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Schools›Delaware›New Castle
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·COLONIAL SCHOOL DISTRICT·NCES 100023000209

Penn (William) High School

713 East Basin Road, New Castle, DE 19720 · (302) 323-2800 · New Castle County
GRADES 09–12HIGH21-SUBURBREGULAR SCHOOL2,069 STUDENTS
Enrollment
2,069
High
DISTRICT 613 · STATE 1,068
Student : Teacher
17.7:1
117 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 13.3:1 · STATE 16.6:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
,
Title I proxy
Community
6
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.

Enrollment by grade, 2024-25

GradeStudentsShare
Grade 971134%
Grade 1047323%
Grade 1147623%
Grade 1240920%
Student demographics
65%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 68% · STATE 71% · US 70%
White
44321%
DISTRICT 22% · STATE 38% · US 43%
Hispanic
48323%
DISTRICT 24% · STATE 20% · US 30%
Black
1,03050%
DISTRICT 46% · STATE 31% · US 15%
Asian
342%
DISTRICT 2% · STATE 4% · US 6%
Two+
673%
DISTRICT 5% · STATE 6% · US 5%
Native American
90%
DISTRICT 0% · STATE 0% · US 1%
Pacific Islander
30%
DISTRICT 0% · STATE 0% · US 0%
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
Male
1,10653%
Female
96347%

School pathway

Feeds from
Bedford (Gunning) Middle School06–08McCullough (Calvin R. ) Middle School06–08Read (George) Middle School06–08
Based on grade levels within Colonial School District. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.

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Where Penn (William) High School ranks

Among high schools
MeasureThis schoolIn DelawareIn New Castle County
Enrollment
ranked largest first
2,069#2 of 41#1 of 23
Students per teacher
ranked fewest first
17.7:1#24 of 38#17 of 22
Diversity index
ranked most diverse first
65.0%#20 of 38#15 of 22
Ranked against other public high 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. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.

4-year change

SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25
Enrollment
2,069
-228 (-10%) vs 2020
+5% since 1990-91, when it was 1,979
Student : Teacher
17.7:1
was 17.4:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Enrollment and staffing by year

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Students per teacherFree and reduced lunch
2024-252,06911717.7:1N/A
2023-242,07711917.4:1N/A
2022-232,23912418.1:1N/A
2020-212,29713217.4:1N/A
2017-182,07012516.6:1N/A
2015-162,04812616.3:134% (701)
2010-111,98112216.2:155% (1,094)
2000-012,26712917.6:131% (714)
1990-911,97912016.5:1N/A
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Penn (William) High School.

Since 2017-18: students unchanged (2,070 to 2,069); teachers down 6% (125 to 117).

About Penn (William) High School

Penn (William) High School is a large high school in New Castle, Delaware. Students in grades 9 through 12 attend, and enrollment is 2,069 students. The typical figure for high schools in Delaware is about 1,068 students.

Colonial School District oversees Penn (William) High School and 13 other schools, with 8,575 students in total.

At Penn (William) High School, the largest share of students is Black, at 50%. The remaining shares are 23% Hispanic, 21% White, and 3% multiracial. New Castle County as a whole is about 26% Black, so the school's share is higher. Penn (William) High School's diversity index is 65%, against a US figure of 70%.

With 117 full-time-equivalent teachers in 2024-25, the ratio at Penn (William) High School was 17.7:1. On average, high schools in Delaware have 16.6:1, compared with 17.7:1 here.

Across New Castle County, the median household income is $91,166, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 40%, and about 7% of people live in poverty. In all, New Castle County has 129 public schools and roughly 78,534 students.

Nearest public school: Downie (Carrie) Elementary School, about 0.5 miles away. Within five miles are at least 8 other public schools.

NCES assigns Penn (William) High School the locale Suburb: Large, meaning in a suburban area outside a principal city, within an urbanized area with a population of 250,000 or more.

Enrollment has fallen by 228 students since 2020-21, to 2,069.

Posts about school events, clubs, and volunteer needs are welcome on this page. Reviews and ratings from people who know the school are welcome.

New Castle County at a glance

View full county profile
Population
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

School name
Penn (William) High School
District
Colonial School District
Address
713 East Basin Road, New Castle, DE 19720
Phone
(302) 323-2800
County
New Castle County
Level
High
Grade range
09–12
Total enrollment
2,069
Teachers (FTE)
117
Student–teacher ratio
17.7:1
Locale
21-Suburb: Large
NCES ID
100023000209
Charter school
No
Virtual school
No

Related schools

Other schools in Colonial School District
Other schools in New Castle
Nearby schools

Frequently asked questions

About Penn (William) High School
What is the total enrollment at Penn (William) High School?
Penn (William) High School enrolls approximately 2,069 students in grades 09-12.
What grades does Penn (William) High School serve?
Penn (William) High School serves grades 09-12.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Penn (William) High School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Penn (William) High School is approximately 17.7:1 (117 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at Penn (William) High School?
At Penn (William) High School, the student body is approximately 21% White, 23% Hispanic, 50% Black, 2% Asian, 3% Two or more.
What district is Penn (William) High School in?
Penn (William) High School is part of Colonial School District.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.
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