Which districts and charters saw big jumps with student enrollment? Which went down? What is the state of special education in Delaware? What key demographic is rising at a fast rate which contributes significantly to the budget woes in our state? Which charter school, based on their current enrollment, should no longer be considered financially viable and should be shut down? What is the fastest-growing sub-groups in Delaware? And which cherry-picking charters continue to not serve certain populations?
The September 30th Unit Count report came out from the Delaware Department of Education on November 9th. As expected, special education enrollment for the state increased to 15.6% for the state. The percentage of students on an Individualized Education Program is rising faster each year than the percentage of new students entering the public school system.
Basic special education in Kindergarten to 3rd grade saw an increase this year. This part of special education students get no bump in the needs-based funding formula. 2,370 special education students with an IEP in these grades get NO extra funding. This is up from 2,224 in the 2016-2017 school year. Despite State Rep. Kim Williams’ pending legislation for the past three sessions of the Delaware General Assembly, our state lawmakers seem to be clueless about the needs of these students who are in most need of this funding. This is their foundation, and no amount of Response to Intervention is going to give them what they truly need. This is one of Delaware’s biggest failures, no questions asked.
Districts and charter schools that serve special education students higher than the state average of 15.6% include the following: Brandywine, Caesar Rodney, Cape Henlopen, Capital, Christina, Colonial, Indian River, Lake Forest, Laurel, Seaford, Smyrna, Woodbridge, Delaware Academy of Public Safety & Security, Delaware Design-Lab, Freire, Gateway, Great Oaks, and Positive Outcomes. Christina and Capital have 20% special education students which is larger than other districts, but they also have unique programs. Christina has many special schools included in those numbers (including the Delaware Autism Program and the Delaware School For the Deaf) and Capital holds the Kent County Community School which drive up their numbers. Both Gateway and Positive Outcomes are charter schools that cater primarily to special education students. What brings the state average down is some districts but mostly the vast majority of the charter schools and all three vo-tech districts.
Some of Delaware’s largest school districts continue to decline in enrollment. Those with the largest populations of low-income students around our cities are the ones losing those students, usually to charter schools. Christina, Red Clay, Colonial, Capital, and Seaford all saw their student count decrease for the 2017-2018 school year. But some charter schools are not immune to this either, as Delaware Academy of Public Safety & Security (DAPSS), Eastside, Gateway, and Kuumba Academy all saw some hefty enrollment drops. DAPSS has been losing students for years. How the Delaware DOE keeps this charter open is beyond me. Other charters showing some minor drops are Charter School of New Castle (steadily declining over the last three years), Providence Creek Academy, and Thomas Edison. Vo-tech enrollment is down but most of that is due to the Delaware General Assembly lowering the enrollment for Sussex Tech. A true anomaly is Milford: their special education numbers have stayed at 14.1% for three years in a row. The odds of that are astonishing!
In terms of increased enrollment, the fastest growing school districts in the state continue to be Appoquinimink, Indian River, Smyrna, and Cape Henlopen. Even Caesar Rodney’s numbers are creeping up again. Lake Forest, Laurel and Milford all saw decent increases. Brandywine did as well, but they are still a couple hundred short of the enrollment they had three years ago.
A lot of the charter growth is due to the addition of new grades in some of the newer charters. Those that opened in the past few years are seeing this: First State Montessori Academy, First State Military Academy, Academia Antonia Alonso, Great Oaks, Freire, and Early College High School. Delaware Design-Lab High School’s enrollment did go up, but given that they added another grade it should be MUCH higher. MOT finally got to 12th grade so their numbers went up. Some of the steady Eddies, such as Odyssey, Newark Charter School, and Sussex Academy saw their numbers rise a bit.
For special education, it seems like just about every single school district and charter school went up in numbers. Which is good if you look at it from a financial perspective; they will get more money from the State of Delaware. But with that money comes greater challenges in terms of meeting the needs of those students. It also means more IEPs for teachers to write and, by default, more IEP meetings. Ask any school and I’m sure they will tell you IEP meetings went up this fall.
The usual suspects are those charters that continue to have abysmal special education numbers: Charter School of Wilmington, Delaware Military Academy, MOT, Odyssey, Providence Creek Academy, and Sussex Academy. These schools all have very low special education populations compared to their general population. MOT has actually gone down, from 7% three years ago to 5.5% this year.
I am glad to see the newer charters rising in special education students. Not that I am wishing for more students with disabilities, but I’m happy they are more closely matching the traditional school districts in their areas. Those with lower grades saw some significant jumps this year, including Academia Antonia Alonso and First State Montessori Academy.
The other demographic information listed below hasn’t come out yet on the school profile section of the DOE website. But I did add last year’s information for those student populations. Two noticeable increases are Hispanic/Latino and English Language Learner students. Both populations saw very big jumps in 2016. I anticipate that trend will continue with the current school year. I know of at least one district that took in 25 students from Hurricane Maria after the September 30th count. For African-American students, many actually saw a decrease in populations, but that could be skewed by the fact that Hispanic/Latino populations surged. There could be a similar population this year but because of the increase in the Hispanic/Latino student base, those numbers may appear smaller. One notable exception is Academia Antonia Alonso. It appears their move from downtown Wilmington to Barley Mill resulted in a significant decrease in their African-American population.
We see, once again, that certain charter schools have very large Asian populations. They would call that diversity but I call it cherry-picking. Here’s looking at you Charter School of Wilmington, MOT, Newark Charter School, Odyssey, and Sussex Academy. Masters of social engineering! It is also no coincidence these schools have other sub-groups that are lower percentage-wise compared to the districts and even other charters around them. So much for Newark Charter School’s diversity outreach plan! Their African-American population has gone down the past few years while their Asian population has increased. Whatever makes you look good on paper Greg Meece!
Something I found across the board at almost every district or charter is a growing increase in low-income populations across the board. This shows more about the financial mental health of Delaware than anything I’ve read. That means more families are struggling to make ends meet in The First State. This is very troubling for this writer. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that the more students that come to school hungry or without their basic needs met, the harder it is for them to improve academically. But that is exactly what our Governor and the Delaware DOE want: increased Smarter Balanced scores. It isn’t exactly a shock to see a correlation between the low-income populations rising and our state’s financial woes. With less money going into public education due to budget cuts, I fear for the future of public education if these numbers keep rising. No public/private partnership is going to replace a student’s well-being if they live in poverty or have to work in high school to help the family. While our unemployment rate might be low, it appears Delaware families aren’t making as much as they used to.
One point I wanted to ponder: has special education gone up because of an increase in the number of students with disabilities? The main reason I am asking this is because special education went from 13.5% in 2014 to 15.6% in 2017. Those are some major jumps! I know one thing that could contribute to that rise: the Smarter Balanced Assessment. Just throwing that out there! Or it could be that our schools are getting better at recognizing a need for special education for students. I sincerely hope it is the latter. The former would be very frightening if a concerted effort were made by some to game the system to make their district or charter look better with their standardized test scores. Something to look into for a future date, but for now, let’s get to the numbers!
TOTAL ENROLLMENT DELAWARE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
2017: 138,371
2016: 137,217
2015: 136,027
2014: 134,932
DELAWARE PUBLIC SCHOOL SPECIAL EDUCATION POPULATIONS
2017: 21,612 (15.6%)
2016: 20,696 (15.1%)
2015: 19,870 (14.6%)
2014: 18,168 (13.5%)
SPECIAL EDUCATION POPULATION BY TYPE OF SCHOOL
2017
Traditional School Districts: 19,367
Vo-Techs: 780
Charters: 1,465
2016
Traditional School Districts: 18,559
Vo-Techs: 774
Charters: 1,363
2015
Traditional School Districts: 17,818
Vo-Techs: 762
Charters: 1,290
2014
Districts: 16,399
Vo-Techs: 774
Charters: 995
TYPE OF SCHOOL TOTAL ENROLLMENT
2017: 138,371 students
Traditional School Districts: 115,337 (83.3%)
Vo-Techs: 7,152 (5.2%)
Charters: 15,882 (11.5%)
2016
Traditional School Districts: 114,951
Vo-Techs: 7,236
Charters: 15,302
2015
Traditional School Districts: 114,579
Vo-Techs: 7,336
Charters: 14,112
2014
Traditional School Districts: 115,045
Vo-Techs: 7,366
Charters: 12,521
OTHER SUB-GROUPS STATE OF DELAWARE AVERAGES
English Language Learners
2016: 7.2%
2015: 6.4%
2014: 6.0%
Low-Income Students
2016: 37.4%
2015: 36%
2014: 35%
African-American Students
2016: 30.4%
2015: 30.7%
2014: 31.2%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 16.8%
2015: 16%
2014: 15.3%
Asian Students:
2016: 3.7%
2015: 3.7%
2014: 3.6%
TRADITIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS
APPOQUINIMINK
Special Education Population
2017: 1,522 Students, 14%
2016: 13.1%
2015: 11.9%
2014: 11.1%
Student Count
2017: 10,882
2016: 10,644
2015: 10,378
2014: 9,870
English Language Learners
2016: 2.5%
2015: 1.6%
2014: 1.3%
Low-Income Students
2016: 15.7%
2015: 14.7%
2014: 13.7%
African-American Students
2016: 25.3%
2015: 25.1%
2014: 24.9%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 7.5%
2015: 6.9%
2014: 6.1%
Asian Students
2016: 5%
2015: 4.7%
2014: 4.6%
BRANDYWINE
Special Education Population
2017: 1,668 students, 15.9%
2016: 14.6%
2015: 14.4%
2014: 13.3%
Student Count
2017: 10,475
2016: 10,400
2015: 10,580
2014: 10,740
English Language Learners
2016: 4.2%
2015: 4.1%
2014: 3.5%
Low-Income Students
2016: 32.8%
2015: 31%
2014: 29.8%
African-American Students
2016: 37.5%
2015: 37.4%
2014: 37.5%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 6.5%
2015: 5.9%
2014: 5.6%
Asian Students
2016: 6.3%
2015: 6.3%
2014: 6.0%
CAESAR RODNEY (incl. Dover AFB)
Special Education Population
2017: 1,276 students, 17.1%
2016: 16.1%
2015: 15.6%
2014: 14.7%
Student Count
2017: 7,443
2016: 7,323
2015: 7,221
2014: 7,249
English Language Learners
2016: 2.6%
2015: 2%
2014: 2.2%
Low-Income Students
2016: 31.9%
2015: 31.2%
2014: 30.9%
African-American Students
2016: 28%
2015: 28.2%
2014: 29%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 8.4%
2015: 7.6%
2014: 7.6%
Asian Students
2016: 3.5%
2015: 3.6%
2014: 3.6%
CAPE HENLOPEN
Special Education Population
2017: 925 students, 17%
2016: 17.4%
2015: 17.3%
2014: 16.3%
Student Count
2017: 5,451
2016: 5,256
2015: 5,170
2014: 5,075
English Language Learners
2016: 5.3%
2015: 4.3%
2014: 4.1%
Low-Income Students
2016: 33.3%
2015: 32.8%
2014: 33.8%
African-American Students
2016: 13%
2015: 13.7%
2014: 14.3%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 15%
2015: 14.3%
2014: 13.9%
Asian Students
2016: 1.5%
2015: 1.4%
2014: 1.7%
CAPITAL
Special Education Population
2017: 1,300 students, 20%
2016: 19.9%
2015: 18.9%
2014: 17.4%
Student Count
2017: 6,492
2016: 6,523
2015: 6,486
2014: 6,665
English Language Learners
2016: 4.4%
2015: 4.2%
2014: 3.7%
Low-Income Students
2016: 52%
2015: 51.5%
2014: 48.6%
African-American Students
2016: 51.4%
2015: 51.4%
2014: 52.5%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 11.9%
2015: 10.2%
2014: 9.4%
Asian Students
2016: 2.6%
2015: 2.6%
2014: 2.7%
CHRISTINA
Special Education Population
2017: 3,071 students, 20.9%
2016: 20.2%
2015: 18.8%
2014: 17.9%
Student Count
2017: 14,689
2016: 15,076
2015: 15,553
2014: 16,255
English Language Learners
2016: 10.5%
2015: 8.8%
2014: 8.3%
Low-Income Students
2016:47.7%
2015: 43.8%
2014: 41%
African-American Students
2016: 39.4%
2015: 39.6%
2014: 39.8%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 21.9%
2015: 21.2%
2014: 20.4%
Asian Students
2016: 5.1%
2015: 4.9%
2014: 4.4%
COLONIAL
Special Education Population
2017: 1,734 students, 17.65%
2016: 17%
2015: 16.4%
2014: 14.8%
Student Count
2017: 9,819
2016: 9,908
2015: 9,763
2014: 9,825
English Language Learners
2016: 8.9%
2015: 8.8%
2014: 8.7%
Low-Income Students
2016: 44.9%
2015: 41.9%
2014: 40%
African-American Students
2016: 44%
2015: 43.1%
2014: 43.2%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 20.6%
2015: 20.5%
2014: 20%
Asian Students
2016: 2.8%
2015: 2.9%
2014: 2.9%
DELMAR
Special Education Population
2017: 126 students, 9.3%
2016: 9.7%
2015: 9.8%
2014: 9.1%
Student Count
2017: 1,348
2016: 1,307
2015: 1,347
2014: 1,367
English Language Learners
2016: 2.1%
2015: 3.9%
2014: 5.3%
Low-Income Students
2016: 17.7%
2015: 16.9%
2014: 15.3%
African-American Students
2016: 14.6%
2015: 14.2%
2014: 15.7%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 6.4%
2015: 5.9%
2014: 4.6%
Asian Students
2016: 3%
2015: 3.2%
2014: 2.9%
INDIAN RIVER
Special Education Population
2017: 1,806 students, 17%
2016: 17%
2015: 16.5%
2014: 16%
Student Count
2017: 10,619
2016: 10,465
2015: 10,171
2014: 9,842
English Language Learners
2016: 15.5%
2015: 13.6%
2014: 11.7%
Low-Income Students
2016: 41.8%
2015: 42.1%
2014: 41.7%
African-American Students
2016: 12.5%
2015: 13.3%
2014: 13.9%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 31.9%
2015: 30.4%
2014: 28.8%
Asian Students
2016: 3.1%
2015: 1.3%
2014: 1.3%
LAKE FOREST
Special Education Population
2017: 647 students, 17%
2016: 15.8%
2015: 15.9%
2014: 14.9%
Student Count
2017: 3,804
2016: 3,766
2015: 3,794
2014: 3,812
English Language Learners
2016: 1.8%
2015: 2%
2014: 1.6%
Low-Income Students
2016: 43.2%
2015: 42.1%
2014: 42.2%
African-American Students
2016: 19.6%
2015: 20.8%
2014: 21.1%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 8.2%
2015: 7.5%
2014: 7.8%
Asian Students
2016: .8%
2015: .8%
2014: .9%
LAUREL
Special Education Population
2017: 385 students, 15.7%
2016: 14.8%
2015: 15.5%,
2014: 15.0%
Student Count
2017: 2,449
2016: 2,362
2015: 2,221
2014: 2,177
English Language Learners
2016: 8.8%
2015: 7%
2014: 5.6%
Low-Income Students
2016: 53.8%
2015: 54.2%
2014: 53.4%
African-American Students
2016: 29.4%
2015: 30.1%
2014: 30.2%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 12.7%
2015: 11.5%
2014: 10.6%
Asian Students
2016: .8%
2015: .9%
2014: 1%
MILFORD
Special Education Population
2017: 582 students, 14.1%
2016: 14.1%
2015: 14.1%
2014: 13.6%
Student Count
2017: 4,127
2016: 4,091
2015: 4,119
2014: 4,197
English Language Learners
2016: 10.2%
2015: 9.1%
2014: 8.3%
Low-Income Students
2016: 47.2%
2015: 45%
2014: 43.9%
African-American Students
2016: 24.7%
2015: 24.3%
2014: 24.3%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 19.2%
2015: 19%
2014: 18.5%
Asian Students
2016: .6%
2015: .9%
2014: .9%
RED CLAY CONSOLIDATED
Special Education Population
2017: 2,410 students, 15.3%
2016: 14.1%
2015: 13.5%
2014: 11.9%
Student Count
2017: 15,741
2016: 15,929
2015: 16,094
2014: 16,302
English Language Learners
2016: 12.3%
2015: 10.8%
2014: 10.4%
Low-Income Students
2016: 36.6%
2015: 35%
2014: 33.8%
African-American Students
2016: 20.5%
2015: 21.2%
2014: 22.1%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 26.4%
2015: 25.3%
2014: 24.4%
Asian Students
2016: 6.6%
2015: 6.7%
2014: 6.4%
SEAFORD
Special Education Population
2017: 607 students, 17.5%
2016: 17.5%
2015: 17.2%
2014: 17.1%
Student Count
2017: 3,475
2016: 3,501
2015: 3,473
2014: 3,509
English Language Learners
2016: 13.7%
2015: 11.9%
2014: 10.7%
Low-Income Students
2016: 54.5%
2015: 54.5%
2014: 53.4%
African-American Students
2016: 36.4%
2015: 35.8%
2014: 36.3%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 19.4%
2015: 17.1%
2014: 16.1%
Asian Students
2016: 1.1%
2015: 1.3%
2014: 1.3%
SMYRNA
Special Education Population
2017: 899 students, 16.4%
2016: 16.2%
2015: 15.3%
2014: 14.4%
Student Count
2017: 5,486
2016: 5,382
2015: 5,233
2014: 5,279
English Language Learners
2016: 1.2%
2015: 1.2%
2014: 1.2%
Low-Income Students
2016: 28.5%
2015: 25.9%
2014: 27.3%
African-American Students
2016: 26.2%
2015: 26.8%
2014: 27.1%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 7.9%
2015: 7.7%
2014: 7%
Asian Students
2016: 1.4%
2015: 1.5%
2014: 1.5%
WOODBRIDGE
Special Education Population
2017: 409 students, 16.1
2016: 13.5%
2015: 12.5%
2014: 12.5%
Student Count
2017: 2,537
2016: 2,507
2015: 2,466
2014: 2,384
English Language Learners
2016: 9.1%
2015: 8.2%
2014: 8.5%
Low-Income Students
2016: 49.3%
2015: 49.6%
2014: 49.6%
African-American Students
2016: 25.9%
2015: 27%
2014: 27.1%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 22.4%
2015: 20.8%
2014: 19.9%
Asian Students
2016: .6%
2015: .8%
2014: .9%
VO-TECH SCHOOLS
NEW CASTLE COUNTY VO-TECH
Special Education Population
2017: 586 students, 12.4%
2016: 12.2%
2015: 8.4%
2016: 9.1%
Student Count
2017: 4716
2016: 4,692
2015: 4,698
2014: 4,629
English Language Learners
2016: 1.9%
2015: 3%
2014: 3%
Low-Income Students
2016: 30%
2015: 28%
2014: 26.9%
African-American Students
2016: 42.2%
2015: 42.8%
2014: 42.8%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 21.2%
2015: 19.3%
2014: 16.9%
Asian Students
2016: 1.2%
2015: 1.1%
2014: 1.2%
POLYTECH
Special Education Population
2017: 98 students, 8.2%
2016: 8.5%
2015: 8.4%
2014: 9.1%
Student Count
2017: 1,188
2016: 1,200
2015: 1,194
2014: 1,192
English Language Learners
2016: .1%
2015: .3%
2014: .3%
Low-Income Students
2016: 18.8%
2015: 18.8%
2014: 15.7%
African-American Students
2016: 21.6%
2015: 19.9%
2014: 18.7%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 7.9%
2015: 7.4%
2014: 6%
Asian Students
2016: 2.3%
2015: 1.8%
2014: 1.3%
SUSSEX TECH
Special Education Population
2017: 96 students, 7.7%
2016: 7.5%
2015: 6.9%
2014: 6.9%
Student Count
2017: 1,248
2016: 1,344
2015: 1,444
2014: 1,545
English Language Learners
2016: .1%
2015: .4%
2014: .5%
Low-Income Students
2016: 18.5%
2015: 19%
2014: 19.6%
African-American Students
2016: 12.9%
2015: 13.9%
2014: 17.9%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 12.3%
2015: 11.8%
2014: 12.4%
Asian Students
2016: 1.8%
2015: 1.9%
2014: 1.8%
CHARTER SCHOOLS
ACADEMIA ANTONIA ALONSO (K-3)
Special Education Population
2017: 30 students, 6.1%
*2016: 3.4%
*2015: 2.2%
*2014: .9%
*was K-1 in 2014, K-2 in 2015, and K-3 in 2016
Student Count
2017: 494
2016: 415
2015: 320
2014: 221
English Language Learners
2016: 31.1%
2015: 24.7%
2014: 14%
Low-Income Students
2016: 67.2%
2015: 73.1%
2014: 70.1%
African-American Students
2016: 29.9%
2015: 41.3%
2014: 43.9%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 64.8%
2015: 52.2%
2014: 51.6%
Asian Students
2016: 0%
2015: 0%
2014: .9%
ACADEMY OF DOVER (K-5)
Special Education Population
2017: 18 students, 6.6%
2016: 6.1%
2015: 9.5%
2014: 11.7%
Student Count
2017: 270
2016: 247
2015: 284
2014: 290
English Language Learners
2016: 6.1%
2015: 1.8%
2014: 1.4%
Low-Income Students
2016: 68%
2015: 65.8%
2014: 64.8%
African-American Students
2016: 73.3%
2015: 78.2%
2014: 81%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 12.6%
2015: 11.3%
2014: 9%
Asian Students
2016: .4%
2015: .7%
2014: .7%
CAMPUS COMMUNITY SCHOOL (K-8)
Special Education Population
2017: 38 students, 9.1%
2016: 9%
2015: 6.7%
2014: 8.3%
Student Count
2017: 417
2016: 413
2015: 417
2014: 410
English Language Learners
2016: 1%
2015: .5%
2014: 1.5%
Low-Income Students
2016: 42.1%
2015: 46%
2014: 38.3%
African-American Students
2016: 51.8%
2015: 50.1%
2014: 46.1%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 10.7%
2015: 10.3%
2014: 8.8%
Asian Students
2016: 2.2%
2015: 1.9%
2014: 2.2%
CHARTER SCHOOL OF NEW CASTLE (was formerly Family Foundations Academy prior to this year)
Special Education Population
2017: 68 students, 9%
2016: 8%
2015: 8.6%
2014: 5.3%
Student Count
2017: 751
2016: 759
2015: 792
2016: 811
English Language Learners
2016: 2.5%
2015: 2.5%
2014: 1.8%
Low-Income Students
2016: 56.7%
2015: 51%
2014: 44.4%
African-American Students
2016: 81.7%
2015: 79.8%
2014: 79.9%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 9.7%
2015: 9.7%
2014: 12.5%
Asian Students
2016: 1.3%
2015: 1.5%
2014: 1.5%
CHARTER SCHOOL OF WILMINGTON (9-12)
Special Education Population
2017: 9 students, .9%
2016: .8%
2015: .5%
2014: .2%
Student Count
2017: 971
2016: 971
2015: 972
2014: 972
English Language Learners
2016: .2%
2015: .2%
2014: .1%
Low-Income Students
2016: 4.5%
2015: 3.7%
2014: 2.3%
African-American Students
2016: 6.3%
2015: 6.8%
2014: 6%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 4%
2015: 3.5%
2014: 3.3%
Asian Students
2016: 30.9%
2015: 28.7%
2014: 26.4%
DELAWARE ACADEMY OF PUBLIC SAFETY & SECURITY (9-12)
Special Education Population
2017: 69 students, 30.2%
2016: 25.2%
2015: 19.5%
2014: 16.5%
Student Count
2017: 228
*2016: 270
2015: 303
2014: 363
*major modification to decrease 22%, currently under 80% of modified enrollment of 375 at 76%
English Language Learners
2016: 2.6%
2015: 3.6%
2014: 3.3%
Low-Income Students
2016: 37.4%
2015: 32.3%
2014: 27%
African-American Students
2016: 38.5%
2015: 30.7%
2014: 29.8%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 17.4%
2015: 17.5%
2014: 14.9%
Asian Students
2016: .7%
2015: 1.3%
2014: 3.3%
DELAWARE DESIGN-LAB HIGH SCHOOL (9-11)
Special Education Population
2017: 61 students, 20.5%
2016: 25%
2015: 20.6%
Student Count
2017: 298 students
*2016: 272
2015: 233
*major modification to decrease total enrollment by 15% over next five years, 9-10 in 2015-2016, 9-11 in 2016-2017
English Language Learners
2016: 2.2%
2015: 1.7%
Low-Income Students
2016: 39%
2015: 38.2%
African-American Students
2016: 48.9%
2015: 49.4%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 11.8%
2015: 12.9%
Asian Students
2016: 2.2%
2015: 4.3%
DELAWARE MILITARY ACADEMY (9-12)
Special Education Population
2017: 13 students, 2.2%
2016: 3.4%
2015: 3.9%
2014: 3%
Student Count
2017: 582
2016: 584
2015: 564
2014: 569
English Language Learners
2016: .2%
2015: .2%
2014: .2%
Low-Income Students
2016: 8.4%
2015: 6.7%
2014: 6.9%
African-American Students
2016: 5.8%
2015: 5.5%
2014: 5.6%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 7.9%
2015: 7.4%
2014: 7%
Asian Students
2016: 1.4%
2015: 1.4%
2014: 1.9%
EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL (9-11)
Special Education Population
2017: 33 students, 7.9%
2016: 5.9%
2015: 10.5%
2014: 2.3%
Student Count
*2017: 420
*2016: 289
*2015: 209
*2014: 129
*was 9th grade in 2014-2015, 9-10 in 2015-2016, 9-11 in 2016-2017, 9-12 in 2017-2018
English Language Learners
2016: .7%
2015: 1%
2014: .8%
Low-Income Students
2016: 32.9%
2015: 33%
2014: 34.1%
African-American Students
2016: 74%
2015: 74.2%
2014: 58.1%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 8%
2015: 6.7%
2014: 10.9%
Asian Students
2016: 1%
2015: 1%
2014: 2.3%
EASTSIDE CHARTER SCHOOL (K-8)
Special Education Population
2017: 60 students, 14.5%
2016: 12.8%
2015: 12.9%
2014: 14.8%
Student Count
2017: 415
2016: 446
2015: 443
2014: 418
English Language Learners
2016: 1.6%
2015: 3.4%
2014: 4.1%
Low-Income Students
2016: 83.4%
2015: 80.1%
2014: 77.3%
African-American Students
2016: 91.3%
2015: 88.5%
2014: 87.3%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 8.5%
2015: 11.3%
2014: 11.7%
Asian Students
2016: 0%
2015: 0%
2014: 0%
FIRST STATE MILITARY ACADEMY (9-11)
Special Education Population
2017: 61 students, 14.9%
2016: 18.1%
2015: 19.3%
Student Count
*2017: 409
*2016: 288
*2015: 202
*was 9-10 in 2015-2016, 9-11 in 2016-2017, 9-12 in 2017-2018
English Language Learners
2016: 1.7%
2015: .5%
Low-Income Students
2016: 29.5%
2015: 35.6%
African-American Students
2016: 22.9%
2015: 24.3%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 14.2%
2015: 9.4%
Asian Students
2016: 2.8%
2015: 1%
FIRST STATE MONTESSORI ACADEMY (K-8)
Special Education Population
2017: 54 students, 10.6%
2016: 8.4%
2015: 7.4%
2014: 5.4%
Student Count
2017: 509
*2016: 428
*2015: 325
*2014: 280
* major modification to increase 15%, added 7-8, was K-6 in 2014-2015 and 2015-2016, is K-8 in 2016-2017
English Language Learners
2016: 3%
2015: 1.2%
2014: 1.8%
Low-Income Students
2016: 12.6%
2015: 8.3%
2014: 10%
African-American Students
2016: 16.6%
2015: 18.8%
2014: 22.1%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 4.7%
2015: 6.5%
2014: 8.6%
Asian Students
2016: 5.1%
2015: 7.1%
2014: 6.1%
FREIRE CHARTER SCHOOL (8-10)
Special Education Population
2017: 78 students, 19%
2016: 16.2%
2015: 6.4%
Student Count
*2017: 411
*2016: 322
*2015: 234
*was 8-9 in 2015-2016, 8-10 in 2016-2017, 8-11 in 2017-2018
English Language Learners
2016: 2.2%
2015: 3.4%
Low-Income Students
2016: 54.7%
2015: 45.3%
African-American Students
2016: 71.4%
2015: 64.1%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 7.1%
2015: 13.7%
Asian Students
2016: 3.1%
2015: 3.8%
GATEWAY LAB SCHOOL (3-8)
Special Education Population
2017: 108 students, 57.1%
2016: 55.2%
2015: 60.8%
2014: 59.9%
Student Count
2017: 189
2016: 221
2015: 212
2014: 212
English Language Learners
2016: 1.4%
2015: .9%
2014: .9%
Low-Income Students
2016: 38.5%
2015: 31.1%
2014: 20.8%
African-American Students
2016: 38.9%
2015: 29.7%
2014: 23.1%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 8.6%
2015: 7.5%
2014: 8%
Asian Students
2016: 1.4%
2015: 1.4%
2014: 2.4%
GREAT OAKS CHARTER SCHOOL (6-7)
Special Education Population
2017: 88 students, 19.6%
2016: 18.4%
2015: 16%
Student Count
*2017: 448
*2016: 343
*2015: 212
*minor modification approved for 8% increase, was 6th grade in 2015-2016, 6-7 in 2016-2017, 6-8 in 2017-2018
English Language Learners
2016: 2.9%
2015: 3.3%
Low-Income Students
2016: 58.9%
2015: 54.7%
African-American Students
2016: 72.9%
2015: 75%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 17.5%
2015: 14.6%
Asian Students
2016: 1.2%
2015: .5%
KUUMBA ACADEMY (K-8)
Special Education Population
2017: 75 students, 10.4%
2016: 11.3%
2015: 10.5%
2014: 6.3%
Student Count
2017: 719
*2016: 744
2015: 644
*2014: 464
*minor modification to increase by 14.9%, was K-7 in 2-14-2015, K-8 in 2015-2016 and 2016-2017
English Language Learners
2016: .9%
2015: .8%
2014: .9%
Low-Income Students
2016: 65.3%
2015: 61%
2014: 58%
African-American Students
2016: 91.1%
2015: 92.5%
2014: 91.6%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 7.3%
2015: 6.7%
2014: 6.9%
Asian Students
2016: 0%
2015: 0%
2014: .4%
LAS AMERICAS ASPIRAS ACADEMY (K-8)
Special Education Population
2017: 64 students, 8.6%
2016: 8.7%
2015: 8.5%
2014: 5.7%
Student Count
2017: 740
2016: 698
2015: 639
2014: 541
English Language Learners
2016: 27.5%
2015: 26%
2014: 30.3%
Low-Income Students
2016: 27.1%
2015: 28.3%
2014: 25%
African-American Students
2016: 15.3%
2015: 13.9%
2014: 15%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 57.7%
2015: 56.7%
2014: 57.3%
Asian Students
2016: 2.1%
2015: 2%
2014: 2.8%
MOT CHARTER SCHOOL (K-11)
Special Education Population
2017: 71 students, 5.5%
2016: 6%
2015: 6.8%
2014: 6.1%
Student Count
*2017: 1,288
*2016: 1,159
*2015: 1,013
*2014: 869
*was K-9 in 2014-2015, K-10 in 2015-2016, K-11 in 2016-2017, K-12 in 2017-2018
English Language Learners
2016: 1.6%
2015: 1.7%
2014: 1.6%
Low-Income Students
2016: 5.4%
2015: 5.9%
2014: 5.9%
African-American Students
2016: 23.2%
2015: 20.3%
2014: 18.4%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 6.1%
2015: 7.1%
2014: 7.2%
Asian Students
2016: 10.1%
2015: 9.6%
2014: 9.2%
NEWARK CHARTER SCHOOL (K-12)
Special Education Population
2017: 166 students, 7.1%
2016: 6.9%
2015: 6.4%
2014: 5.6%
Student Count
2017: 2,354
*2016: 2,322
*2015: 2,140
*2014: 1,948
*was K-10 in 2014-2015, K-11 in 2015-2016, K-12 in 2016-2017
English Language Learners
2016: 3.1%
2015: 2.4%
2014: 2.5%
Low-Income Students
2016: 9.2%
2015: 7.9%
2014: 7.2%
African-American Students
2016: 10.7%
2015: 11.1%
2014: 11.4%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 5.2%
2015: 5%
2014: 4.4%
Asian Students
2016: 13.1%
2015: 13%
2014: 12.9%
ODYSSEY CHARTER SCHOOL (K-9)
Special Education Population
2017: 91 students, 4.6%
2016: 5.5%
2015: 4.9%
2014: 4.4%
Student Count
2017: 1,662
*2016: 1,440
*2015: 1,140
*2014: 933
*minor modification to increase by 14.92% for 2016-2017, was K-7 in 2014-2015, K-8 in 2015-2016, K-9 in 2016-2017
English Language Learners
2016: 1.5%
2015: .3%
2014: .4%
Low-Income Students
2016: 17.9%
2015: 17.4%
2014: 17.9%
African-American Students
2016: 22.4%
2015: 22.1%
2014: 22.1%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 6%
2015: 5.9%
2014: 6%
Asian Students
2016: 10.6%
2015: 8.1%
2014: 7.1%
POSITIVE OUTCOMES (7-12)
Special Education Population
2017: 87 students, 69%
2016: 66.4%
2015: 62.7%
2014: 65.9%
Student Count
2017: 126
2016: 125
2015: 126
2014: 126
English Language Learners
2016: 0%
2015: 0%
2014: 0%
Low-Income Students
2016: 33.6%
2015: 27.8%
2014: 31.7%
African-American Students
2016: 30.4%
2015: 23%
2014: 23.8%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 6.4%
2015: 4%
2014: 4%
Asian Students
2016: 1.6%
2015: .8%
2014: .8%
PRESTIGE ACADEMY (6-8) (closed at end of 2016-2017 school year)
Special Education Population
2016: 19.6%
2015: 27.2%
2014: 22%
Student Count
*2016: 143
*2015: 224
2014: 246
*major modification to drop 5th grade in 2016-2017 school year, was 5-8 in 2014-2015 and 2015-2016, 6-8 in 2016-2017
English Language Learners
2016: 2.1%
2015: 2.2%
2014: 1.2%
Low-Income Students
2016: 73.4%
2015: 64.3%
2014: 58.1%
African-American Students
2016: 90.2%
2015: 90.2%
2014: 94.3%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 7.7%
2015: 8%
2014: 2%
Asian Students
2016: 0%
2015: 0%
2014: 0%
PROVIDENCE CREEK ACADEMY (K-8)
Special Education Population
2017: 36 students, 5.2%
2016: 4.7%
2015: 5.1%
2014: 5.1%
Student Count
2017: 690
2016: 700
2015: 690
2014: 688
English Language Learners
2016: .6%
2015: 0%
2014: .6%
Low-Income Students
2016: 21.9%
2015: 19.4%
2014: 18.3%
African-American Students
2016: 27.1%
2015: 27.1%
2014: 27.3%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 5.3%
2015: 4.5%
2014: 4.1%
Asian Students
2016: 2.4%
2015: 2.3%
2014: 1.9%
SUSSEX ACADEMY (6-12)
Special Education Population
2017: 36 students, 4.7%
2016: 4.1%
2015: 4.9%
2014: 3.6%
Student Count
2017: 759
*2016: 692
*2015: 594
*2014: 498
*was 6-10 in 2014-2015, 6-11 in 2015-2016, 6-12 in 2016-2017
English Language Learners
2016: .7%
2015: .7%
2014: .4%
Low-Income Students
2016: 11.4%
2015: 10.4%
2014: 7.8%
African-American Students
2016: 3.9%
2015: 5.2%
2014: 3.2%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 12.7%
2015: 8.6%
2014: 9.6%
Asian Students
2016: 3.9%
2015: 3.4%
2014: 4%
THOMAS EDISON CHARTER SCHOOL (K-8)
Special Education Population
2017: 51 students, 7%
2016: 6.6%
2015: 7%
2014: 7.1%
Student Count
2017: 732
2016: 739
2015: 758
2014: 745
English Language Learners
2016: .5%
2015: .3%
2014: .4%
Low-Income Students
2016: 79.4%
2015: 78.6%
2014: 76.2%
African-American Students
2016: 97.6%
2015: 97.9%
2014: 97.2%
Hispanic/Latino Students
2016: 1.5%
2015: 1.2%
2014: 1.6%
Asian Students
2016: 0%
2015: 0%
2014: 0%
Note: In 2014-2015, the following charter schools closed at the end of the year: Moyer &Reach Academy for Girls. In 2015-2016, the following charter schools closed at the end of the year: Delaware College Prep and Delaware Met (which closed mid-year). In 2016-2017, Prestige Academy closed at the end of the year.
To read the full 2017-2018 September 30th Enrollment Count report, please go below:
The Season Of Myths 
Kevin,
The core issues surrounding the declining enrollment at many of our traditional public schools have not changed. Academics and Behavior. The motivators for why and which parents choose to seek alternative schools, are still the same. Academics and Behavior. The situations and cultural influences for which students and parents seek alternatives AND what alternatives they seek have not changed. Academics and Behavior.
A student with academic difficulties is not going to seek out an alternative school that caters to accelerated academics. A student with behavioral difficulties will not seek out a military school demanding increased behavioral control.
Alternative schools based on narrowly focused special needs (ESL or Ethno-centric interests) are not growing because the interest for them is not broad enough. Low income students/ families want good education just like everyone else but it requires mentally buying in to what it takes to attain it. If the environment of the school provides more negatives (i.e.: schools focused on single sex or ESL or poorly focused curricula) than it does positives, it is not viable.
It all revolves around a form of free market. What do parents want and what can schools provide. If the schools are providing what is wanted, then there is growth. If the schools are NOT providing what is wanted, there is reduction.
You make a very racial generalization that if used for other student ethnicities, there would be a lot of anger. :
“We see, once again, that certain charter schools have very large Asian populations. They would call that diversity but I call it cherry-picking.”
Your quip more or less says, Asians are better students (based on the schools you accuse of doing this) because they are Asian. Well #1 that’s a generalization. #2 If Asian parents choose alternative schools at higher percentages than other ethnicities, how is that ‘cherry picking’?? The alternative schools do not profile students, they offer ‘specific interest’ programs that parents then CHOOSE. Are you saying certain schools are catering to a specific type of minority? Back to the free market, if the traditional public schools were offering curricula and environments these minority students wanted, they would not choose to go to alternative schools. What other generalizations would be on the table if the Asian one is acceptable? Would it be acceptable to generalize to say that African American students chose Kumba academy because it is predominantly African American students?? Is that OK that the student population is willingly choosing to segregate itself? Wouldn’t that also be a form of SELF social engineering by separating a group of students who are a specific ethnicity? What would the opinion be if a school focused on predominantly Irish, or polish or Italian cultural interests? That school would most assuredly be ethnically identifiable. Would that be OK?
Finally, the whole upper NCC school system (4 districts) are an example of a failed social engineering experiment that has not succeeded in its goals, because it runs contrary to what people want. They do not want to be moved around like pawns on a board. They do not want to be told they do not have control of their family’s destiny. They do not want to be told, your child is not yours to direct. http://law.jrank.org/pages/10024/School-Desegregation-BUSING-DEBATE.html
School districts would be wise to adhere to 2 overriding principles of education for children.
1. Schools need to first and foremost; Educate (not entertain, not babysit, not bestow laptops).
2. School environments must be controlled in order to execute on the first principle.
Failure to do both results in parents seeking alternatives. That isn’t cherry picking, that is parents exercising their rights to direct the education of their children.
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