Is Sussex Central High School a good school?

Sussex Central High School ranks 25 th of 41 Delaware high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Sussex Central High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 2,039 students attended Sussex Central High School.

What is the racial makeup of Sussex Central High School?

Students at Sussex Central High School are 47% Hispanic, 36% White, 12% African American, 4% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What schools feed into Sussex Central High School?

Sussex Central High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : East Millsboro Elementary School Elementary : Georgetown Elementary School Elementary : Long Neck Elementary School Elementary : North Georgetown Elementary School Middle : Georgetown Middle School Middle : Millsboro Middle School

Sussex Central High School

Summary:

Sussex Central High School is a public high school located in Georgetown, Delaware, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 2,039 students. The school is part of the Indian River School District, which is ranked 7th out of 32 districts in Delaware and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Sussex Central High School has a diverse student population, with a significant Hispanic/Latino representation (46.74% in 2022-2023) and a relatively low percentage of White students (35.95% in 2022-2023) compared to the surrounding schools. Academically, the school's performance, as measured by standardized test scores, is generally lower than the Indian River School District and the state of Delaware averages. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 31.75% of 11th-grade students were proficient or better in SAT/English Language Arts, compared to the district's 40.87% and the state's 44.73%. Additionally, Sussex Central High School has a lower four-year graduation rate (79.6% in 2021-2022) compared to the nearby Indian River High School (88.9% in 2021-2022) and a higher dropout rate (4.9% in 2021-2022) than the district and state averages.

When comparing Sussex Central High School to nearby schools, such as Delmar High School and Indian River High School, it becomes evident that the school's performance is generally lower, with these nearby schools ranked higher in the state and having better academic outcomes, graduation rates, and lower chronic absenteeism. The data suggests that Sussex Central High School could benefit from focusing on improving its academic performance, particularly in core subject areas, as well as addressing the high chronic absenteeism rate among its students.

Detail:

Public 9-12

26026 Patriots Way
Georgetown, DE 19947-2399

(302) 934-3166

District: Indian River School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
25^th of 41 Delaware High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,583

Feeder schools for Sussex Central High School:

Elementary:	East Millsboro Elementary School
	Georgetown Elementary School
	Long Neck Elementary School
	North Georgetown Elementary School
Middle:	Georgetown Middle School
	Millsboro Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.7

Number of students: 2,039

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

46.7%

White:

35.9%

African American:

11.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 35.3%

See top rated Delaware high schools

Compare Sussex Central High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Sussex Central High School ranks worse than 61% of high schools in Delaware. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 32.65. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Sussex Central High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

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 Sussex Central High School has the largest high school student body size in the Indian River School District. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (46.7%), White (35.9%), African American (11.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Sussex Central High School is 14.7. 1 high schools in the Indian River School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Sussex Central High School employs 138 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Sussex Central High School is $14,583. 1 high schools in the Indian River School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Sussex Central High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Sussex Central High School 25^th of 41 Delaware public high schools. (See Sussex Central High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Indian River School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Indian River School District 7^th of 32 Delaware school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Sussex Central High School?

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Rank History for Sussex Central High School

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Rank History for all students at Sussex Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	DE State Percentile
2011	71.67	6^th	27	77.8%
2012	61.12	10^th	27	63.0%
2013	51.60	13^th	26	50.0%
2014	43.90	9^th	14	35.7%
2015	35.21	23^rd	35	34.3%
2016	34.41	20^th	31	35.5%
2017	33.36	20^th	30	33.3%
2018	36.92	16^th	30	46.7%
2019	34.93	24^th	40	40.0%
2021	41.15	23^rd	39	41.0%
2022	29.84	28^th	39	28.2%
2023	32.32	25^th	39	35.9%
2024	32.65	25^th	41	39.0%

See the entire list of Delaware High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Sussex Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	DE State Percentile
2019	47.70	15^th	29	48.3%
2021	55.99	9^th	24	62.5%
2022	42.71	14^th	28	50.0%
2023	19.02	26^th	29	10.3%
2024	42.38	13^th	32	59.4%

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

Rank History for Female students at Sussex Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	DE State Percentile
2019	29.23	27^th	41	34.1%
2021	37.14	24^th	36	33.3%
2022	22.19	30^th	37	18.9%
2023	28.28	27^th	38	28.9%
2024	32.94	23^rd	39	41.0%

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

Rank History for Male students at Sussex Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	DE State Percentile
2019	37.63	21^st	41	48.8%
2021	36.04	21^st	36	41.7%
2022	28.19	24^th	37	35.1%
2023	27.02	26^th	38	31.6%
2024	24.82	28^th	39	28.2%

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

Rank History for African American students at Sussex Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	DE State Percentile
2019	28.81	24^th	33	27.3%
2021	70.24	6^th	27	77.8%
2022	26.09	28^th	35	20.0%
2023	27.16	23^rd	31	25.8%
2024	50.79	15^th	31	51.6%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Sussex Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	DE State Percentile
2019	20.15	20^th	24	16.7%
2021	17.57	17^th	19	10.5%
2022	12.17	21^st	22	4.5%
2023	22.11	23^rd	27	14.8%
2024	16.44	27^th	31	12.9%

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

Rank History for White students at Sussex Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	DE State Percentile
2019	39.08	23^rd	36	36.1%
2021	51.79	17^th	34	50.0%
2022	35.66	22^nd	33	33.3%
2023	30.19	25^th	34	26.5%
2024	37.18	23^rd	35	34.3%

See the entire list of Best Delaware High 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 Central High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	585	167	12	3	9	n/a	n/a	776
1989	594	150	0	4	14	n/a	n/a	762
1990	527	140	13	5	11	n/a	n/a	696
1991	566	135	9	12	8	n/a	n/a	730
1992	652	218	7	12	8	n/a	n/a	897
1993	661	198	15	12	6	n/a	n/a	892
1994	564	215	16	20	18	n/a	n/a	833
1995	653	216	13	37	11	n/a	n/a	930
1996	653	216	13	37	11	n/a	n/a	930
1997	689	246	14	38	10	n/a	n/a	997
1998	745	251	14	46	6	n/a	n/a	1062
1999	755	245	14	62	16	n/a	n/a	1092
2000	750	247	11	59	15	n/a	n/a	1082
2001	753	240	12	58	16	n/a	n/a	1079
2002	775	270	14	95	11	n/a	n/a	1165
2003	775	270	14	95	11	n/a	n/a	1165
2004	728	251	12	108	9	n/a	n/a	1108
2005	747	249	13	107	9	n/a	n/a	1125
2006	773	268	23	128	9	n/a	n/a	1201
2007	803	274	25	150	7	n/a	n/a	1259
2008	828	262	28	144	6	n/a	n/a	1268
2009	827	260	26	172	10	n/a	n/a	1295
2010	821	263	20	205	7	n/a	n/a	1316
2011	766	256	16	235	9	0	4	1286
2012	688	248	9	244	7	0	19	1215
2013	684	215	10	294	9	0	37	1249
2014	628	191	14	331	9	0	55	1228
2015	635	198	17	397	8	0	61	1316
2016	668	220	20	466	7	0	69	1450
2017	697	223	27	568	12	0	70	1597
2018	705	236	20	572	18	1	63	1615
2019	697	231	18	625	19	1	70	1661
2020	716	242	20	740	16	1	68	1803
2021	735	239	15	746	15	1	70	1821
2022	725	238	17	850	15	0	71	1916
2023	733	240	22	953	12	2	77	2039

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 Central High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	776	43.7	17.7	15.5
1989	762	41.5	18.3	16.3
1990	696	41.5	16.7	18.1
1991	730	37.5	19.4	19.6
1992	897	47.0	19.0	16.8
1993	892	47.0	19.0	28.5
1994	833	44.0	18.9	24.2
1995	930	52.0	17.9	26
1996	930	52.0	17.9	26
1997	997	59.0	16.9	27.1
1998	1062	67.0	15.9	25.4
1999	1092	71.0	15.4	28.6
2000	1082	83.0	13.0	22.7
2001	1079	79.0	13.7	24.2
2002	1165	69.5	16.8	30.8
2003	1165	69.5	16.8	30.8
2004	1108	74.5	14.9	34.6
2005	1125	73.0	15.4	34.8
2006	1201	71.5	16.8	35.7
2007	1259	80.0	15.7	36.6
2008	1268	80.0	15.9	36.4
2009	1295	79.5	16.3	41.5
2010	1316	86.0	15.3	53.5
2011	1286	82.0	15.6	62.1
2012	1215	86.0	14.1	66.4
2013	1249	87.0	14.3	70.5
2014	1228	87.0	14.1	44.7
2015	1316	93.0	14.1	36.6
2016	1450	97.0	14.9	35.3
2017	1597	104.0	15.3	n/a
2018	1615	113.0	14.2	n/a
2019	1661	114.0	14.5	n/a
2020	1803	118.0	15.2	n/a
2021	1821	127.0	14.3	n/a
2022	1916	136.0	14.0	n/a
2023	2039	138.0	14.7	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 Central High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	776	43.7	17.7	15.5
1989	762	41.5	18.3	16.3
1990	696	41.5	16.7	18.1
1991	730	37.5	19.4	19.6
1992	897	47.0	19.0	16.8
1993	892	47.0	19.0	28.5
1994	833	44.0	18.9	24.2
1995	930	52.0	17.9	26
1996	930	52.0	17.9	26
1997	997	59.0	16.9	27.1
1998	1062	67.0	15.9	25.4
1999	1092	71.0	15.4	28.6
2000	1082	83.0	13.0	22.7
2001	1079	79.0	13.7	24.2
2002	1165	69.5	16.8	30.8
2003	1165	69.5	16.8	30.8
2004	1108	74.5	14.9	34.6
2005	1125	73.0	15.4	34.8
2006	1201	71.5	16.8	35.7
2007	1259	80.0	15.7	36.6
2008	1268	80.0	15.9	36.4
2009	1295	79.5	16.3	41.5
2010	1316	86.0	15.3	53.5
2011	1286	82.0	15.6	62.1
2012	1215	86.0	14.1	66.4
2013	1249	87.0	14.3	70.5
2014	1228	87.0	14.1	44.7
2015	1316	93.0	14.1	36.6
2016	1450	97.0	14.9	35.3
2017	1597	104.0	15.3	n/a
2018	1615	113.0	14.2	n/a
2019	1661	114.0	14.5	n/a
2020	1803	118.0	15.2	n/a
2021	1821	127.0	14.3	n/a
2022	1916	136.0	14.0	n/a
2023	2039	138.0	14.7	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 Sussex Central High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$627 (4.3%)	$16,435 (112.7%)	$14,583

Data source: Delaware Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Sussex Central High 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 24^th of 40 High schools	Ranks 25^th of 39 High schools	4.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts (Sussex Central High School)	32.9	33.4	0.5%
11th Grade English Language Arts (Indian River School District)	40.9	39.3	1.6%
11th Grade English Language Arts (Delaware)	48.5	44.2	4.3%
11th Grade Mathematics (Sussex Central High School)	22	24.3	2.3%
11th Grade Mathematics (Indian River School District)	27.2	24.2	3.1%
11th Grade Mathematics (Delaware)	28.3	22.9	5.4%
11th Grade Essay (Sussex Central High School)	38.7	26.4	12.3%
11th Grade Essay (Indian River School District)	38.7	38	0.7%
11th Grade Essay (Delaware)	42.9	41.5	1.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1661	2039	22.8%
African American	231	240	3.9%
American Indian	19	12	36.8%
Asian	18	22	22.2%
Hispanic	625	953	52.5%
Pacific Islander	1	2	100%
White	697	733	5.2%
Two or More Races	70	77	10%

Schools Near Sussex Central High 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)	SAT English Language Arts (2024)	SAT Mathematics (2024)	SAT Essay (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 9th Grade	DeSSA Science 10th Grade	DeSSA Social Studies 11th Grade	SAT English Language Arts 11th Grade	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	SAT Essay 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Sussex Central High School	Public	9-12	26026 Patriots Way	Georgetown	19947	Sussex County	Indian River School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 934-3166	2,039	138	14.7		733 (35.9%)	240 (11.8%)	953 (46.7%)	22 (1.1%)	12 (0.6%)	2 (0.1%)	77 (3.8%)	32.7	25^th of 41 public high schools	39.0%		32.3	25^th of 39 public high schools	35.9%		21.6	14.4	12.9	31.8	17.6	30.9	$14,583	$627	$16,435
Sussex Technical High School	Public	9-12	17099 County Seat Highway	Georgetown	19947	Sussex County	Sussex Technical School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 856-0961	1,292	89	14.5		684 (52.9%)	237 (18.3%)	293 (22.7%)	10 (0.8%)	8 (0.6%)	2 (0.2%)	58 (4.5%)	55.4	19^th of 41 public high schools	53.7%		47.6	20^th of 39 public high schools	48.7%	1		34.3	29.9	47.0	12.2	31.3	$18,289	$490	$20,690
Indian River High School	Public	9-12	29772 Armory Road	Dagsboro	19945	Sussex County	Indian River School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 732-1500	1,088	82	13.2		660 (60.7%)	92 (8.5%)	294 (27.0%)	11 (1.0%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	27 (2.5%)	75.2	7^th of 41 public high schools	82.9%		66.3	10^th of 39 public high schools	74.4%	3		27.3	32.2	57.7	23.7	62.5	$17,433	$668	$19,469
Indian River Intensive Learning Center	Public	12	31 Hosier Street	Selbyville	19975	Sussex County	Indian River School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 732-3800	139				116 (83.5%)	4 (2.9%)	14 (10.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	1 (0.7%)	3 (2.2%)								(n/a)
Cape Henlopen High School	Public	9-12	1250 Kings Highway	Lewes	19958	Sussex County	Cape Henlopen School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 645-7711	1,813	122	14.8		1,187 (65.5%)	193 (10.6%)	312 (17.2%)	31 (1.7%)	9 (0.5%)	2 (0.1%)	79 (4.4%)	67.8	11^th of 41 public high schools	73.2%		75.8	6^th of 39 public high schools	84.6%	5	38.5	23.3	31.7	60.0	25.4	36.5	$14,851	$443	$17,500
Laurel Senior High School	Public	9-12	1133 South Central Avenue	Laurel	19956	Sussex County	Laurel School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 875-6120	747	39	19.0		333 (44.6%)	190 (25.4%)	153 (20.5%)	7 (0.9%)	16 (2.1%)	2 (0.3%)	46 (6.2%)	18.6	35^th of 41 public high schools	14.6%		22.4	32^nd of 39 public high schools	17.9%	3		10.3	12.4	23.0	5.3	25.0	$12,283	$755	$11,360
Seaford Senior High School	Public	9-12	399 North Market Street Ext	Seaford	19973	Sussex County	Seaford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 629-4587	879	50	17.5		256 (29.1%)	335 (38.1%)	224 (25.5%)	9 (1.0%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (5.9%)	19.5	34^th of 41 public high schools	17.1%		16.1	36^th of 39 public high schools	7.7%	2		9.5	14.4	25.4		19.0	$14,948	$1,056	$15,023
Delmar High School	Public	9-12	200 North Eighth Street	Delmar	19940	Sussex County	Delmar School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 846-9544	670	35	19.1		421 (62.8%)	113 (16.9%)	73 (10.9%)	17 (2.5%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	44 (6.6%)	58.9	14^th of 41 public high schools	65.9%		64.9	11^th of 39 public high schools	71.8%	3		9.3	37.1	49.7	21.0	45.9	$11,342	$335	$10,724
Woodbridge High School	Public	9-12	14712 Woodbridge Road	Greenwood	19950	Sussex County	Woodbridge School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 232-3333	723	47	15.3		268 (37.1%)	168 (23.2%)	251 (34.7%)	6 (0.8%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	28 (3.9%)	26.8	29^th of 41 public high schools	29.3%		28.7	28^th of 39 public high schools	28.2%	1		21.6	15.9	23.9	7.6	24.5	$14,899	$1,225	$13,491

Sussex Central High School

Sussex Central High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Indian River School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for Sussex Central High School

Rank History for all students at Sussex Central High School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Sussex Central High School

Rank History for Female students at Sussex Central High School

Rank History for Male students at Sussex Central High School

Rank History for African American students at Sussex Central High School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Sussex Central High School

Rank History for White students at Sussex Central High School

Enrollment information for Sussex Central High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Sussex Central High School

Student/Teacher Ratio Sussex Central High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Sussex Central High School

Impact of COVID-19 on Sussex Central High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Sussex Central High School