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ENROLLMENT TRENDS · DELAWARE

Delaware schools in decline

Delaware public schools with the largest enrollment loss from 2017-18 to 2024-25.

Schools in this report
50
steepest declines in state
Largest drop
-100%
The Wallace Wallin School
Range
-100% to -16%
2017-18 → 2024-25
TOP 50 DE PUBLIC SCHOOLS BY ENROLLMENT LOSS · 2017-18 → 2024-25
SchoolCityDistrict2017-182024-25% change ↑
The Wallace Wallin SchoolNEW CASTLEColonial School District1140-100%
Pulaski Early Education CenterWILMINGTONChristina School District30693-69.6%
Great Oaks Charter SchoolWILMINGTONGreat Oaks Charter School448149-66.7%
North Laurel Early Learning AcademyLAURELLaurel School District682273-60.0%
Laurel Middle SchoolLAURELLaurel School District822373-54.6%
William Henry Middle SchoolDOVERCapital School District925432-53.3%
Stubbs Early Education CenterWILMINGTONChristina School District283148-47.7%
Redding (Louis L.) Middle SchoolMIDDLETOWNAppoquinimink School District836451-46.1%
duPont (Alexis I.) High SchoolWILMINGTONRed Clay Consolidated School District999550-44.9%
Skyline Middle SchoolWILMINGTONRed Clay Consolidated School District627408-34.9%
Keene (William B.) Elementary SchoolNEWARKChristina School District626408-34.8%
New Castle Elementary SchoolNEW CASTLEColonial School District586383-34.6%
Beacon Middle SchoolLEWESCape Henlopen School District645427-33.8%
Brader (Henry M.) Elementary SchoolNEWARKChristina School District483324-32.9%
Marshall (Thurgood) Elementary SchoolNEWARKChristina School District782529-32.4%
Allen Frear Elementary SchoolCAMDENCaesar Rodney School District734504-31.3%
Maclary (R. Elisabeth) Elementary SchoolNEWARKChristina School District348244-29.9%
Gauger-Cobbs Middle SchoolNEWARKChristina School District967681-29.6%
Smyrna Elementary SchoolSMYRNASmyrna School District595420-29.4%
Leasure (May B.) Elementary SchoolNEWARKChristina School District447316-29.3%
Downes (John R.) Elementary SchoolNEWARKChristina School District486346-28.8%
Spring Meadow Early Childhood CenterTOWNSENDAppoquinimink School District258185-28.3%
Hartly Elementary SchoolHARTLYCapital School District332240-27.7%
Oberle (William) Elementary SchoolBEARChristina School District697512-26.5%
F. Niel Postlethwait Middle SchoolCAMDENCaesar Rodney School District870647-25.6%
Clayton (John M.) Elementary SchoolFRANKFORDIndian River School District595446-25.0%
Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary SchoolWILMINGTONRed Clay Consolidated School District460347-24.6%
W. B. Simpson Elementary SchoolCAMDENCaesar Rodney School District615465-24.4%
Edison (Thomas A.) Charter SchoolWILMINGTONEdison (Thomas A.) Charter School732557-23.9%
Castle Hills Elementary SchoolNEW CASTLEColonial School District598462-22.7%
Forest Oak Elementary SchoolNEWARKRed Clay Consolidated School District554429-22.6%
Townsend Early Childhood CenterTOWNSENDAppoquinimink School District227176-22.5%
Smith (Jennie E.) Elementary SchoolNEWARKChristina School District530413-22.1%
Lake Forest North Elementary SchoolFELTONLake Forest School District544424-22.1%
Middletown High SchoolMIDDLETOWNAppoquinimink School District1,5691,231-21.5%
Stanton Middle SchoolWILMINGTONRed Clay Consolidated School District707558-21.1%
Bedford (Gunning) Middle SchoolNEW CASTLEColonial School District1,067846-20.7%
Meadowood ProgramNEWARKRed Clay Consolidated School District150119-20.7%
Downie (Carrie) Elementary SchoolNEW CASTLEColonial School District408324-20.6%
Mote (Anna P.) Elementary SchoolWILMINGTONRed Clay Consolidated School District388310-20.1%
Loss (Olive B.) Elementary SchoolBEARAppoquinimink School District622499-19.8%
McCullough (Calvin R. ) Middle SchoolNEW CASTLEColonial School District762615-19.3%
McVey (Joseph M.) Elementary SchoolNEWARKChristina School District394319-19.0%
duPont (Pierre S.) Middle SchoolWILMINGTONBrandywine School District899730-18.8%
Appoquinimink High SchoolMIDDLETOWNAppoquinimink School District1,6521,357-17.9%
Maple Lane Elementary SchoolCLAYMONTBrandywine School District441363-17.7%
Brookside Elementary SchoolNEWARKChristina School District315260-17.5%
Cedar Lane Elementary SchoolMIDDLETOWNAppoquinimink School District768634-17.4%
Concord High SchoolWILMINGTONBrandywine School District1,182994-15.9%
Showell (Phillip C.) Elementary SchoolSELBYVILLEIndian River School District352297-15.6%
50 of 50 rows · Brick-and-mortar only. Virtual, online, and cyber schools excluded. Schools must have had ≥100 students in 2017-18 and be open in both school years.↓ Download schools-in-decline-by-state-de.csv

How this list was built

Every Delaware public school that reported total enrollment in both the NCES SY 2017-18 and SY 2024-25 vintages was scored on percent change in enrollment. Schools needed at least 100 students in 2017-18 to qualify, and must have been open in both school years. Schools that closed entirely are tracked in the separate school closures report. Virtual academies, cyber charters, and online schools are excluded so the list reflects neighborhood schools that families have moved away from rather than program-design changes.

Enrollment loss is not a verdict on a school. Schools shrink because catchment populations shrink, because new schools open nearby, because a magnet program elsewhere pulls transfers, because districts redraw boundaries, or because the building physically aged out. Use this list as a starting point for understanding which Delaware schools are operating with substantially fewer students than they were seven years ago.

Source data

NCES Common Core of Data, EDGE_ADMINDATA_PUBLICSCH MapServer, vintages 2017-18 and 2024-25. Refreshed yearly when NCES publishes a new admin-data release. School names, slugs, and current district affiliation come from the 2024-25 snapshot.

HOW TO CITE THIS REPORT

Anyone is welcome to cite or republish these findings. Please credit allk12.com and link back to this page so readers can verify the underlying data.

allk12 (2026). "Delaware schools in decline: enrollment loss 2017–2024." Retrieved from https://allk12.com/reports/in-decline/delaware
For interview requests or custom data pulls: [email protected]
DOWNLOAD THE DATA
↓ schools-in-decline-by-state-de.csv
RELATED
Delaware schools on the rise · All Delaware schools · Best Delaware schools · All states
DATA NOTICE

allk12 is independent and not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by NCES, the US Census Bureau, any state education agency or assessment program, or any other government agency. Source data is compiled from public records and provided "as is," without warranty of accuracy or completeness. You rely on it, and any analysis derived from it, at your own risk. See the full disclaimer.