Is Milford Central Academy a good school?

Milford Central Academy ranks 40 th of 54 Delaware middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend Milford Central Academy?

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,058 students attended Milford Central Academy.

What is the racial makeup of Milford Central Academy?

Students at Milford Central Academy are 47% White, 26% African American, 22% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What high school do graduates of Milford Central Academy attend?

Students who attend Milford Central Academy usually go on to attend Milford Senior High School

Milford Central Academy

Summary:

Milford Central Academy is a public middle school located in Milford, Delaware, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 1,068 students. The school is part of the Milford School District, which is ranked 22 out of 32 districts in Delaware and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Milford Central Academy is a struggling middle school, with declining statewide rankings, poor academic performance across student subgroups, and high chronic absenteeism rates. The school's performance lags behind many of the nearby middle schools, such as Georgetown Middle School, Mariner Middle School, and the schools in the Caesar Rodney School District. These nearby schools generally have higher academic proficiency rates, lower chronic absenteeism, and better overall rankings compared to Milford Central Academy.

Milford Central Academy's lower spending per student and higher student-teacher ratio may be contributing factors to its struggles. In 2018-2019, the school's spending per student was $11,819, which is lower than the spending at some of the higher-performing nearby schools, such as Mariner Middle School ($14,284) and Dover Air Force Base Middle School ($26,336). Additionally, Milford Central Academy's student-teacher ratio of 16.9 in 2022-2023 is higher than the ratios at some of the higher-performing nearby schools.

Detail:

Public 6-8

1021 N Walnut Street
Milford, DE 19963-1298

(302) 430-7900

District: Milford School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
40^th of 54 Delaware Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,819

Students who attend Milford Central Academy usually attend:

High:

Milford Senior High School

Feeder schools for Milford Central Academy:

Elementary:	Banneker (Benjamin) Elementary School
	Mispillion Elementary
	Morris (Evelyn I.) Early Childhood
	Ross (Lulu M.) Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 17.9

Number of students: 1,058

Racial breakdown:

White:

46.7%

African American:

25.5%

Hispanic:

22.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 42.4%

See top rated Delaware middle schools

Compare Milford Central Academy to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Milford Central Academy ranks worse than 74.1% of middle schools in Delaware. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 28.15. (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 Milford Central Academy is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (46.7%), African American (25.5%), Hispanic (22.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Milford Central Academy is 17.9. (See more...)

Compare Milford Central Academy employs 59 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Milford Central Academy is $11,819.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Milford Central Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks Milford Central Academy 40^th of 54 Delaware public middle schools. (See Milford Central Academy in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Milford School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Milford School District 22^nd of 32 Delaware school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Milford Central Academy.

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Your rating for Milford Central Academy?

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Rank History for Milford Central Academy

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Rank History for all students at Milford Central Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	DE State Percentile
2014	39.72	13^th	17	23.5%
2015	43.88	30^th	49	38.8%
2016	39.44	21^st	35	40.0%
2017	45.34	20^th	35	42.9%
2018	41.95	22^nd	35	37.1%
2019	39.25	34^th	52	34.6%
2021	32.01	30^th	47	36.2%
2022	27.62	37^th	51	27.5%
2023	28.83	38^th	53	28.3%
2024	28.15	40^th	54	25.9%

See the entire list of Delaware Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Milford Central Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	DE State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	54.40	3^rd	8	62.5%

See the entire list of Best Delaware Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Milford Central Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	DE State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	15.24	9^th	9	0.0%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Milford Central Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	DE State Percentile
2019	48.71	18^th	41	56.1%
2021	35.50	14^th	19	26.3%
2022	32.03	25^th	38	34.2%
2023	44.56	20^th	40	50.0%
2024	38.85	22^nd	39	43.6%

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

Rank History for Female students at Milford Central Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	DE State Percentile
2019	41.78	31^st	49	36.7%
2021	29.46	25^th	38	34.2%
2022	25.89	38^th	50	24.0%
2023	25.91	38^th	50	24.0%
2024	23.76	41^st	49	16.3%

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

Rank History for Military Connected students at Milford Central Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	DE State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	33.79	3^rd	4	25.0%

See the entire list of Best Delaware Middle Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Milford Central Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	DE State Percentile
2019	34.99	35^th	49	28.6%
2021	29.01	26^th	38	31.6%
2022	23.18	38^th	50	24.0%
2023	27.56	35^th	50	30.0%
2024	26.74	36^th	49	26.5%

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

Rank History for African American students at Milford Central Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	DE State Percentile
2019	34.60	31^st	44	29.5%
2022	27.02	31^st	41	24.4%
2023	29.89	30^th	43	30.2%
2024	24.10	37^th	42	11.9%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Milford Central Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	DE State Percentile
2019	50.68	19^th	35	45.7%
2021	36.35	13^th	18	27.8%
2022	36.56	27^th	37	27.0%
2023	31.96	28^th	37	24.3%
2024	31.18	29^th	37	21.6%

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

Rank History for White students at Milford Central Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	DE State Percentile
2019	40.35	30^th	43	30.2%
2021	32.98	28^th	41	31.7%
2022	19.36	39^th	45	13.3%
2023	22.38	38^th	44	13.6%
2024	19.88	36^th	45	20.0%

See the entire list of Best Delaware Middle 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:

by a student
Friday, July 1, 2011

ITS THE BEST SCHOOL ITS BEAUTIFUL AND SO CLEAN I LOVE IT ITS WAY BETTER THEN ANY OTHER SCHOOL IN THE MILFORD DISTRICT ITS UNIQUE Close Quote

Enrollment information for Milford Central Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2011	294	150	9	105	15	1	19	593
2012	337	171	9	88	9	2	18	634
2013	300	143	9	103	8	1	30	594
2014	528	253	8	147	2	0	43	981
2015	553	243	9	172	3	2	42	1024
2016	550	232	7	175	4	2	47	1017
2017	505	225	5	178	3	2	50	968
2018	479	233	8	187	3	1	55	966
2019	458	239	8	200	4	1	56	966
2020	495	256	7	232	4	1	50	1045
2021	484	269	10	237	3	0	44	1047
2022	503	274	16	246	2	0	46	1087
2023	491	279	19	232	3	0	44	1068
2024	494	270	13	237	1	3	40	1058

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 Milford Central Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2011	593	40.0	14.8	n/a
2012	634	41.0	15.4	56.3
2013	594	38.0	15.6	55.7
2014	981	57.0	17.2	45.1
2015	1024	60.0	17.0	41.3
2016	1017	61.0	16.6	42.4
2017	968	60.0	16.1	n/a
2018	966	61.0	15.8	n/a
2019	966	61.0	15.8	n/a
2020	1045	65.0	16.0	n/a
2021	1047	64.0	16.3	n/a
2022	1087	65.0	16.7	n/a
2023	1068	63.0	16.9	n/a
2024	1058	59.0	17.9	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 Milford Central Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2011	593	40.0	14.8	n/a
2012	634	41.0	15.4	56.3
2013	594	38.0	15.6	55.7
2014	981	57.0	17.2	45.1
2015	1024	60.0	17.0	41.3
2016	1017	61.0	16.6	42.4
2017	968	60.0	16.1	n/a
2018	966	61.0	15.8	n/a
2019	966	61.0	15.8	n/a
2020	1045	65.0	16.0	n/a
2021	1047	64.0	16.3	n/a
2022	1087	65.0	16.7	n/a
2023	1068	63.0	16.9	n/a
2024	1058	59.0	17.9	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.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Milford Central Academy

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$741 (6.3%)	$11,039 (93.4%)	$11,819

Data source: Delaware Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Milford Central Academy

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 34^th of 52 Middle schools	Ranks 38^th of 53 Middle schools	6.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Milford Central Academy)	46.6	31	15.6%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Milford School District)	46.6	31	15.6%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Delaware)	51.9	35	16.9%
6th Grade Mathematics (Milford Central Academy)	37.9	17.9	20%
6th Grade Mathematics (Milford School District)	37.9	17.9	20%
6th Grade Mathematics (Delaware)	37.6	26.5	11.1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Milford Central Academy)	44.1	36.9	7.2%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Milford School District)	44.1	36.9	7.2%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Delaware)	54.6	42.6	12%
7th Grade Mathematics (Milford Central Academy)	40.2	21	19.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Milford School District)	40.2	21	19.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Delaware)	41	28.9	12.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Milford Central Academy)	48.7	36.5	12.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Milford School District)	48.7	36.5	12.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Delaware)	52.1	41.3	10.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Milford Central Academy)	40.1	14.3	25.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Milford School District)	40.1	14.3	25.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Delaware)	38	24.3	13.7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	966	1068	10.6%
African American	239	279	16.7%
American Indian	4	3	25%
Asian	8	19	137.5%
Hispanic	200	232	16%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	458	491	7.2%
Two or More Races	56	44	21.4%

Schools Near Milford Central Academy

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 Science 8th Grade	DeSSA Social Studies 8th 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 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
Milford Central Academy	Public	6-8	1021 N Walnut Street	Milford	19963	Sussex County	Milford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 430-7900	1,058	59	17.9		494 (46.7%)	270 (25.5%)	237 (22.4%)	13 (1.2%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.3%)	40 (3.8%)	28.2	40^th of 54 public middle schools	25.9%		28.8	38^th of 53 public middle schools	28.3%	2		14.2	20.8		31.5	28.6	37.6		20.1	15.1	13.9	$11,819	$741	$11,039
Chipman (W.T.) Middle School	Public	6-8	101 West Center Street	Harrington	19952	Kent County	Lake Forest School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 398-8197	939	52	18.0		546 (58.1%)	210 (22.4%)	84 (8.9%)	11 (1.2%)	5 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	83 (8.8%)	36.5	34^th of 54 public middle schools	37.0%		35.7	32^nd of 53 public middle schools	39.6%	2		11.6	24.4		34.6	42.4	29.3		24.4	23.9	25.4	$10,942	$456	$10,483
Magnolia Middle School	Public	6-8	133 Thomas More Dr	Magnolia	19962	Kent County	Caesar Rodney School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 387-1780	434	23	18.8		217 (50.0%)	133 (30.6%)	41 (9.4%)	7 (1.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (8.1%)	38	31^st of 54 public middle schools	42.6%					(n/a)		15.5	31.5		37.2	35.8	36.2		27.2	20.4	14.6
F. Niel Postlethwait Middle School	Public	6-8	2841 South State Street	Camden	19901	Kent County	Caesar Rodney School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 698-8410	615	34	18.0		272 (44.2%)	186 (30.2%)	75 (12.2%)	30 (4.9%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	49 (8.0%)	40	30^th of 54 public middle schools	44.4%		40.1	29^th of 53 public middle schools	45.3%	1		15.3	27.2		37.5	38.8	45.2		22.6	20.3	21.6	$10,725	$518	$10,242
Mariner Middle School	Public	6-8	16391 Harbeson Rd	Milton	19968	Sussex County	Cape Henlopen School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 685-8516	682	49	13.9		402 (58.9%)	73 (10.7%)	164 (24.0%)	11 (1.6%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (4.1%)	62.2	17^th of 54 public middle schools	68.5%		59	18^th of 53 public middle schools	66.0%	1		22.8	42.7		43.5	40.9	46.1		35.4	35.9	35.8	$14,284	$427	$16,887
Dover Air Force Base Middle School	Public	6-8	3100 Hawthorne Drive	Dover	19901	Kent County	Caesar Rodney School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 674-3284	132	15	8.8		83 (62.9%)	19 (14.4%)	16 (12.1%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	12 (9.1%)	97	2^nd of 54 public middle schools	96.3%		95.4	4^th of 53 public middle schools	92.5%	2		48.5	61.8		72.6	75.6	78.8		56.9	64.4	65.6	$26,336	$21,473	$4,673
Fred Fifer III Middle School	Public	6-8	109 East Camden-Wyoming Avenue	Camden	19934	Kent County	Caesar Rodney School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 698-8400	786	49	16.0		399 (50.8%)	223 (28.4%)	89 (11.3%)	12 (1.5%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	59 (7.5%)	41.2	28^th of 54 public middle schools	48.1%		40.5	28^th of 53 public middle schools	47.2%			13.5	34.5		35.8	43.2	40.3		24.8	22.5	17.8	$10,841	$346	$10,619
Woodbridge Middle School	Public	6-8	307 Laws Street	Bridgeville	19933	Sussex County	Woodbridge School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 337-8289	615	44	13.9		292 (47.5%)	134 (21.8%)	155 (25.2%)	7 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (4.2%)	22.5	45^th of 54 public middle schools	16.7%		35.1	33^rd of 53 public middle schools	37.7%	12		8.0	15.0		29.1	30.3	23.2		20.1	23.2	11.1	$12,778	$1,359	$10,982
William Henry Middle School	Public	5	65 Carver Road	Dover	19904	Kent County	Capital School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 672-1622	481	37	13.0		84 (17.5%)	274 (57.0%)	66 (13.7%)	10 (2.1%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (8.9%)								(n/a)	8.9			21.7				11.3				$13,812	$1,116	$13,837
Georgetown Middle School	Public	6-8	301 West Market Street	Georgetown	19947	Sussex County	Indian River School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 856-1900	886	58	15.2		196 (22.1%)	85 (9.6%)	569 (64.2%)	2 (0.2%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (3.5%)	47.5	23^rd of 54 public middle schools	57.4%		47.9	22^nd of 53 public middle schools	58.5%	1		16.3	27.7		30.6	48.5	41.9		19.7	41.8	30.0	$13,441	$740	$15,091

Milford Central Academy

Milford Central Academy:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Milford School District:

Average Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for Milford Central Academy

Rank History for all students at Milford Central Academy

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Milford Central Academy

Rank History for Special Education students at Milford Central Academy

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Milford Central Academy

Rank History for Female students at Milford Central Academy

Rank History for Military Connected students at Milford Central Academy

Rank History for Male students at Milford Central Academy

Rank History for African American students at Milford Central Academy

Rank History for Hispanic students at Milford Central Academy

Rank History for White students at Milford Central Academy

Review counts

Enrollment information for Milford Central Academy

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Milford Central Academy

Student/Teacher Ratio Milford Central Academy

Per Pupil Expenditures for Milford Central Academy

Impact of COVID-19 on Milford Central Academy

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Milford Central Academy

Frequently Asked Questions about Milford Central Academy

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