New Castle Elementary School

Summary:

New Castle Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 407 students in grades K-5 in the Colonial School District in New Castle, Delaware, with a diverse student population.

While the school has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, it faces significant challenges, including a chronic absenteeism rate of 29.0% - much higher than nearby schools like Pleasantville Elementary (15.9%) and Eisenberg Elementary (29.5%). Academically, New Castle Elementary consistently underperforms compared to the district and state, with only 22.81% of 3rd graders and 20.51% of 4th graders proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 39.45% and 39.05% statewide. The school's math proficiency rates are also significantly lower than the district and state averages, and it has been ranked in the bottom 10% of Delaware elementary schools for the past several years.

While the school's per-student spending is on par with nearby schools, suggesting that funding may not be the primary driver of its underperformance, the school's proximity to other higher-performing schools within the same district, such as Pleasantville Elementary and Eisenberg Elementary, indicates that there may be opportunities for New Castle Elementary to learn from the practices and strategies of its counterparts to improve student outcomes.

Detail:

Public K-5

903 Delaware Street
New Castle, DE 19720-6097

(302) 323-2880

District: Colonial School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
97^th of 106 Delaware Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,895

Students who attend New Castle Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	McCullough (Calvin R. ) Middle School
High:	Penn (William) High School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.5

Number of students: 388

Racial breakdown:

African American:

46.6%

Hispanic:

28.6%

White:

20.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 57.7%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details New Castle Elementary School ranks worse than 91.5% of elementary schools in Delaware. It also ranks 7^th among 8 ranked elementary schools in the Colonial School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 11.97. (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 Student population at New Castle Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: African American (46.6%), Hispanic (28.6%), White (20.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at New Castle Elementary School is 12.5, which is the 3^rd best among 8 elementary schools in the Colonial School District. (See more...)

Compare New Castle Elementary School employs 31 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at New Castle Elementary School is $14,895. 5 elementary schools in the Colonial School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

New Castle Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks New Castle Elementary School 97^th of 106 Delaware public elementary schools. (See New Castle Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

Colonial School District:

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

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for New Castle Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at New Castle Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	DE State Percentile
2015	38.07	72^nd	108	33.3%
2016	44.71	46^th	86	46.5%
2017	26.87	67^th	86	22.1%
2018	22.68	66^th	85	22.4%
2019	14.66	90^th	105	14.3%
2021	14.14	85^th	95	10.5%
2022	8.40	97^th	104	6.7%
2023	5.42	100^th	103	2.9%
2024	11.97	97^th	106	8.5%

See the entire list of Delaware Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at New Castle Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	DE State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	11.37	86^th	92	6.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at New Castle Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	DE State Percentile
2019	15.69	89^th	99	10.1%
2022	4.78	90^th	90	0.0%
2024	8.81	92^nd	97	5.2%

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

Rank History for Male students at New Castle Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	DE State Percentile
2019	10.93	90^th	99	9.1%
2022	9.82	89^th	90	1.1%
2024	11.12	88^th	97	9.3%

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

Rank History for African American students at New Castle Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	DE State Percentile
2019	28.35	56^th	72	22.2%
2022	11.33	57^th	60	5.0%
2024	17.79	56^th	62	9.7%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at New Castle Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	DE State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	46.40	20^th	37	45.9%
2024	40.58	23^rd	37	37.8%

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

Rank History for White students at New Castle Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	DE State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	1.80	82^nd	82	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: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Tuesday, December 17, 2019

This is the worst school My children have even gone too! My 5 yr old has been bullied here for 4 months by a abusive 5th grader 3 times her size! My emails were ignored until I got the district involved! The administrators of this school show to worry or concern about bullying or safety! After 4 months of bullying my daughter's bully got 1 day school suspension! Close Quote

Enrollment information for New Castle Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2014	108	243	6	192	0	0	15	564
2015	118	222	6	188	0	0	19	553
2016	130	237	6	192	0	0	16	581
2017	121	253	7	173	0	0	17	571
2018	113	263	7	185	0	0	18	586
2019	100	238	10	150	0	0	19	517
2020	116	262	6	122	1	1	16	524
2021	110	239	6	116	3	4	17	495
2022	84	195	2	118	4	4	5	412
2023	84	197	2	109	4	3	8	407
2024	78	181	2	111	4	3	9	388

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 New Castle Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	564	36.0	15.6	59
2015	553	38.0	14.5	57.7
2016	581	38.0	15.2	57.7
2017	571	37.0	15.4	n/a
2018	586	38.0	15.4	n/a
2019	517	40.0	12.9	n/a
2020	524	42.0	12.4	n/a
2021	495	46.0	10.7	n/a
2022	412	37.0	11.1	n/a
2023	407	33.0	12.3	n/a
2024	388	31.0	12.5	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 New Castle Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	564	36.0	15.6	59
2015	553	38.0	14.5	57.7
2016	581	38.0	15.2	57.7
2017	571	37.0	15.4	n/a
2018	586	38.0	15.4	n/a
2019	517	40.0	12.9	n/a
2020	524	42.0	12.4	n/a
2021	495	46.0	10.7	n/a
2022	412	37.0	11.1	n/a
2023	407	33.0	12.3	n/a
2024	388	31.0	12.5	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 New Castle Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$676 (4.5%)	$16,750 (112.5%)	$14,895

Data source: Delaware Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on New Castle 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 90^th of 105 Elementary schools	Ranks 100^th of 103 Elementary schools	11.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (New Castle Elementary School)	24.2	8.5	15.7%
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 (New Castle Elementary School)	22.8	7	15.8%
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 (New Castle Elementary School)	37	9.1	28%
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 (New Castle Elementary School)	32.1	12.1	20.1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Colonial School District)	31.9	20.9	11%
4th Grade Mathematics (Delaware)	50.8	35.3	15.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (New Castle Elementary School)	40.9	23.5	17.5%
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 (New Castle Elementary School)	29.2	8.5	20.7%
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	517	407	21.3%
African American	238	197	17.2%
American Indian	0	4
Asian	10	2	80%
Hispanic	150	109	27.3%
Pacific Islander	0	3
White	100	84	16%
Two or More Races	19	8	57.9%

Schools Near New Castle 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)	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 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
New Castle Elementary School	Public	K-5	903 Delaware Street	New Castle	19720	New Castle County	Colonial School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 323-2880	388	31	12.5		78 (20.1%)	181 (46.6%)	111 (28.6%)	2 (0.5%)	4 (1.0%)	3 (0.8%)	9 (2.3%)	12	97^th of 106 public elementary schools	8.5%		5.4	100^th of 103 public elementary schools	2.9%	3			22.8	20.5					27.1	10.4					$14,895	$676	$16,750
Downie (Carrie) Elementary School	Public	K-5	1201 Delaware Street	New Castle	19720	New Castle County	Colonial School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 323-2926	356	24	14.8		99 (27.8%)	133 (37.4%)	96 (27.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	25 (7.0%)	10	100^th of 106 public elementary schools	5.7%		14.4	88^th of 103 public elementary schools	14.6%	12			9.1	21.7	20.3				13.0	23.3					$14,319	$403	$16,680
Castle Hills Elementary School	Public	K-5	502 Moores Lane	New Castle	19720	New Castle County	Colonial School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 323-2915	479	38	12.6		85 (17.7%)	202 (42.2%)	134 (28.0%)	23 (4.8%)	4 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	30 (6.3%)	12.3	96^th of 106 public elementary schools	9.4%		16.5	85^th of 103 public elementary schools	17.5%	11			22.9	19.2	17.7				29.1	22.1	7.3				$15,324	$814	$17,498
Wilmington Manor Elementary School	Public	K-8	200 East Roosevelt Avenue	New Castle	19720	New Castle County	Colonial School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 323-2901	368	29	12.6		124 (33.7%)	121 (32.9%)	91 (24.7%)	6 (1.6%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	23 (6.3%)	22	83^rd of 106 public elementary schools	21.7%		24.4	74^th of 103 public elementary schools	28.2%	9	8.8		34.3	23.2	20.4				47.1	27.3	16.4				$16,818	$392	$19,806
Charter School of New Castle	Public, Charter	K-8	170 Lukens Drive	New Castle	19720	New Castle County	Charter School of New Castle	Yes	No	No	Yes	(302) 324-8901	764	36	21.2		19 (2.5%)	706 (92.4%)	28 (3.7%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	7 (0.9%)	29.4	77^th of 106 public elementary schools	27.4%		15.4	86^th of 103 public elementary schools	16.5%	9		10.6	35.9	27.4	32.0	29.6	39.5	41.5	47.8	15.1	9.3	19.4	20.9	10.8	$14,089	$1,604	$12,400
The Colwyck Center	Public	PK	12 Landers Lane	New Castle	19720	New Castle County	Colonial School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 429-4085	198	22	9.0		130 (65.7%)	45 (22.7%)	18 (9.1%)	3 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.0%)								(n/a)															$47,648	$3,241	$51,888
Eisenberg (Harry O.) Elementary School	Public	K-5	27 Landers Lane	New Castle	19720	New Castle County	Colonial School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 429-4074	415	30	13.8		32 (7.7%)	184 (44.3%)	168 (40.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (7.2%)	29.3	78^th of 106 public elementary schools	26.4%		25.9	72^nd of 103 public elementary schools	30.1%	6	18.7		10.9	26.0	51.4				24.6	20.3	31.6				$14,790	$695	$16,625
Pleasantville Elementary School	Public	K-5	16 Pleasant Street	New Castle	19720	New Castle County	Colonial School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 323-2935	384	30	12.8		97 (25.3%)	177 (46.1%)	82 (21.4%)	5 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.7%)	15.6	91^st of 106 public elementary schools	14.2%		14.4	89^th of 103 public elementary schools	13.6%	2			27.9	19.6	27.0				29.0	15.5	14.1				$17,096	$672	$19,897
Richey Elementary School	Public	K-5	105 East Highland Avenue	Wilmington	19804	New Castle County	Red Clay Consolidated School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 992-5535	375	29	13.1		179 (47.7%)	64 (17.1%)	107 (28.5%)	7 (1.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.5%)	49	49^th of 106 public elementary schools	53.8%		47.4	51^st of 103 public elementary schools	50.5%	2	12.5		45.3	16.1	57.8				54.7	16.1	48.6				$17,060	$847	$19,803
Richardson Park Elementary School	Public	K-5	16 Idella Avenue	Wilmington	19804	New Castle County	Red Clay Consolidated School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 992-5570	509	55	9.3		105 (20.6%)	141 (27.7%)	240 (47.2%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.7%)	3.1	105^th of 106 public elementary schools	0.9%		3.9	103^rd of 103 public elementary schools	0.0%	2			10.3	9.5	6.0				11.5	9.2					$17,794	$2,017	$18,796

Frequently Asked Questions about New Castle Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of New Castle Elementary School?

Students at New Castle Elementary School are 47% African American, 29% Hispanic, 20% White, 2% Two or more races, 1% American Indian.

How many students attend New Castle Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 388 students attended New Castle Elementary School.

What district is New Castle Elementary School in?

Colonial School District

What schools do graduates of New Castle Elementary School attend?

Students who attend New Castle Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : McCullough (Calvin R. ) Middle School
High : Penn (William) High School

Is New Castle Elementary School a good school?

New Castle Elementary School ranks in the bottom 8.5% of Delaware elementary schools.

Rate New Castle Elementary School!

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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.