0	18.3	16.5
1990	1262	62.0	20.3	16.6
1991	1156	65.5	17.6	22
1992	1186	65.0	18.2	22.2
1993	1144	67.0	17.1	28.5
1994	1040	60.0	17.3	29.1
1995	1075	60.0	17.9	30.4
1996	1075	60.0	17.9	30.4
1997	1062	61.0	17.4	32.6
1998	791	44.0	18.0	31.1
1999	1078	56.0	19.3	45.9
2000	1202	67.0	17.9	42.8
2001	1060	64.0	16.6	40.4
2002	973	66.0	14.7	47.6
2003	973	66.0	14.7	47.6
2004	1025	66.0	15.5	37.2
2005	863	66.0	13.1	58.7
2006	902	67.0	13.5	68
2007	854	55.0	15.5	60.1
2008	703	55.0	12.8	73
2009	329	33.4	9.9	92.7
2010	298	29.0	10.2	95.3
2011	321	25.0	12.8	99.1
2012	316	26.0	12.1	94.6
2013	358	33.0	10.8	86
2014	415	38.0	10.9	79
2015	401	39.0	10.2	80.5
2016	392	28.0	14.0	81.6
2017	372	31.0	12.0	n/a
2018	286	30.0	9.5	n/a
2019	246	25.0	9.8	n/a
2020	405	45.0	9.0	n/a
2021	373	49.0	7.6	n/a
2022	519	44.0	11.7	n/a
2023	524	45.0	11.6	n/a
2024	535	40.0	13.3	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 The Bancroft School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$2,648 (9.2%)	$31,417 (108.8%)	$28,875

Data source: Delaware Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on The Bancroft School

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.

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (The Bancroft School)	20.9	12.2	8.8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Christina School District)	45	32.6	12.4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Delaware)	50.5	38.4	12.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (The Bancroft School)	29.6	10.7	18.9%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Christina School District)	54.8	35.1	19.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Delaware)	53	42.2	10.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (The Bancroft School)	17.1	9	8.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Christina School District)	47.1	41.9	5.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Delaware)	56.9	45.5	11.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	246	524	113%
African American	216	449	107.9%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	0	3
Hispanic	14	35	150%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	7	24	242.9%
Two or More Races	9	12	33.3%

Schools Near The Bancroft School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				DeSSA Science (2024)				DeSSA Social Studies (2024)		SAT English Language Arts (2024)	SAT Mathematics (2024)	SAT Essay (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 ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	DeSSA Science 5th Grade	DeSSA Science 8th Grade	DeSSA Science 9th Grade	DeSSA Science 10th Grade	DeSSA Social Studies 8th Grade	DeSSA Social Studies 11th Grade	SAT English Language Arts 11th Grade	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	SAT Essay 11th 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
The Bancroft School	Public, Alternative	1-9	700 North Lombard Street	Wilmington	19801	New Castle County	Christina School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 429-4102	535	40	13.3		30 (5.6%)	451 (84.3%)	36 (6.7%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.6%)								(n/a)										6.7	10.6			9.3		9.3						$28,875	$2,648	$31,417
First State School	Public, Alternative	K-10	501 West 14th Street	Wilmington	19899	New Castle County	Red Clay Consolidated School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 320-5848	18	6	3.0		4 (22.2%)	10 (55.6%)	1 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (16.7%)								(n/a)																						$83,875	$1,250	$78,794
Douglass School	Public, Alternative	2-12	1800 Prospect Road	Wilmington	19805	New Castle County	Christina School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 429-4146	91				20 (22.0%)	58 (63.7%)	5 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (7.7%)								(n/a)
Odyssey Charter School	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	4409 Lancaster Pike	Wilmington	19805	New Castle County	Odyssey Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(302) 516-8000	2,192	177	12.3		766 (34.9%)	677 (30.9%)	210 (9.6%)	409 (18.7%)	9 (0.4%)	1 (0.0%)	120 (5.5%)								(n/a)	35.4	22.2	11.3		48.9	26.6	42.5	15.0	36.6	42.7	46.5	54.7	52.2	46.7	50.0	60.7	49.5	48.6	43.0	38.9	40.4	$11,529	$290	$14,109
Leach (John G.) School	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	10 Landers Lane	New Castle	19720	New Castle County	Colonial School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 429-4055	86	16	5.3		29 (33.7%)	37 (43.0%)	15 (17.4%)	3 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.3%)								(n/a)																						$123,173	$4,783	$140,364
Meadowood Program	Public, Alternative	K-12	55A South Meadowood Drive	Newark	19711	New Castle County	Red Clay Consolidated School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 454-3400	120	14	8.5		43 (35.8%)	37 (30.8%)	28 (23.3%)	5 (4.2%)	2 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (4.2%)								(n/a)																						$99,739	$1,172	$112,845
Las Americas ASPIRA Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	326 Ruthar Drive	Newark	19711	New Castle County	Las Americas Aspira Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(302) 292-1463	1,444	98	14.7		159 (11.0%)	187 (13.0%)	1,053 (72.9%)	13 (0.9%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	29 (2.0%)								(n/a)	12.6			6.4	27.2	17.6	23.4		13.0	17.9	26.1	30.6	40.7	40.7	29.9	16.1	11.7	18.9	16.4	16.3	10.2	$14,228	$664	$16,891
Delaware School for the Deaf	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	630 East Chestnut Hill Road	Newark	19713	New Castle County	Christina School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 454-2301	124	39	3.1		44 (35.5%)	35 (28.2%)	32 (25.8%)	7 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (4.8%)								(n/a)																						$123,712	$2,244	$148,799
Brennen School (The)	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	144 Brennen Drive	Newark	19713	New Castle County	Christina School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 292-6021	458	89	5.1		128 (27.9%)	203 (44.3%)	75 (16.4%)	36 (7.9%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.6%)								(n/a)																						$87,582	$1,680	$102,586
Newark Charter School	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	200 McIntire Drive	Newark	19711	New Castle County	Newark Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(302) 369-2001	3,047	184	16.5		1,631 (53.5%)	441 (14.5%)	227 (7.4%)	548 (18.0%)	6 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	194 (6.4%)								(n/a)	60.7	44.8	74.6	18.3	58.9	66.7	84.4	61.3	75.1	74.8	69.8	77.9	67.2	82.9	70.5	79.3	77.3	66.7	66.0	72.1	58.1	$12,033	$231	$13,047

Frequently Asked Questions about The Bancroft School

Is The Bancroft School a good school?

The Bancroft School ranks in the bottom 0.0% of Delaware alternative schools.

What district is The Bancroft School in?

Christina School District

How many students attend The Bancroft School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 535 students attended The Bancroft School.

What is the racial makeup of The Bancroft School?

Students at The Bancroft School are 84% African American, 7% Hispanic, 6% White, 3% Two or more races.

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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.