Downes (John R.) Elementary School

Downes (John R.) Elementary School, a tight-knit elementary-level community in Newark, Delaware, one of the schools within Christina School District, enrolls 346 students, covering grades K through 5. By comparison, Delaware's public schools average about 461 students each, so Downes (John R.) Elementary School sits 25% below that benchmark.

Downes (John R.) Elementary School is one of 28 schools operated by Christina School District, a district that hosts 12,954 students overall.

In terms of who attends, Downes (John R.) Elementary School logs that the largest single group is White at 39%, but no single group is in the majority. Beyond that, the school logs 25% Black, 20% Hispanic, 10% Asian, 6% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 54% White, putting the school's mix noticeably less White than the area baseline.

Looking at school resources, Staff filings list 31 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 11.2:1 students per teacher. The state averages around 13.9:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical.

In the surrounding community, census data for New Castle County shows the typical household earns roughly $91,166 per year, 40% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 7%. Downes (John R.) Elementary School is one of 129 public schools in New Castle County (combined enrollment of about 78,534 students).

The closest other public school is West Park Place Elementary School, roughly 1.1 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools.

Geographically, the school is in a suburban area.

Over the past 7-year window. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Downes (John R.) Elementary School has shrank 29%, going from 486 students in 2018 to 346 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share declined from 54% to 39%. Class-load math has narrowed: from 14.7:1 in 2018 to 11.2:1 in 2025.

On the community side, posts here usually surface around science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.