Can I use Kent County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Kent County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Kent County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Kent County?

Start with the 53 listed public schools and 11 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Kent County Schools & Education

Name: Kent County, Delaware Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Kent County, Delaware

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

58/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

87.5%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

87.5%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 88.3%

Per-Pupil Spending

$9,215

National avg $13,239

State avg $9,480

School Score

58/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 62/100

State Score Position

of 3 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Kent County

Measured School Summary

Kent County performs at an average level with a school score of 58/100 and a solid graduation rate of 87.5%.

Funding Context

Kent County spends $9,215 per student, which is on the lower end of adequate and may require careful resource allocation to maintain quality.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 6% below the Delaware average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 0.8 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 3% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Kent County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

53 public schools and 11 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

58/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #2 of 3 Delaware counties with school score data.

Completion

87.5%

0.8 pts below the state average

Funding context

$9,215

$265 below the state average

School coverage

11 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Kent County has 53 public schools across 11 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Kent County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Large multi-district county

Kent County has many school records across many districts. County averages are only the opening screen; neighborhood-level assignment and grade-band fit matter more here.

State position

of 3 Delaware counties with school score data. The county score is 4 points below the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

Caesar Rodney School District

Elementary to high school visible

8,286 students

Elementary 9Middle 4High 1Other 1

15 listed schools in this county slice.

Capital School District

Elementary to high school visible

6,396 students

Elementary 7Middle 2High 2Other 2

13 listed schools in this county slice.

Smyrna School District

Elementary to high school visible

6,067 students

Elementary 4Middle 3High 1Other 0

8 listed schools in this county slice.

Lake Forest School District

Elementary to high school visible

3,611 students

Elementary 4Middle 1High 1Other 1

7 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Caesar Rodney School District is the largest listed district slice, with 15 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Kent County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Kent County district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

Which charter, magnet, or virtual options require a lottery, application window, separate transportation plan, or address eligibility check?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Data Story

Kent County Education Spending Trails National Average by Nearly $4,000

Education data brief for Kent County, Delaware.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Lead metric:Per-pupil spending

Per-pupil expenditure in Kent County stands at $9,215, which is notably lower than the national average of approximately $13,000. This spending level also trails the Delaware state average of $9,480 per student. The county's school structure includes 53 public schools, with the Caesar Rodney School District serving as the largest provider, enrolling 8,286 students across 15 schools. Kent County's school environment is primarily suburban, with 22 of its 53 schools located in suburban locales, and a charter school presence of 11.3%. The graduation rate is 87.5%, nearly identical to the national average of 87.0% but slightly lower than the state's 88.3% benchmark. The largest individual campus is Caesar Rodney High School, which enrolls 2,257 students. See the NCES Common Core of Data for school-level records.

Sources

NCES Common Core of Data
U.S. Census Bureau ACS

School Overview

Total Schools

in Kent County

Reported Enrollment

31,010

53 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

11% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary28

Middle11

High10

Other4

11 School Districts in Kent County

Caesar Rodney School District

Capital School District

Smyrna School District

Lake Forest School District

POLYTECH School District

1 school

1,203 students

Providence Creek Academy Charter School

1 school

730 students

Early College High School at Del State

1 school

519 students

First State Military Academy

1 school

439 students

Academy of Dover Charter School

1 school

411 students

Campus Community School

1 school

402 students

53 Public Schools in Kent County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 8 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Search schools

Level

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Showing 20 of 53 matching schools

Public schools in Kent County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Caesar Rodney High School	Profile	Caesar Rodney School District	Camden, 19934Suburb: Midsize	9–12	High	2,257
Smyrna High School	Profile	Smyrna School District	Smyrna, 19977Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	1,807
Dover High School	Profile	Capital School District	Dover, 19904City: Small	9–12	High	1,771
Milford Senior High School	Profile	Milford School District	Milford, 19963Town: Fringe	9–12	High	1,279
POLYTECH High School	Profile	POLYTECH School District	Woodside, 19980Rural: Fringe	9–12	Vocational	1,203
Milford Central Academy	Profile	Milford School District	Milford, 19963Town: Fringe	6–8	Middle	1,068
Smyrna Middle School	Profile	Smyrna School District	Smyrna, 19977Rural: Fringe	7–8	Middle	1,027
Chipman (W.T.) Middle School	Profile	Lake Forest School District	Harrington, 19952Town: Fringe	6–8	Middle	965
Lake Forest High School	Record	Lake Forest School District	Felton, 19943Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	870
Central Middle School	Record	Capital School District	Dover, 19901City: Small	7–8	Middle	860
William Henry Middle School	Record	Capital School District	Dover, 19904City: Small	5–6	Middle	857
Providence Creek Academy Charter School	Record	Providence Creek Academy Charter School	Clayton, 19938Rural: Fringe	KG–8	Charter	730
Moore (John Bassett) School	Record	Smyrna School District	Smyrna, 19977Suburb: Midsize	4–6	Middle	724
Fred Fifer III Middle School	Record	Caesar Rodney School District	Camden, 19934Suburb: Midsize	6–8	Middle	679
Allen Frear Elementary School	Record	Caesar Rodney School District	Camden, 19934Suburb: Midsize	1–5	Primary	672
F. Niel Postlethwait Middle School	Record	Caesar Rodney School District	Camden, 19934Suburb: Midsize	6–8	Middle	629
South Dover Elementary School	Record	Capital School District	Dover, 19901City: Small	KG–4	Primary	610
W. B. Simpson Elementary School	Record	Caesar Rodney School District	Camden, 19934Suburb: Midsize	1–5	Primary	571
Lake Forest Central Elementary School	Record	Lake Forest School District	Felton, 19943Rural: Fringe	4–5	Primary	570
W. Reily Brown Elementary School	Record	Caesar Rodney School District	Dover, 19904City: Small	1–5	Primary	540

Caesar Rodney High School

Caesar Rodney School District

Camden, 19934 / Suburb: Midsize

Profile9–12High2,257 students

Smyrna High School

Smyrna School District

Smyrna, 19977 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High1,807 students

Dover High School

Capital School District

Dover, 19904 / City: Small

Profile9–12High1,771 students

Milford Senior High School

Milford School District

Milford, 19963 / Town: Fringe

Profile9–12High1,279 students

POLYTECH High School

POLYTECH School District

Woodside, 19980 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12Vocational1,203 students

Milford Central Academy

Milford School District

Milford, 19963 / Town: Fringe

Profile6–8Middle1,068 students

Smyrna Middle School

Smyrna School District

Smyrna, 19977 / Rural: Fringe

Profile7–8Middle1,027 students

Chipman (W.T.) Middle School

Lake Forest School District

Harrington, 19952 / Town: Fringe

Profile6–8Middle965 students

Lake Forest High School

Lake Forest School District

Felton, 19943 / Rural: Fringe

Record9–12High870 students

Central Middle School

Capital School District

Dover, 19901 / City: Small

Record7–8Middle860 students

William Henry Middle School

Capital School District

Dover, 19904 / City: Small

Record5–6Middle857 students

Providence Creek Academy Charter School

Clayton, 19938 / Rural: Fringe

RecordKG–8Charter730 students

Moore (John Bassett) School

Smyrna School District

Smyrna, 19977 / Suburb: Midsize

Record4–6Middle724 students

Fred Fifer III Middle School

Caesar Rodney School District

Camden, 19934 / Suburb: Midsize

Record6–8Middle679 students

Allen Frear Elementary School

Caesar Rodney School District

Camden, 19934 / Suburb: Midsize

Record1–5Primary672 students

F. Niel Postlethwait Middle School

Caesar Rodney School District

Camden, 19934 / Suburb: Midsize

Record6–8Middle629 students

South Dover Elementary School

Capital School District

Dover, 19901 / City: Small

RecordKG–4Primary610 students

W. B. Simpson Elementary School

Caesar Rodney School District

Camden, 19934 / Suburb: Midsize

Record1–5Primary571 students

Lake Forest Central Elementary School

Lake Forest School District

Felton, 19943 / Rural: Fringe

Record4–5Primary570 students

W. Reily Brown Elementary School

Caesar Rodney School District

Dover, 19904 / City: Small

Record1–5Primary540 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$9,215

State avg $9,480

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Kent County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Delaware counties have the highest graduation rates?

New Castle County (90.2%), Kent County (87.5%), and Sussex County (87.1%) currently lead Delaware among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in Delaware?

Across Delaware counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $9,480. The highest current county values are New Castle County ($10,092), Kent County ($9,215), and Sussex County ($9,133). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Kent County?

Kent County has a school score of 58/100, which is a midrange measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in Kent County?

The high school graduation rate in Kent County is 87.5%, which is above the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does Kent County spend per student?

Kent County spends $9,215 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Counties with Similar School Profile

Sussex County

Delaware

-1 pts

58/100

School score

New Castle County

Delaware

+12 pts

71/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.

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