Is McKean (Thomas) High School a good school?

McKean (Thomas) High School ranks in the bottom 2.4% of Delaware high schools.

How many students attend McKean (Thomas) High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 927 students attended McKean (Thomas) High School.

What is the racial makeup of McKean (Thomas) High School?

Students at McKean (Thomas) High School are 43% Hispanic, 27% African American, 25% White, 3% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What schools feed into McKean (Thomas) High School?

McKean (Thomas) High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Baltz (Austin D.) Elementary School Elementary : Linden Hill Elementary School Elementary : Mote (Anna P.) Elementary School Middle : Stanton Middle School

McKean (Thomas) High School

Summary:

McKean (Thomas) High School is a public high school in Wilmington, Delaware, serving 927 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Red Clay Consolidated School District, which is ranked 14 out of 32 districts in the state.

Despite being part of a moderately ranked district, McKean (Thomas) High School has consistently ranked near the bottom of Delaware high schools, receiving 0 out of 5 stars from SchoolDigger. The school's students significantly underperform on standardized assessments compared to state and district averages, with only 19.08% of 11th-graders proficient in SAT/English Language Arts, 2.89% in SAT/Mathematics, and 5.52% in DeSSA/Science. McKean (Thomas) High School also faces high chronic absenteeism rates, reaching 40.0% in the 2022-2023 school year, and declining graduation rates, dropping from 89.0% in 2018-2019 to 84.8% in 2021-2022.

When compared to other high schools in the Red Clay Consolidated School District, McKean (Thomas) High School consistently underperforms. For example, the nearby Calloway (Cab) School of the Arts and Conrad Schools of Science significantly outperform McKean (Thomas) High School on academic assessments and have much lower chronic absenteeism rates. Additionally, the school's performance is particularly concerning for certain student subgroups, such as Hispanic and low socioeconomic status students, who rank among the lowest in the state.

Detail:

Public 9-12

301 McKennan's Church Road
Wilmington, DE 19808-1398

(302) 992-5520

District: Red Clay Consolidated School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
40^th of 41 Delaware High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,132

Feeder schools for McKean (Thomas) High School:

Elementary:	Baltz (Austin D.) Elementary School
	Linden Hill Elementary School
	Mote (Anna P.) Elementary School
Middle:	Stanton Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.0

Number of students: 927

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

43.5%

African American:

27.1%

White:

25.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 47.8%

See top rated Delaware high schools

Compare McKean (Thomas) High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details McKean (Thomas) High School ranks worse than 97.6% of high schools in Delaware. It also ranks last among 5 ranked high schools in the Red Clay Consolidated School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 11.84. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at McKean (Thomas) 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 Student population at McKean (Thomas) High School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (43.5%), African American (27.1%), White (25%). (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at McKean (Thomas) High School is 13, which is the lowest among 5 high schools in the Red Clay Consolidated School District! (See more...)

Compare McKean (Thomas) High School employs 71 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at McKean (Thomas) High School is $18,132, which is the highest among 5 high schools in the Red Clay Consolidated School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

McKean (Thomas) High School:

SchoolDigger ranks McKean (Thomas) High School 40^th of 41 Delaware public high schools. (See McKean (Thomas) High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Red Clay Consolidated School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Red Clay Consolidated School District 14^th of 32 Delaware school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for McKean (Thomas) High School

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Rank History for all students at McKean (Thomas) High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	DE State Percentile
2011	13.72	25^th	27	7.4%
2012	7.33	26^th	27	3.7%
2013	7.56	26^th	26	0.0%
2014	2.25	14^th	14	0.0%
2015	9.08	33^rd	35	5.7%
2016	7.80	30^th	31	3.2%
2017	6.99	30^th	30	0.0%
2018	7.80	30^th	30	0.0%
2019	6.05	40^th	40	0.0%
2021	4.40	39^th	39	0.0%
2022	5.78	38^th	39	2.6%
2023	7.98	38^th	39	2.6%
2024	11.84	40^th	41	2.4%

See the entire list of Delaware High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at McKean (Thomas) High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	DE State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	24.68	24^th	32	25.0%

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

Rank History for Female students at McKean (Thomas) High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	DE State Percentile
2019	2.61	41^st	41	0.0%
2023	7.48	37^th	38	2.6%
2024	8.99	38^th	39	2.6%

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

Rank History for Male students at McKean (Thomas) High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	DE State Percentile
2019	5.81	41^st	41	0.0%
2023	6.51	38^th	38	0.0%
2024	10.73	38^th	39	2.6%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at McKean (Thomas) High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	DE State Percentile
2021	1.94	19^th	19	0.0%
2022	11.66	22^nd	22	0.0%
2024	12.05	29^th	31	6.5%

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

Rank History for White students at McKean (Thomas) High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	DE State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	5.51	35^th	35	0.0%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for McKean (Thomas) High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	638	183	16	33	0	n/a	n/a	870
1989	620	169	18	28	0	n/a	n/a	835
1990	633	173	29	28	n/a	n/a	n/a	863
1991	606	184	26	37	0	n/a	n/a	853
1992	549	147	25	45	0	n/a	n/a	766
1993	515	162	22	51	0	n/a	n/a	750
1994	539	166	20	55	0	n/a	n/a	780
1995	686	201	19	72	1	n/a	n/a	979
1996	686	201	19	72	1	n/a	n/a	979
1997	830	231	24	89	1	n/a	n/a	1175
1998	894	266	28	86	2	n/a	n/a	1276
1999	937	297	33	91	1	n/a	n/a	1359
2000	889	228	36	91	0	n/a	n/a	1244
2001	926	246	33	94	1	n/a	n/a	1300
2002	832	279	27	117	1	n/a	n/a	1256
2003	832	279	27	117	1	n/a	n/a	1256
2004	747	290	25	126	1	n/a	n/a	1189
2005	612	311	26	137	0	n/a	n/a	1086
2006	551	292	31	227	2	n/a	n/a	1103
2007	481	301	29	250	1	n/a	n/a	1062
2008	419	286	18	262	0	n/a	n/a	985
2009	380	307	18	268	0	n/a	n/a	973
2010	348	253	22	258	0	n/a	n/a	881
2011	346	256	20	283	0	1	5	911
2012	364	220	17	280	2	0	14	897
2013	326	210	15	293	1	0	19	864
2014	309	231	10	298	3	0	22	873
2015	272	206	5	283	2	0	28	796
2016	260	238	6	274	1	1	20	800
2017	226	242	10	265	3	0	13	759
2018	248	258	9	299	3	0	8	825
2019	257	248	9	316	8	0	10	848
2020	274	254	10	361	7	0	14	920
2021	273	228	10	376	3	0	21	911
2022	262	233	10	403	5	0	24	937
2023	232	251	11	403	6	0	24	927

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 McKean (Thomas) High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	870	57.0	15.2	7.1
1989	835	53.0	15.7	6.5
1990	863	53.0	16.2	4.6
1991	853	50.0	17.0	6.1
1992	766	42.0	18.2	7.6
1993	750	43.0	17.4	16
1994	780	43.0	18.1	19.9
1995	979	56.0	17.5	17.6
1996	979	56.0	17.5	17.6
1997	1175	59.0	19.9	14.7
1998	1276	72.5	17.6	21.9
1999	1359	74.5	18.2	21.9
2000	1244	77.0	16.2	23
2001	1300	76.0	17.1	19.9
2002	1256	78.0	16.1	24.3
2003	1256	78.0	16.1	24.3
2004	1189	73.0	16.3	27.8
2005	1086	66.0	16.5	28.4
2006	1103	68.0	16.2	34
2007	1062	63.0	16.9	41.2
2008	985	58.0	17.0	44.5
2009	973	57.5	16.9	52.5
2010	881	57.5	15.3	59.3
2011	911	65.0	14.0	59.7
2012	897	59.0	15.2	64.3
2013	864	63.0	13.7	64.8
2014	873	64.0	13.6	44.8
2015	796	59.0	13.4	42.8
2016	800	59.0	13.5	47.8
2017	759	55.0	13.8	n/a
2018	825	58.0	14.2	n/a
2019	848	58.0	14.6	n/a
2020	920	66.0	13.9	n/a
2021	911	67.0	13.5	n/a
2022	937	68.0	13.7	n/a
2023	927	71.0	13.0	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 McKean (Thomas) High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	870	57.0	15.2	7.1
1989	835	53.0	15.7	6.5
1990	863	53.0	16.2	4.6
1991	853	50.0	17.0	6.1
1992	766	42.0	18.2	7.6
1993	750	43.0	17.4	16
1994	780	43.0	18.1	19.9
1995	979	56.0	17.5	17.6
1996	979	56.0	17.5	17.6
1997	1175	59.0	19.9	14.7
1998	1276	72.5	17.6	21.9
1999	1359	74.5	18.2	21.9
2000	1244	77.0	16.2	23
2001	1300	76.0	17.1	19.9
2002	1256	78.0	16.1	24.3
2003	1256	78.0	16.1	24.3
2004	1189	73.0	16.3	27.8
2005	1086	66.0	16.5	28.4
2006	1103	68.0	16.2	34
2007	1062	63.0	16.9	41.2
2008	985	58.0	17.0	44.5
2009	973	57.5	16.9	52.5
2010	881	57.5	15.3	59.3
2011	911	65.0	14.0	59.7
2012	897	59.0	15.2	64.3
2013	864	63.0	13.7	64.8
2014	873	64.0	13.6	44.8
2015	796	59.0	13.4	42.8
2016	800	59.0	13.5	47.8
2017	759	55.0	13.8	n/a
2018	825	58.0	14.2	n/a
2019	848	58.0	14.6	n/a
2020	920	66.0	13.9	n/a
2021	911	67.0	13.5	n/a
2022	937	68.0	13.7	n/a
2023	927	71.0	13.0	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 McKean (Thomas) High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$348 (1.9%)	$22,168 (122.3%)	$18,132

Data source: Delaware Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on McKean (Thomas) 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 40^th of 40 High schools	Ranks 38^th of 39 High schools	2.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts (McKean (Thomas) High School)	12.4	16.4	4%
11th Grade English Language Arts (Red Clay Consolidated School District)	61.8	58.7	3.1%
11th Grade English Language Arts (Delaware)	48.5	44.2	4.3%
11th Grade Mathematics (McKean (Thomas) High School)	3.6	3.9	0.4%
11th Grade Mathematics (Red Clay Consolidated School District)	43.2	38.3	4.8%
11th Grade Mathematics (Delaware)	28.3	22.9	5.4%
11th Grade Essay (McKean (Thomas) High School)	6.8	10.2	3.4%
11th Grade Essay (Red Clay Consolidated School District)	48.6	50.9	2.3%
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	848	927	9.3%
African American	248	251	1.2%
American Indian	8	6	25%
Asian	9	11	22.2%
Hispanic	316	403	27.5%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	257	232	9.7%
Two or More Races	10	24	140%

Schools Near McKean (Thomas) 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)	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 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 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 8th 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
McKean (Thomas) High School	Public	9-12	301 McKennan's Church Road	Wilmington	19808	New Castle County	Red Clay Consolidated School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 992-5520	927	71	13.0		232 (25.0%)	251 (27.1%)	403 (43.5%)	11 (1.2%)	6 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (2.6%)	11.8	40^th of 41 public high schools	2.4%		8	38^th of 39 public high schools	2.6%	2		22.5	5.5		12.1	19.1	2.9	9.1							$18,132	$348	$22,168
Dickinson (John) School	Public	6-12	1801 Milltown Road	Wilmington	19808	New Castle County	Red Clay Consolidated School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 992-5500	1,058	64	16.5		386 (36.5%)	295 (27.9%)	326 (30.8%)	17 (1.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (3.1%)	29.1	27^th of 41 public high schools	34.1%		29.1	27^th of 39 public high schools	30.8%		18.9	19.1		50.0	16.6	33.3	13.9	24.6	51.3	44.6	32.0	26.9	25.3	16.0	$16,480	$248	$20,680
Delcastle Technical High School	Public	9-12	1417 Newport Road	Wilmington	19804	New Castle County	New Castle County Vocational-Technical School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 995-8100	1,585	128	12.3		380 (24.0%)	439 (27.7%)	681 (43.0%)	13 (0.8%)	5 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	66 (4.2%)	22.9	32^nd of 41 public high schools	22.0%		24.7	30^th of 39 public high schools	23.1%	2			18.2		14.4	28.3	6.7	14.8							$18,776	$1,069	$21,028
duPont (Alexis I.) High School	Public	9-12	50 Hillside Road	Wilmington	19807	New Castle County	Red Clay Consolidated School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 651-2626	680	48	14.1		107 (15.7%)	302 (44.4%)	243 (35.7%)	5 (0.7%)	5 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (2.6%)	12.7	39^th of 41 public high schools	4.9%		19.3	33^rd of 39 public high schools	15.4%	6			8.0		11.9	18.2		10.3							$16,399	$369	$19,747
Charter School of Wilmington	Public, Charter	9-12	100 North duPont Road	Wilmington	19807	New Castle County	Charter School of Wilmington	Yes	No	No	Yes	(302) 651-2727	968	51	18.9		448 (46.3%)	93 (9.6%)	76 (7.9%)	306 (31.6%)	4 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	40 (4.1%)								(n/a)
Calloway (Cab) School of the Arts	Public, Magnet	6-12	100 North duPont Road	Wilmington	19807	New Castle County	Red Clay Consolidated School District	No	Yes	No	No	(302) 651-2700	930	52	17.8		449 (48.3%)	183 (19.7%)	113 (12.2%)	135 (14.5%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	46 (4.9%)	94.2	3^rd of 41 public high schools	92.7%		92.4	4^th of 39 public high schools	89.7%	1			59.8	65.1	61.5	75.9	29.6	56.9	71.7	68.4	57.5	49.3	48.9	42.3	$13,394	$258	$16,458
Conrad Schools of Science	Public, Magnet	6-12	201 Jackson Avenue	Wilmington	19804	New Castle County	Red Clay Consolidated School District	No	Yes	No	No	(302) 992-5545	1,169	65	17.9		621 (53.1%)	133 (11.4%)	298 (25.5%)	69 (5.9%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (4.0%)	81	5^th of 41 public high schools	87.8%		84	5^th of 39 public high schools	87.2%		32.5	39.9		67.5	51.6	66.0	26.4	46.8	52.1	57.1	63.6	45.5	48.2	53.7	$12,754	$266	$15,533
Delaware Military Academy	Public, Charter	9-12	112 Middleboro Road	Wilmington	19804	New Castle County	Delaware Military Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(302) 998-0745	584	33	17.6		444 (76.0%)	56 (9.6%)	64 (11.0%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.6%)								(n/a)
Freire Charter School	Public, Charter	8-12	201 West 14th Street	Wilmington	19801	New Castle County	Freire Charter School Wilmington	Yes	No	No	Yes	(302) 407-4800	450	27	16.6		37 (8.2%)	368 (81.8%)	36 (8.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.6%)	16.1	37^th of 41 public high schools	9.8%		17.7	34^th of 39 public high schools	12.8%	3			10.6	11.4	12.9	14.7		17.0			16.3				$13,729	$1,504	$10,447
Great Oaks Charter School	Public, Charter	9-12	1200 North French St	Wilmington	19801	New Castle County	Great Oaks Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(302) 332-6110	217	14	15.5		6 (2.8%)	189 (87.1%)	20 (9.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)															$16,393	$1,711	$13,492

McKean (Thomas) High School

McKean (Thomas) High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Red Clay Consolidated School District:

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for McKean (Thomas) High School

Rank History for all students at McKean (Thomas) High School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at McKean (Thomas) High School

Rank History for Female students at McKean (Thomas) High School

Rank History for Male students at McKean (Thomas) High School

Rank History for Hispanic students at McKean (Thomas) High School

Rank History for White students at McKean (Thomas) High School

Review counts

Enrollment information for McKean (Thomas) High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at McKean (Thomas) High School

Student/Teacher Ratio McKean (Thomas) High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for McKean (Thomas) High School

Impact of COVID-19 on McKean (Thomas) High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near McKean (Thomas) High School

Frequently Asked Questions about McKean (Thomas) High School

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