Enrollment
346
Elementary
DISTRICT 362 · STATE 461
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·CHRISTINA SCHOOL DISTRICT·NCES 100020000228
Downes (John R.) Elementary School
220 Casho Mill Road, Newark, DE 19711 · (302) 454-2133 · New Castle County
GRADES KG–05ELEMENTARY21-SUBURBREGULAR SCHOOL346 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
11.2:1
31 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 11.9:1 · STATE 13.9:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
,
Title I proxy
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 50 | 14% |
| Grade 1 | 58 | 17% |
| Grade 2 | 44 | 13% |
| Grade 3 | 70 | 20% |
| Grade 4 | 69 | 20% |
| Grade 5 | 55 | 16% |
Student demographics
74%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 70% · STATE 71% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
QUIET COMMUNITY
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START A DISCUSSIONTest scores
DeSSA + SBAC 2024-25 . % ProficientEnglish Language Arts
42.8%
DE avg 41.4% . -7.5pp since 2023
Math
38.5%
DE avg 34.0% . -7.3pp since 2023
What this means: On the DeSSA + SBAC, Delaware's statewide test, about 43 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 39 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Delaware schools, those numbers are about 41 and 34. Reading and writing scores are down about 8 points since 2023, while math scores are down about 7 points.
DeSSA + SBAC results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 42.8% | 38.5% |
| 2023-24 | 50.3% | 45.8% |
% Proficient, all students and all tested grades.
Source: DeSSA + SBAC. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
Where Downes (John R.) Elementary School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Delaware | In New Castle County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 38.5% | #49 of 108 | #24 of 62 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 42.8% | #46 of 108 | #25 of 62 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 346 | #93 of 127 | #50 of 72 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 11.2:1 | #18 of 119 | #15 of 67 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 73.6% | #6 of 120 | #6 of 68 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -28.8% | #12 of 78 | #9 of 50 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
346
-67 (-16%) vs 2020
-35% since 1990-91, when it was 530
Student : Teacher
11.2:1
was 12.5:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 346 | 31 | 11.2:1 | N/A |
| 2023-24 | 357 | 29.4 | 12.1:1 | N/A |
| 2022-23 | 385 | 32.4 | 11.9:1 | N/A |
| 2020-21 | 413 | 33 | 12.5:1 | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 486 | 33 | 14.7:1 | N/A |
| 2015-16 | 473 | 25 | 18.9:1 | 26% (124) |
| 2010-11 | 517 | 33 | 15.7:1 | 35% (180) |
| 2000-01 | 604 | 34 | 17.8:1 | 21% (127) |
| 1990-91 | 530 | 28 | 18.9:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Downes (John R.) Elementary School.
About Downes (John R.) Elementary School
The public elementary school Downes (John R.) Elementary School is located in Newark, Delaware. Students in kindergarten through 5 attend the school, which enrolls 346 students. The average among elementary schools in Delaware is roughly 461 students; this school is 25% smaller than that.
Christina School District has a total of 28 schools and 12,954 students, Downes (John R.) Elementary School among them.
By race and ethnicity, the largest group at Downes (John R.) Elementary School is White (39%). Enrollment also includes 25% Black, 20% Hispanic, 10% Asian, and 6% multiracial. The school's White share is 15 points below the 54% share among New Castle County residents. By the diversity index, Downes (John R.) Elementary School comes in at 74%.
The ratio of students to teachers is 11.2:1, with 31 full-time-equivalent teachers on staff. The 13.9:1 average for elementary schools in Delaware is higher than this school's figure.
New Castle County census figures show that median household income is about $91,166, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 40% of adults, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 7%. A total of 129 public schools operate in New Castle County, serving about 78,534 students.
Of nearby public schools, West Park Place Elementary School is the closest, at about 1.1 miles. Inside a five-mile radius, there are at least 8 other public schools.
The National Center for Education Statistics classifies the school's location as Suburb: Large, meaning it is in a suburban area outside a principal city, within an urbanized area with a population of 250,000 or more.
Downes (John R.) Elementary School saw enrollment fall 16% between 2020-21 and 2024-25. The ratio of students to teachers went from 12.5:1 to 11.2:1 over the same years.
Conversations here can range across science fairs, picture day, and bus routes. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.
New Castle County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
577,961
Census ACS
Median income
$91,166
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
40%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
129
78,534 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Christina School District
- Christiana High SchoolHigh · 1,425 students
- Newark High SchoolHigh · 1,039 students
- Glasgow High SchoolHigh · 908 students
- Shue-Medill Middle SchoolMiddle · 763 students
- Gauger-Cobbs Middle SchoolMiddle · 681 students
- Maurice Pritchett SR. AcademyElementary · 616 students
Other schools in Newark
- Newark Charter SchoolCombined · 3,109 students
- ASPIRA DelawareCombined · 1,471 students
- Christiana High SchoolHigh · 1,425 students
- Hodgson (Paul M.) Vocational Technical High SchoolHigh · 1,104 students
- Newark High SchoolHigh · 1,039 students
- Academia Antonia AlonsoElementary · 910 students
Nearby schools
- West Park Place Elementary School1.1 mi · 350
- Newark High School2.0 mi · 1,039
- Newark Charter School2.2 mi · 3,109
- McVey (Joseph M.) Elementary School2.5 mi · 319
- Maclary (R. Elisabeth) Elementary School2.5 mi · 244
- Cecil Manor Elementary2.8 mi · 416
Frequently asked questions
About Downes (John R.) Elementary SchoolHow many students attend Downes (John R.) Elementary School?
Downes (John R.) Elementary School enrolls approximately 346 students in grades KG-05.
What grades does Downes (John R.) Elementary School serve?
Downes (John R.) Elementary School serves grades KG-05.
How many teachers does Downes (John R.) Elementary School have?
Downes (John R.) Elementary School employs 31 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 11.2:1.
What is the racial breakdown of students at Downes (John R.) Elementary School?
At Downes (John R.) Elementary School, the student body is approximately 39% White, 20% Hispanic, 25% Black, 10% Asian, 6% Two or more.
What district is Downes (John R.) Elementary School in?
Downes (John R.) Elementary School is part of Christina School District.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.