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Public high school · Colonial School District · New Castle, Delaware

Penn (william) High School

Penn (william) High School rates 4.3, right at the middle of Colonial School District's high schools, whose rated median is 4.3.

High schools, 1 to 10This campus against public high schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
4.3this school

4.3 on a one-to-ten scale; the Colonial School District median is 4.3.

#198 of 219 schools in Delaware · Colonial School District: 1 high schools rated, median 4.3

The brief

A Colonial School District high school where students score 22 points above what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 198 of 219 schools in Delaware and 13 of 14 in Colonial School District.

Penn (william) High School is listed in Colonial School District, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math12%370 students tested · state average not published · 2022 EdFacts
Reading32%370 students tested · state average not published · 2022 EdFacts
Proficiency is down 22 points across the 14-year record (2009–2022) and has held near 22% recently.2022 EdFacts; 30 test records from DE state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
3.5
25% of the rating
Academics
4.4
25% of the rating
College Readiness
5.9
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
2.9
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2024

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 4/4 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 25% (multi-year average, 2009-2022) · reading/ELA 45% (multi-year average, 2009-2022).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2022 EdFacts · Low confidence
  • Older source: 2022 EdFacts. Use as historical context.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2022 EdFacts · Low confidence
  • Older source: 2022 EdFacts. Use as historical context.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 19720; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2022; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Penn (william) High School and the 20 nearest high schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$75,985
Median home value
$242,600
Median rent
$1,282/mo
College educated
21.6%
Homeownership
67.2%
Poverty rate
10.1%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 19720; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
52
Somewhat Walkable
Bike Score
45
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
2,657/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for New Castle. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (New Castle), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

AP and IB
3 AP courses
12.7% participation · state average 2.5 AP courses · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Athletics
25 sports
14 boys' · 11 girls' · 25 teams (incl. JV) · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Advanced STEM courses
4 of 5
Algebra II, Advanced Math, Calculus, Chemistry, Physics · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. 8.2Compare →
  2. 7.5Compare →
  3. Delaware Military Academy3.7 mi · charter
    5.8Compare →
  4. 5.5Compare →
  5. 5.5Compare →
  6. Penn (william) High Schoolthis school
    4.3
  7. 3.6Compare →
Six grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and five rate higher than Penn (william) High School.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Penn (william) High School serve?

Penn (william) High School serves students in grades 9th through 12th.

How many students attend Penn (william) High School?

Penn (william) High School has an enrollment of approximately 2,077 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Penn (william) High School?

The student-teacher ratio at Penn (william) High School is 17.5:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Penn (william) High School rank in DE?

Penn (william) High School ranks #198 of 219 schools in DE.

What is Penn (william) High School's MySchoolScout rating?

Penn (william) High School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 4.3 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Penn (william) High School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Penn (william) High School has 25% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2022) and 45% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2022).

Is Penn (william) High School a charter school?

No, Penn (william) High School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Penn (william) High School a Title I school?

No, Penn (william) High School is not currently a Title I school.

School facts

Grades
9th – 12th
Enrollment
2,077
Student-teacher ratio
17.5:1
Teachers (FTE)
119
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Large Suburb
County
New Castle County
4-year graduation
84.0%
Class of 2023
Rank in district
#13 of 14
Schools in district
15
District spending per student
$23,018
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
14.5%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 19720)
60,593
Area average commute
26.2 min
Area median age
39.7

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Delaware Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.