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Clayton Elementary School

Summary:

Clayton Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 475 students in grades K-4 in the town of Clayton, Delaware, within the Smyrna School District. The school has a diverse student population, with a racial makeup that is predominantly White (66.32%), with significant populations of African American (19.37%) and Hispanic (8.42%) students.

Clayton Elementary School is a strong-performing school, consistently ranking in the top half of Delaware elementary schools and earning a 3-4 star rating from SchoolDigger. The school particularly excels for its African American and low-socioeconomic status (SES) student populations, ranking 3rd and 13th out of Delaware elementary schools, respectively, in 2022-2023. However, the school's performance for its White student population is relatively weaker, ranking 44th out of 70 Delaware elementary schools. Clayton Elementary's test scores in English Language Arts and Mathematics are generally above the state and district averages, with 61.76% of 3rd-grade students proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 55.64% in the Smyrna School District and 42.17% statewide.

While Clayton Elementary School outperforms other Smyrna School District elementary schools, such as Smyrna Elementary, North Smyrna Elementary, and Sunnyside Elementary, it faces a concerning trend of increasing chronic absenteeism, rising from 6.3% in 2017-2018 to 15.5% in 2022-2023. The school should investigate the underlying causes and implement strategies to improve attendance, as chronic absenteeism is often linked to lower academic performance.


Detail:

Public K-4

 510 West Main Street
       Clayton, DE  19938-3400

(302) 653-8587

District: Smyrna School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
44th of 106 Delaware Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $11,453 Help


Students who attend Clayton Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Clayton Intermediate School
    Smyrna Middle School
High:    Smyrna High School

Student/teacher ratio:  15.3 Help
Number of students:  475

Racial breakdown:

White:
66.3%
African American:
19.4%
Hispanic:
8.4%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  25.3% Help


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 Compare Clayton Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Clayton Elementary School ranks better than 58.5% of elementary schools in Delaware. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 53.45. (See more...)
Help
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
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (66.3%), African American (19.4%), Hispanic (8.4%). (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Clayton Elementary School is 15.3. 2 elementary schools in the Smyrna School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Clayton Elementary School employs 31 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Clayton Elementary School is $11,453, which is the lowest among 4 elementary schools in the Smyrna School District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Clayton Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Clayton Elementary School 44th of 106 Delaware public elementary schools. (See Clayton Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
White students:


Smyrna School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Smyrna School District 8th of 32 Delaware school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Clayton Elementary School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Clayton Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools DE State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2011 76.04 20th 91 78.0%
2012 86.10 9th 90 90.0%
2013 79.38 16th 91 82.4%
2014 80.67 10th 36 72.2%
2015 78.11 21st 108 80.6%
2016 69.64 29th 86 66.3%
2017 68.08 27th 86 68.6%
2018 72.65 21st 85 75.3%
2019 60.16 49th 105 53.3%
2021 42.16 50th 95 47.4%
2022 47.03 51st 104 51.0%
2023 67.99 29th 103 71.8%
2024 53.45 44th 106 58.5%
See the entire list of Delaware Elementary School Rankings!

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

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools DE State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 50.21 49th 92 46.7%
2023 70.83 13th 66 80.3%
See the entire list of Best Delaware Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Clayton Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools DE State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 53.13 47th 99 52.5%
2021 36.09 43rd 67 35.8%
2022 32.33 66th 90 26.7%
2023 52.30 35th 89 60.7%
2024 31.33 65th 97 33.0%
See the entire list of Best Delaware Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Clayton Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools DE State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 62.80 40th 99 59.6%
2021 26.19 51st 67 23.9%
2022 45.43 47th 90 47.8%
2023 66.93 24th 89 73.0%
2024 62.11 31st 97 68.0%
See the entire list of Best Delaware Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Clayton Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools DE State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 69.55 13th 60 78.3%
2023 93.39 3rd 60 95.0%
2024 41.72 39th 62 37.1%
See the entire list of Best Delaware Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for White students at Clayton Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools DE State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 33.31 63rd 82 23.2%
2021 20.87 58th 65 10.8%
2022 24.70 63rd 75 16.0%
2023 42.81 44th 70 37.1%
2024 35.96 53rd 73 27.4%
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.

Clayton Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 
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Data source: Delaware Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3)
50%

0%

0%

0%

50%

  

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Clayton Elementary School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 249 15 0 1 0 n/a n/a 0 265
1989 250 14 0 3 0 n/a n/a 0 267
1990 238 12 n/a 4 n/a n/a n/a 0 254
1991 238 15 0 2 0 n/a n/a 0 255
1992 267 12 0 6 0 n/a n/a 0 285
1993 283 9 0 5 0 n/a n/a 0 297
1994 281 6 0 3 0 n/a n/a 0 290
1995 542 81 0 18 1 n/a n/a 0 642
1996 542 81 0 18 1 n/a n/a 0 642
1997 587 80 0 14 2 n/a n/a 0 683
1998 588 79 3 9 0 n/a n/a 0 679
1999 475 72 2 6 0 n/a n/a 0 555
2000 490 86 2 4 0 n/a n/a 0 582
2001 486 79 2 6 0 n/a n/a 0 573
2002 430 64 3 11 0 n/a n/a 0 508
2003 430 64 3 11 0 n/a n/a 0 508
2004 388 59 1 12 0 n/a n/a 0 460
2005 308 20 0 11 0 n/a n/a 0 339
2006 381 39 2 11 0 n/a n/a 0 433
2007 397 58 3 17 1 n/a n/a 0 476
2008 414 80 5 26 1 n/a n/a 0 526
2009 424 79 5 24 4 n/a n/a 0 536
2010 453 78 10 28 4 n/a n/a 0 573
2011 452 72 10 34 3 0 5 0 576
2012 422 53 3 26 3 0 11 0 518
2013 420 50 3 26 4 0 11 0 514
2014 400 46 2 30 2 0 10 0 490
2015 377 42 2 37 1 0 16 0 475
2016 365 41 1 30 1 0 20 0 458
2017 354 36 3 41 0 0 20 0 454
2018 379 60 3 47 1 0 24 0 514
2019 379 67 5 46 1 1 23 0 522
2020 382 73 4 42 1 1 29 0 532
2021 352 78 5 40 1 2 28 0 506
2022 340 81 5 35 1 1 27 0 490
2023 315 92 3 40 1 0 24 0 475

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 Clayton Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 265 15.0 17.6 10.2
1989 267 15.0 17.8 11.2
1990 254 15.0 16.9 14.6
1991 255 14.0 18.2 15.7
1992 285 18.0 15.8 22.5
1993 297 18.0 16.5 26.9
1994 290 18.0 16.1 21.4
1995 642 23.0 27.9 21
1996 642 23.0 27.9 21
1997 683 36.5 18.7 21.5
1998 679 39.5 17.2 21.8
1999 555 37.0 15.0 27.4
2000 582 40.1 14.5 23.9
2001 573 43.0 13.3 19.7
2002 508 35.0 14.5 21.1
2003 508 35.0 14.5 21.1
2004 460 33.0 13.9 21.3
2005 339 22.0 15.4 21.2
2006 433 28.0 15.5 20.3
2007 476 31.0 15.4 20.4
2008 526 34.0 15.5 18.4
2009 536 35.0 15.3 22.2
2010 573 37.0 15.4 29.8
2011 576 36.0 16.0 22
2012 518 33.0 15.6 36.5
2013 514 32.0 16.0 39.1
2014 490 30.0 16.3 30
2015 475 29.0 16.3 29.9
2016 458 28.0 16.3 25.3
2017 454 30.0 15.1 n/a
2018 514 30.0 17.1 n/a
2019 522 31.0 16.8 n/a
2020 532 34.0 15.6 n/a
2021 506 35.0 14.4 n/a
2022 490 35.0 14.0 n/a
2023 475 31.0 15.3 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 Clayton Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 265 15.0 17.6 10.2
1989 267 15.0 17.8 11.2
1990 254 15.0 16.9 14.6
1991 255 14.0 18.2 15.7
1992 285 18.0 15.8 22.5
1993 297 18.0 16.5 26.9
1994 290 18.0 16.1 21.4
1995 642 23.0 27.9 21
1996 642 23.0 27.9 21
1997 683 36.5 18.7 21.5
1998 679 39.5 17.2 21.8
1999 555 37.0 15.0 27.4
2000 582 40.1 14.5 23.9
2001 573 43.0 13.3 19.7
2002 508 35.0 14.5 21.1
2003 508 35.0 14.5 21.1
2004 460 33.0 13.9 21.3
2005 339 22.0 15.4 21.2
2006 433 28.0 15.5 20.3
2007 476 31.0 15.4 20.4
2008 526 34.0 15.5 18.4
2009 536 35.0 15.3 22.2
2010 573 37.0 15.4 29.8
2011 576 36.0 16.0 22
2012 518 33.0 15.6 36.5
2013 514 32.0 16.0 39.1
2014 490 30.0 16.3 30
2015 475 29.0 16.3 29.9
2016 458 28.0 16.3 25.3
2017 454 30.0 15.1 n/a
2018 514 30.0 17.1 n/a
2019 522 31.0 16.8 n/a
2020 532 34.0 15.6 n/a
2021 506 35.0 14.4 n/a
2022 490 35.0 14.0 n/a
2023 475 31.0 15.3 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 Clayton Elementary School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $645 (5.6%) $10,779 (94.1%) $11,453

Data source: Delaware Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Clayton 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 49th of 105 Elementary schoolsRanks 29th of 103 Elementary schools
 18.5%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 % proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Clayton Elementary School)59.146.1
 13%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Smyrna School District)58.943.4
 15.5%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Delaware)50.538.4
 12.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Clayton Elementary School)64.861.8
 3%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Smyrna School District)61.255.6
 5.6%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Delaware)5342.2
 10.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Clayton Elementary School)51.839.5
 12.4%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Smyrna School District)51.737.4
 14.3%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Delaware)53.539.9
 13.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Clayton Elementary School)5046.8
 3.2%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Smyrna School District)52.442.6
 9.8%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Delaware)50.839.1
 11.7%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Total Students522475
 9%
African American6792
 37.3%
American Indian11
Asian53
 40%
Hispanic4640
 13%
Pacific Islander10
 100%
White379315
 16.9%
Two or More Races2324
 4.3%

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Frequently Asked Questions about Clayton Elementary School

In the 2022-23 school year, 475 students attended Clayton Elementary School.

Clayton Elementary School ranks 44th of 106 Delaware elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Students at Clayton Elementary School are 66% White, 19% African American, 8% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

Students who attend Clayton Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Clayton Intermediate School
Middle : Smyrna Middle School
High : Smyrna High 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.




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