Delaware
Delaware, the nation's second-smallest state, operates a unique dual funding system in which both state and local governments share school funding responsibility — with the state picking up a notably high share compared to most states. Its 19 school districts are compact, mostly suburban or semi-rural, with Christina School District and Red Clay Consolidated serving the largest urban populations near Wilmington. Delaware was an early adopter of the Race to the Top program and invested significantly in educator effectiveness reforms. The state's proximity to Philadelphia means many northern Delaware families consider Pennsylvania schools as part of their choice landscape. Delaware's SAT School Day program provides free college-readiness testing to all 11th graders, making college access measurable and universally available.
| District | Schools | Students | Per-Pupil | Grad Rate | Free Lunch | Opp. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Large Districts — 10,000+ Students | ||||||
| Red Clay Consolidated School District | 27 | 15K | $23,101↑25% | 89.5% | — | 49 |
| Christina School District | 27 | 13K | $30,267↑64% | 79.4%↓10% | — | 41 |
| Appoquinimink School District | 20 | 13K | $21,233↑15% | 95.5%↑8% | — | 45 |
| Indian River School District | 15 | 11K | $21,100↑14% | 81.2%↓8% | — | 38 |
| Brandywine School District | 16 | 10K | $21,794↑18% | 86.2% | — | 52 |
| Medium Districts — 1,000–9,999 Students | ||||||
| Colonial School District | 15 | 9,132 | $21,668↑17% | 87.0% | — | 33 |
| Caesar Rodney School District | 15 | 8,286 | $18,245 | 85.1% | — | 40 |
| Capital School District | 13 | 6,396 | $26,800↑45% | 88.0% | — | 40 |
| Cape Henlopen School District | 9 | 6,336 | $25,178↑36% | 86.6% | — | 46 |
| Smyrna School District | 8 | 6,067 | $15,860↓14% | 89.0% | — | 40 |
| New Castle County Vocational-Technical School District | 4 | 4,688 | $21,824↑18% | 96.2%↑9% | — | 39 |
| Milford School District | 6 | 4,470 | $15,512↓16% | 88.0% | — | 39 |
| Lake Forest School District | 7 | 3,611 | $16,957↓8% | 78.0%↓12% | — | 40 |
| Seaford School District | 7 | 3,410 | $18,856 | 82.0%↓7% | — | 41 |
| Newark Charter School | 1 | 2,987 | $14,911↓19% | 97.5%↑10% | — | 50 |
| Laurel School District | 4 | 2,598 | $15,805↓14% | 82.0%↓7% | — | 39 |
| Woodbridge School District | 4 | 2,494 | $18,180 | 77.0%↓13% | — | 39 |
| Odyssey Charter School | 1 | 2,123 | $14,550↓21% | — | — | 37 |
| Delmar School District | 3 | 1,427 | $12,331↓33% | 92.0% | — | 41 |
| MOT Charter School | 1 | 1,383 | $12,003↓35% | 97.5%↑10% | — | 45 |
| Las Americas Aspira Academy | 1 | 1,341 | $16,453↓11% | — | — | 50 |
| Sussex Technical School District | 1 | 1,292 | $22,088↑19% | 94.0%↑6% | — | 38 |
| POLYTECH School District | 1 | 1,203 | $22,518↑22% | 97.0%↑9% | — | 42 |
| Sussex Academy | 1 | 1,118 | $12,767↓31% | 97.5%↑10% | — | 38 |
| Small Districts — Fewer than 1,000 Students | ||||||
| Charter School of Wilmington | 1 | 968 | $10,550↓43% | 99.5%↑12% | — | 49 |
| Charter School of New Castle | 1 | 752 | $14,976↓19% | — | — | 33 |
| Providence Creek Academy Charter School | 1 | 730 | $12,107↓35% | — | — | 38 |
| Academia Antonia Alonso | 1 | 718 | $20,346↑10% | — | — | 41 |
| Kuumba Academy Charter School | 1 | 643 | $19,265 | — | — | 24 |
| Edison (Thomas A.) Charter School | 1 | 632 | $15,369↓17% | — | — | — |
| First State Montessori Academy | 1 | 629 | $14,293↓23% | — | — | 24 |
| Delaware Military Academy | 1 | 584 | $12,582↓32% | 97.5%↑10% | — | 37 |
| Early College High School at Del State | 1 | 519 | $13,626↓26% | 92.0% | — | 40 |
| East Side Charter School | 1 | 472 | $17,899 | — | — | — |
| Freire Charter School Wilmington | 1 | 450 | $18,159 | 84.5% | — | 24 |
| First State Military Academy | 1 | 439 | $15,338↓17% | 77.0%↓13% | — | 38 |
| Academy of Dover Charter School | 1 | 411 | $15,920↓14% | — | — | — |
| Sussex Montessori School | 1 | 403 | $12,129↓34% | — | — | 41 |
| Campus Community School | 1 | 402 | $14,806↓20% | — | — | — |
| Great Oaks Charter School | 1 | 217 | $25,860↑40% | — | — | 24 |
| Gateway Charter School | 1 | 186 | $28,433↑54% | — | — | 56 |
| Positive Outcomes Charter School | 1 | 115 | $34,692↑88% | 85.0% | — | 40 |