Is Southern Elementary School a good school?

Southern Elementary School ranks in the bottom 10.4% of Delaware elementary schools.

How many students attend Southern Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 737 students attended Southern Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Southern Elementary School?

Students at Southern Elementary School are 50% African American, 34% White, 9% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Southern Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Southern Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Bedford (Gunning) Middle School High : Penn (William) High School

Southern Elementary School

Summary:

Southern Elementary School is a public elementary school located in New Castle, Delaware, serving 737 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Colonial School District, which is ranked 28 out of 32 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Southern Elementary School faces significant challenges in terms of academic performance, student engagement, and equitable outcomes for its diverse student population. The school has consistently underperformed compared to the state and district averages in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts and Mathematics, with only 14.55% of 3rd graders, 18.26% of 4th graders, and 25.38% of 5th graders proficient or better in ELA, compared to the state averages of 39.45%, 39.05%, and 43.42%, respectively. Additionally, the school has experienced high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 12.7% in 2018-2019 to 37.9% in 2021-2022. The school's performance on the SchoolDigger rankings for various student subgroups, such as female students, male students, African American students, and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, is consistently in the bottom quartile of Delaware elementary schools.

When comparing Southern Elementary School to other nearby schools in the same district, such as Pleasantville Elementary and Wilbur (Kathleen H.) Elementary, as well as schools in other districts, such as Keene (William B.) Elementary, Leasure (May B.) Elementary, and Oberle (William) Elementary, Southern Elementary School consistently underperforms academically and has higher rates of chronic absenteeism. This suggests that the additional funding of $21,301 per student in the 2018-2019 school year has not translated into improved educational outcomes for the students.

Detail:

Public K-5

795 Cox Neck Road
New Castle, DE 19720-5704

(302) 832-6300

District: Colonial School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
95^th of 106 Delaware Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $21,301

Students who attend Southern Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Bedford (Gunning) Middle School
High:	Penn (William) High School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.8

Number of students: 737

Racial breakdown:

African American:

50.1%

White:

33.8%

Hispanic:

9.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 40.2%

See top rated Delaware elementary schools

Compare Southern Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Southern Elementary School ranks worse than 89.6% of elementary schools in Delaware. It also ranks 5^th among 8 ranked elementary schools in the Colonial School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 12.37. (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: African American (50.1%), White (33.8%), Hispanic (9.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Southern Elementary School is 11.8, which is the 2^nd best among 8 elementary schools in the Colonial School District. (See more...)

Compare Southern Elementary School employs 62 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Southern Elementary School is $21,301, which is the highest among 8 elementary schools in the Colonial School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Southern Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Southern Elementary School 95^th of 106 Delaware public elementary schools. (See Southern Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

White students:

Colonial School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Colonial School District 28^th of 32 Delaware school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Southern Elementary School.

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Rank History for Southern Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Southern Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	DE State Percentile
2011	49.19	51^st	91	44.0%
2012	54.48	45^th	90	50.0%
2013	55.99	47^th	91	48.4%
2015	49.59	52^nd	108	51.9%
2016	41.47	49^th	86	43.0%
2017	29.42	66^th	86	23.3%
2018	16.47	74^th	85	12.9%
2019	16.85	89^th	105	15.2%
2021	27.96	65^th	95	31.6%
2022	20.69	80^th	104	23.1%
2023	15.30	87^th	103	15.5%
2024	12.37	95^th	106	10.4%

See the entire list of Delaware Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Southern Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	DE State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	8.64	9^th	9	0.0%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Southern Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	DE State Percentile
2019	16.60	80^th	92	13.0%
2022	28.17	49^th	62	21.0%
2023	11.20	62^nd	66	6.1%
2024	8.83	65^th	66	1.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at Southern Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	DE State Percentile
2019	17.12	85^th	99	14.1%
2021	34.51	45^th	67	32.8%
2022	19.55	78^th	90	13.3%
2023	13.00	81^st	89	9.0%
2024	9.49	91^st	97	6.2%

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

Rank History for Male students at Southern Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	DE State Percentile
2019	12.93	86^th	99	13.1%
2021	20.78	57^th	67	14.9%
2022	13.32	83^rd	90	7.8%
2023	7.43	88^th	89	1.1%
2024	6.68	93^rd	97	4.1%

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

Rank History for African American students at Southern Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	DE State Percentile
2019	26.47	59^th	72	18.1%
2021	47.61	10^th	22	54.5%
2022	35.14	42^nd	60	30.0%
2023	17.31	56^th	60	6.7%
2024	10.86	59^th	62	4.8%

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

Rank History for White students at Southern Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	DE State Percentile
2019	4.94	79^th	82	3.7%
2021	21.06	57^th	65	12.3%
2022	6.78	74^th	75	1.3%
2023	8.45	67^th	70	4.3%
2024	4.92	73^rd	73	0.0%

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:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Southern Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2002	710	243	28	42	5	n/a	n/a	1028
2003	710	243	28	42	5	n/a	n/a	1028
2004	727	244	27	38	6	n/a	n/a	1042
2005	698	261	25	46	6	n/a	n/a	1036
2006	714	293	36	56	8	n/a	n/a	1107
2007	664	351	32	61	9	n/a	n/a	1117
2008	413	378	33	43	1	n/a	n/a	868
2009	415	375	40	63	1	n/a	n/a	894
2010	416	388	32	65	1	n/a	n/a	902
2011	390	386	42	82	5	0	24	929
2012	385	378	41	73	4	1	31	913
2013	358	379	43	67	2	0	36	885
2014	337	385	35	71	2	1	45	876
2015	322	395	27	67	3	1	44	859
2016	334	389	24	79	3	2	47	878
2017	328	388	20	80	5	3	46	870
2018	308	378	19	82	6	3	42	838
2019	302	402	22	84	5	3	40	858
2020	298	395	20	79	5	4	32	833
2021	291	410	16	68	3	4	32	824
2022	270	371	14	57	0	4	27	743
2023	249	369	23	70	0	2	24	737

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 Southern Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	1028	55.0	18.7	22
2003	1028	55.0	18.7	22
2004	1042	56.0	18.6	20.2
2005	1036	53.0	19.5	18.1
2006	1107	60.0	18.5	21.6
2007	1117	64.0	17.5	25
2008	868	60.0	14.5	32.1
2009	894	56.0	16.0	25.4
2010	902	54.0	16.7	43.7
2011	929	56.0	16.5	42.8
2012	913	59.0	15.4	47.9
2013	885	60.0	14.7	47.6
2014	876	60.0	14.6	36.5
2015	859	62.0	13.8	38
2016	878	64.0	13.7	40.2
2017	870	64.0	13.5	n/a
2018	838	64.0	13.0	n/a
2019	858	68.0	12.6	n/a
2020	833	68.0	12.2	n/a
2021	824	69.0	11.9	n/a
2022	743	65.0	11.4	n/a
2023	737	62.0	11.8	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 Southern Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	1028	55.0	18.7	22
2003	1028	55.0	18.7	22
2004	1042	56.0	18.6	20.2
2005	1036	53.0	19.5	18.1
2006	1107	60.0	18.5	21.6
2007	1117	64.0	17.5	25
2008	868	60.0	14.5	32.1
2009	894	56.0	16.0	25.4
2010	902	54.0	16.7	43.7
2011	929	56.0	16.5	42.8
2012	913	59.0	15.4	47.9
2013	885	60.0	14.7	47.6
2014	876	60.0	14.6	36.5
2015	859	62.0	13.8	38
2016	878	64.0	13.7	40.2
2017	870	64.0	13.5	n/a
2018	838	64.0	13.0	n/a
2019	858	68.0	12.6	n/a
2020	833	68.0	12.2	n/a
2021	824	69.0	11.9	n/a
2022	743	65.0	11.4	n/a
2023	737	62.0	11.8	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 Southern Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,249 (5.9%)	$23,783 (111.7%)	$21,301

Data source: Delaware Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Southern Elementary 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.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 89^th of 105 Elementary schools	Ranks 87^th of 103 Elementary schools	0.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Southern Elementary School)	28.9	23.2	5.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Colonial School District)	33.2	25.3	8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Delaware)	50.5	38.4	12.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Southern Elementary School)	30.5	20.4	10.2%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Colonial School District)	30.2	24.7	5.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Delaware)	53	42.2	10.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Southern Elementary School)	30.6	24.1	6.5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Colonial School District)	39.2	27.6	11.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Delaware)	53.5	39.9	13.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Southern Elementary School)	26.7	20.5	6.2%
4th Grade Mathematics (Colonial School District)	31.9	20.7	11.2%
4th Grade Mathematics (Delaware)	50.8	39.1	11.7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Southern Elementary School)	47.4	29.6	17.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Colonial School District)	46.1	33.5	12.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Delaware)	56.9	44.1	12.8%
5th Grade Mathematics (Southern Elementary School)	30.4	15	15.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Colonial School District)	29.1	18.4	10.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Delaware)	44.4	32.3	12.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	858	737	14.1%
African American	402	369	8.2%
American Indian	5	0	100%
Asian	22	23	4.5%
Hispanic	84	70	16.7%
Pacific Islander	3	2	33.3%
White	302	249	17.5%
Two or More Races	40	24	40%

Schools Near Southern Elementary 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 Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Southern Elementary School	Public	K-5	795 Cox Neck Road	New Castle	19720	New Castle County	Colonial School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 832-6300	737	62	11.8		249 (33.8%)	369 (50.1%)	70 (9.5%)	23 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	24 (3.3%)	12.4	95^th of 106 public elementary schools	10.4%		15.3	87^th of 103 public elementary schools	15.5%	8	11.4	14.6	18.3	25.4	20.0	16.5	21.4	$21,301	$1,249	$23,783
Wilbur (Kathleen H.) Elementary	Public	K-5	4050 Wrangle Hill Road	Bear	19701	New Castle County	Colonial School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 832-6330	1,044	75	13.9		288 (27.6%)	470 (45.0%)	169 (16.2%)	44 (4.2%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	68 (6.5%)	38.9	61^st of 106 public elementary schools	42.5%		42.7	60^th of 103 public elementary schools	41.7%	1	22.8	34.9	30.8	39.9	47.4	28.2	24.3	$13,044	$645	$14,882
Lorewood Grove Elementary School	Public	1-5	820 Mapleton Ave.	Middletown	19709	New Castle County	Appoquinimink School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 842-2575	763	51	15.1		376 (49.3%)	182 (23.9%)	48 (6.3%)	115 (15.1%)	5 (0.7%)	2 (0.3%)	35 (4.6%)	75.9	23^rd of 106 public elementary schools	78.3%		71.5	23^rd of 103 public elementary schools	77.7%		40.6	40.5	45.9	57.4	53.9	55.1	46.5
Leasure (May B.) Elementary School	Public	K-5	1015 Church Road	Newark	19702	New Castle County	Christina School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 454-2103	335	30	11.1		41 (12.2%)	227 (67.8%)	51 (15.2%)	4 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.6%)	24.1	80^th of 106 public elementary schools	24.5%		24.9	73^rd of 103 public elementary schools	29.1%	7	13.1	26.4	30.6	30.0	31.6	34.7	16.4	$20,320	$861	$24,071
Oberle (William) Elementary School	Public	K-5	500 South Caledonia Way	Bear	19701	New Castle County	Christina School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 834-5910	543	39	13.9		90 (16.6%)	183 (33.7%)	250 (46.0%)	5 (0.9%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	11 (2.0%)	14.7	92^nd of 106 public elementary schools	13.2%		20.5	79^th of 103 public elementary schools	23.3%	13	9.0	19.7	28.8	25.8	22.9	23.3	12.0	$15,226	$837	$17,922
Cedar Lane Early Childhood Center	Public	K	1221 Cedar Lane Road	Middletown	19709	New Castle County	Appoquinimink School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 449-5873	251	18	13.9		119 (47.4%)	30 (12.0%)	23 (9.2%)	62 (24.7%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (6.0%)								(n/a)								$12,763	$176	$15,662
Cedar Lane Elementary School	Public	1-5	1259 Cedar Lane Road	Middletown	19709	New Castle County	Appoquinimink School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 378-5045	600	39	15.3		270 (45.0%)	98 (16.3%)	28 (4.7%)	166 (27.7%)	8 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (5.0%)	92.9	6^th of 106 public elementary schools	94.3%		93.7	5^th of 103 public elementary schools	95.1%	1	52.3	51.8	63.0	67.2	66.4	64.4	64.1	$12,350	$257	$14,530
Keene (William B.) Elementary School	Public	K-5	200 LaGrange Avenue	Newark	19702	New Castle County	Christina School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 454-2018	474	35	13.5		129 (27.2%)	208 (43.9%)	72 (15.2%)	24 (5.1%)	6 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (7.4%)	49.9	48^th of 106 public elementary schools	54.7%		36	67^th of 103 public elementary schools	35.0%	19	29.6	39.1	32.5	47.5	42.0	35.1	33.3	$16,168	$723	$19,705
Loss (Olive B.) Elementary School	Public	1-5	200 Brennan Boulevard	Bear	19701	New Castle County	Appoquinimink School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 832-1343	576	38	15.3		244 (42.4%)	92 (16.0%)	26 (4.5%)	175 (30.4%)	7 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (5.6%)	86.3	13^th of 106 public elementary schools	87.7%		89.2	10^th of 103 public elementary schools	90.3%	3	55.3	44.7	53.2	70.0	54.4	54.1	62.1	$12,755	$230	$15,364
Marshall (Thurgood) Elementary School	Public	K-5	101 Barrett Run Road	Newark	19702	New Castle County	Christina School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 454-4700	556	38	14.6		107 (19.2%)	223 (40.1%)	74 (13.3%)	121 (21.8%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (5.0%)	71.8	27^th of 106 public elementary schools	74.5%		64.9	33^rd of 103 public elementary schools	68.0%	6	38.0	43.8	43.0	62.0	51.3	44.2	46.5	$13,704	$481	$16,562

Southern Elementary School

Southern Elementary School:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Colonial School District:

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Southern Elementary School

Rank History for all students at Southern Elementary School

Rank History for Special Education students at Southern Elementary School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Southern Elementary School

Rank History for Female students at Southern Elementary School

Rank History for Male students at Southern Elementary School

Rank History for African American students at Southern Elementary School

Rank History for White students at Southern Elementary School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Southern Elementary School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Southern Elementary School

Student/Teacher Ratio Southern Elementary School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Southern Elementary School

Impact of COVID-19 on Southern Elementary School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Southern Elementary School

Frequently Asked Questions about Southern Elementary School

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