Delaware has only three counties, yet its public school system has plenty of moving parts. Families deal with a state education department in Dover, local school districts that set boundaries and run enrollment, and a separate group of charter and vocational-technical schools. The listings on this page run from Wilmington in the north to Selbyville near the Maryland line, so you can find a building, a phone number and the right county to start from.

Our database covers elementary, middle and high schools, preschool centers, an adult high school and career-themed programs. The sections below explain how the system fits together and how to get a practical task done, whether that is enrolling a child, requesting records or reaching a principal.

Who Runs Public Schools in Delaware: State Rules and Local Districts

The Delaware Department of Education, based in Dover, carries out state education policy. The Secretary of Education, appointed by the governor, leads the department, and the State Board of Education works alongside it. The state sets academic standards, runs statewide assessments, publishes annual school report cards and distributes state funding. Most of the governing law sits in Title 14 of the Delaware Code.

Daily decisions belong to the districts. Each one has an elected school board, a superintendent and a central office. Districts draw attendance zones, publish calendars, hire teachers and handle enrollment. If you ask a school secretary about zoning, bus routes or a records transfer, you will often be pointed to the district office.

Delaware has 19 school districts, three of them vocational-technical: New Castle County Vocational-Technical, Polytech in Kent County and Sussex Technical. Charter schools sit outside the district system and admit students by application. The state pays a large share of operating costs through a unit-based formula, while districts raise local money through property taxes. A district that wants more local funding generally asks voters in a referendum.

New Castle County: Delaware's Densest Cluster of Schools

New Castle County holds the largest number of listings, and it is where families face the most choices. Brandywine, Christina, Colonial, Red Clay Consolidated and Appoquinimink all operate here, along with the county's vocational-technical district. Wilmington, Newark, New Castle, Bear, Claymont, Hockessin and Middletown each have several schools within a short drive of one another.

A mailing address can mislead you. A Wilmington address may cover suburban areas outside the city limits, so check the district, not just the postal city. Delaware Academy of Public Safety and Security is listed at Wilmington Manor, and Reach Adult High School is in Claymont. Before you assume a school serves your neighborhood, confirm your attendance zone with the district office.

The listings show the range. Gauger-Cobbs Middle School on Gender Road in Newark serves middle-grade students in the Christina district. Eisenberg Elementary School on Landers Lane is in the city of New Castle. North Star Elementary in Hockessin and Loss Elementary in Bear are elementary options in different corners of the county. In the south, Appoquinimink Preschool Center in Middletown and Townsend Early Childhood Center serve the youngest students in a district that has grown quickly.

Kent County: Dover, the Capital, and the Central Corridor

Kent County is home to the state capital and a mix of suburban neighborhoods and farming communities. Capital, Caesar Rodney, Smyrna and Lake Forest are the main districts, and Polytech serves career-focused high school students from the Woodside area. The Milford district straddles the Kent–Sussex line, which is worth remembering if you live near Milford.

Allen Frear Elementary School sits on Sorghum Mill Road with a Dover address, and Fifer Middle School is on East Camden Wyoming Avenue in Camden. Sunnyside Elementary in Smyrna, Clayton Intermediate School, Lake Forest Central Elementary in Felton and W.T. Chipman Middle School in Harrington show how small towns each keep their own schools. Because Kent County towns sit close together, a family may be a short drive from buildings that belong to different districts.

Sussex County: Rural Districts, Longer Drives, Seasonal Crowds

Sussex County covers the southern part of the state, and its schools are spread across farm towns and beach communities. Cape Henlopen, Delmar, Indian River, Laurel, Milford, Seaford and Woodbridge are the traditional districts, with Sussex Technical serving career and technical students. Distances are longer than in the north, so ask about transportation early.

Georgetown is the county seat and a hub for services. Howard T. Ennis School is in Georgetown. Elsewhere, you will find Laurel Intermediate Middle School, Milford Senior High School, Seaford Senior High School, Woodbridge High School in Greenwood and Phillis Wheatley Elementary in Bridgeville. East Millsboro Elementary, Mariner Middle School in Milton and Southern Delaware School of the Arts in Selbyville cover the eastern and southern edges. Shields Elementary in Lewes sits in a coastal area where the summer population looks very different from the school-year population, while inland schools such as Woodbridge High serve farming communities.

Enrolling a Child in a Delaware Public School

Enrollment is handled by the district, sometimes at the school and sometimes at a central registration office. Call first to learn which applies. Delaware requires children to attend school from age 5 to 16, and a child generally must be 5 by August 31 to start kindergarten. Plan to bring these items:

Requirements vary a little by district, so ask for the district's own checklist. If you are missing a document, tell the registrar instead of waiting. Students in temporary housing have federal protections under the McKinney-Vento Act, and schools can often enroll them while paperwork is gathered.

School Choice, Charters and Vocational-Technical Schools in Delaware

Your assigned school is only one option. Delaware's school choice program lets families apply to a school outside their attendance zone when seats are available. Application windows usually fall in the fall and winter before the next school year, so ask the district for exact dates. Families who choose an out-of-zone school may need to arrange their own transportation.

Charter schools take applications directly and hold a lottery when demand exceeds seats. The three vocational-technical districts accept applications for ninth grade, and their programs range from health sciences to skilled trades and public safety. The Delaware Academy of Public Safety and Security in our listings is an example of a career-themed option in New Castle County.

Preschool, Adult Diploma and Special Education Options

Not every listing is a traditional K-12 building. Charles W. Bush Pre-School, Appoquinimink Preschool Center and Townsend Early Childhood Center focus on young children. Reach Adult High School in Claymont gives adults a route back to a diploma. Howard T. Ennis School in Georgetown is known for serving students with significant disabilities.

Under federal law, districts must evaluate children suspected of having a disability and write an individualized education program when a child qualifies. Put your evaluation request in writing to the principal or the district special education office, and keep a copy. If you disagree with a decision, the district must give you written notice of your rights, and the Department of Education can point you toward next steps.

Public schools in Delaware are operated by independent school districts governed by locally elected boards and overseen by the Delaware Department of Education, which sets academic standards, graduation requirements, and accountability frameworks for all public schools in the state. Delaware distributes state funding to districts through a formula that accounts for student enrollment, local property wealth, and special population needs.

Public Schools locations are available in 40 cities across Delaware. They are spread across 3 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration of public schools include Wilmington, Newark, Dover, reflecting larger urban populations with extensive school district networks serving tens of thousands of students across many campuses.

Families new to Delaware should contact their local school district's enrollment office to determine their assigned school, learn about available school choice programs, and understand immunization and residency documentation requirements before the start of the school year.

Public Schools by Counties

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Parents and guardians in Delaware can find their assigned public school by entering their home address on the local school district's website. Enrollment documentation requirements in Delaware typically include proof of residency, birth certificate, and current immunization records, so gathering these materials before the enrollment window opens can prevent delays.

Browse Public Schools by county across Delaware to find the nearest location.

Getting Results When You Contact a Delaware School

Delaware's small size makes it easy to reach the right office, but a few habits save time. Start with the school's own phone number from the listings. Every number here uses the 302 area code, which covers the whole state. Milford Senior High School, for example, answers at 302-422-1610, and Seaford Senior High School at 302-629-4587.

Call during the school year, when front offices are fully staffed. Most Delaware schools run from late August or early September through June, and many offices keep shorter hours in July. If you are moving to the state over the summer, call the district registration office in early August instead of waiting for the first day. Ask whether you need an appointment and whether documents can be sent ahead.

Metro and rural areas call for different planning. In New Castle County, several schools sit within a few miles of each other, so you can tour more than one in a morning. In Sussex County, a trip from Laurel to Selbyville means real driving, so combine school visits with a stop at the district office. Kent County falls in between, with Dover as the hub.

If a school line goes unanswered, try the district office next, then the Department of Education in Dover. Keep notes on whom you spoke with and when. Children who live in a district are entitled to a public education, and a calm, documented request usually resolves problems.

Frequently Asked Questions About Delaware Public Schools

Districts, not the state, draw attendance zones, so start with the district. Most of Delaware's 19 districts publish zone maps or an address lookup on their websites, and their registration offices can confirm your zone by phone in a couple of minutes. Do not rely on your postal city. A Wilmington mailing address can fall inside Brandywine, Christina, Colonial or Red Clay Consolidated, depending on the street, and the same caution applies to Newark and Dover. Have your full street address ready, and ask which elementary, middle and high school it feeds into so you can see the whole path.

A child generally must turn five on or before August 31 of the school year to enter kindergarten in a Delaware public school. State law requires attendance from age five through sixteen, so once a child is enrolled, regular attendance is expected. Districts handle registration for incoming kindergartners in the spring, so call your district's enrollment office several months ahead. Bring a birth certificate, proof of address and immunization records. If your child's birthday falls close to the cutoff, ask the district office to confirm the date in writing, so you are not relying on a verbal answer from a school secretary.

Often yes, if there is space. Delaware's school choice program lets families apply to schools in their own district or another district, usually during a window in the fall and winter before the next school year. Seats are filled by each district's priority rules, and transportation outside your zone may be your responsibility. Charter schools use separate applications and a lottery. Vocational-technical schools such as New Castle County Vocational-Technical, Polytech and Sussex Technical take ninth-grade applications. Ask both your home district and the school you want for their deadlines, because they do not always match.

Work upward in order. Begin with the teacher, then the principal, then the district office. In Delaware, the superintendent and the elected school board oversee district policy, and board meetings include time for public comment. If the matter involves special education, ask for the district's special education supervisor and make requests for meetings in writing. The Delaware Department of Education in Dover can help with issues a district has not resolved, such as certain complaints about state or federal program rules. Keep emails and notes, because a dated record moves a case along faster than a phone call alone.

Delaware school board members are elected by voters in each district, and most districts hold their board elections in May instead of in November. Referendums, when a district asks for more local tax money for operations or construction, are separate votes with their own dates. Residents of the district who meet voting requirements can take part. Boards post meeting calendars and agendas, so you can read budget proposals before a vote. For your polling place, call the district office or the Department of Elections office in New Castle, Kent or Sussex County, depending on where you live.

Our listings include Charles W. Bush Pre-School, Appoquinimink Preschool Center in Middletown and Townsend Early Childhood Center, which focus on young children. State-funded pre-kindergarten for eligible four-year-olds is arranged through the Early Childhood Assistance Program, and eligibility depends on family circumstances, so ask the program directly. For adults without a diploma, Reach Adult High School in Claymont is one option in New Castle County. Call before visiting to ask about age rules, class schedules and what documents to bring. Programs differ by area, so also browse Kent County and Sussex County.