Smyrna School District

Public school district · Kent County · Delaware · NCES district ID 1001620

Smyrna School District spent $16,084 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 65% of the other Delaware districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $18,338). Its 8 schools enrolled 5,887 students in 2024-25; 70.5% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $16,150 per student, up 0.4% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 93% (Delaware: 88.9%).

Spending per student among Delaware's largest districts

Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. Among the 10 districts shown, Smyrna ranks 10.

Current spending per student, largest Delaware districts, FY23Christina $33,954; Capital $26,301; Colonial $23,018; Red Clay Consolidated $22,094; Brandywine $21,228; Cape Henlopen $20,712; Indian River $19,367; Caesar Rodney $18,253; Appoquinimink $17,023; Smyrna $16,084; State median, 1,000+ students $18,338.10k20k30k40kChristina$33,954Capital$26,301Colonial$23,018Red Clay Consolidated$22,094Brandywine$21,228Cape Henlopen$20,712Indian River$19,367Caesar Rodney$18,253Appoquinimink$17,023Smyrna$16,084State median, 1,000+ students $18,338
Current spending per student, largest Delaware districts, FY23Christina $33,954; Capital $26,301; Colonial $23,018; Red Clay Consolidated $22,094; Brandywine $21,228; Cape Henlopen $20,712; Indian River $19,367; Caesar Rodney $18,253; Appoquinimink $17,023; Smyrna $16,084; State median, 1,000+ students $18,338.10k20k30k40kChristina$33,954Capital$26,301Colonial$23,018Red Clay Consolidated$22,094Brandywine$21,228Cape Henlopen$20,712Indian River$19,367Caesar Rodney$18,253Appoquinimink$17,023Smyrna$16,084State median, 1,000+ students $18,338
Current spending per student, largest Delaware districts, FY23Christina $33,954; Capital $26,301; Colonial $23,018; Red Clay Consolidated $22,094; Brandywine $21,228; Cape Henlopen $20,712; Indian River $19,367; Caesar Rodney $18,253; Appoquinimink $17,023; Smyrna $16,084; State median, 1,000+ students $18,338.10k20k30k40kChristina$33,954Capital$26,301Colonial$23,018Red Clay Consolidated$22,094Brandywine$21,228Cape Henlopen$20,712Indian River$19,367Caesar Rodney$18,253Appoquinimink$17,023Smyrna$16,084State median, 1,000+ students $18,338
Current spending per student, largest Delaware districts, FY23Christina $33,954; Capital $26,301; Colonial $23,018; Red Clay Consolidated $22,094; Brandywine $21,228; Cape Henlopen $20,712; Indian River $19,367; Caesar Rodney $18,253; Appoquinimink $17,023; Smyrna $16,084; State median, 1,000+ students $18,338.10k20k30k40kChristina$33,954Capital$26,301Colonial$23,018Red Clay Consolidated$22,094Brandywine$21,228Cape Henlopen$20,712Indian River$19,367Caesar Rodney$18,253Appoquinimink$17,023Smyrna$16,084State median, 1,000+ students $18,338

Where the money came from

$102,031,000 in revenue: 70.5% state, 19.8% local and 9.7% federal. Total spending including $5,689,000 of capital outlay was $105,786,000, or $17,436 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

Smyrna School District revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $71,908,000; Local $20,248,000; Federal $9,875,000; total $102,031,000.
  • State$71,908,000 70%
  • Local$20,248,000 20%
  • Federal$9,875,000 10%

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 24 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).

Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25

6,067 students in 2022-23, 6,010 students in 2023-24, 5,887 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

Smyrna School District enrollment by school year2022-23: 6,067, 2023-24: 6,010, 2024-25: 5,88702k4k6k8k2022-236,0672023-246,0102024-255,887
Smyrna School District enrollment by school year2022-23: 6,067, 2023-24: 6,010, 2024-25: 5,88702k4k6k8k2022-236,0672023-246,0102024-255,887
Smyrna School District enrollment by school year2022-23: 6,067, 2023-24: 6,010, 2024-25: 5,88702k4k6k8k2022-236,0672023-246,0102024-255,887
Smyrna School District enrollment by school year2022-23: 6,067, 2023-24: 6,010, 2024-25: 5,88702k4k6k8k2022-236,0672023-246,0102024-255,887

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-236,067385.015.8
2023-246,010378.015.9
2024-255,887362.016.3

Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.

$35,827,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $5,905 per student

Smyrna School District booked $35,827,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 385 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $93,057 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 67 in 100 Delaware districts with a figure (state median $87,010, 37 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Delaware teacher salary at $65,647 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).

ProgramTeacher salariesShare
Regular programs$19,667,00054.9%
Special education$14,547,00040.6%
Vocational$1,613,0004.5%

Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23

The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $4,419 in 2018-19, $5,312 in 2019-20, $5,534 in 2020-21, $5,811 in 2021-22, $5,905 in 2022-23.

Smyrna School District teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,419, 2019-20: $5,312, 2020-21: $5,534, 2021-22: $5,811, 2022-23: $5,90502k4k6k2018-19$4,4192019-20$5,3122020-21$5,5342021-22$5,8112022-23$5,905
Smyrna School District teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,419, 2019-20: $5,312, 2020-21: $5,534, 2021-22: $5,811, 2022-23: $5,90502k4k6k2018-19$4,4192019-20$5,3122020-21$5,5342021-22$5,8112022-23$5,905
Smyrna School District teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,419, 2019-20: $5,312, 2020-21: $5,534, 2021-22: $5,811, 2022-23: $5,90502k4k6k2018-19$4,4192019-20$5,3122020-21$5,5342021-22$5,8112022-23$5,905
Smyrna School District teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,419, 2019-20: $5,312, 2020-21: $5,534, 2021-22: $5,811, 2022-23: $5,90502k4k6k2018-19$4,4192019-20$5,3122020-21$5,5342021-22$5,8112022-23$5,905

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).

State test results, 2021-22

In 2021-22, the students tested in Smyrna School District scored proficient or above: 39% in reading and 26% in math, against 42.2% in reading and 29.2% in math across Delaware. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Delaware, not across states.

Students proficient or above, 2021-22
SubjectThis districtDelawareStudents tested
Reading and language arts39%42.2%3,249
Math26%29.2%3,247

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.

Graduation rate, class of 2023

93% of the 439 students in Smyrna School District's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 88.9% across Delaware. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.

Four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rate, class of 2023
This districtDelaware
Four-year graduation rate93%88.9%
Students in the class43910,914

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.

4 elementary schools, 1,971 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
North Smyrna Elementary School55713.9All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Sunnyside Elementary School50715.8not reportedSchoolwide program
Clayton Elementary School48717.4not reportedSchoolwide program
Smyrna Elementary School42013.1not reportedSchoolwide program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

3 middle schools, 2,139 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Smyrna Middle School1,01116.9not reportedNot Title I
Moore (John Bassett) School63814.8not reportedNot Title I
Clayton Intermediate School49018.1not reportedNot Title I

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 high school, 1,777 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Smyrna High School1,77717.8not reportedNot Title I

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

Contact Smyrna School District

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.

What to look at next about Smyrna School District

  1. Delaware districts by spending per studentSmyrna School District ranks 16 of 24 Delaware districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($16,084).#16 of 24
  2. Every school district in DelawareSmyrna School District is the number 10 by size of 42 Delaware districts, with 6,067 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#10 of 42
  3. Cape Henlopen School DistrictThe next larger Delaware district: 6,336 students in fall 2022, $20,712 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$20,712
  4. New Castle County Vocational-Technical School DistrictThe next smaller Delaware district: 4,688 students in fall 2022, $22,587 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$22,587
  5. Compare Smyrna School District with Cape Henlopen School DistrictEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  6. Smyrna High School, its largest high school1,777 students in 2024-25, 17.8 per teacher.1,777
  7. Teacher salary spending across DelawareSmyrna School District spent $93,057 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $87,010); spending, not a salary.$93,057
  8. Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.

Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).

Questions about Smyrna School District

  1. How many schools and students are in Smyrna School District?
    8 schools were open in 2024-25 (4 elementary, 3 middle, 1 high), enrolling 5,887 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does Smyrna School District spend per student?
    $16,084 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Delaware median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $18,338 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $16,150 per student, up 0.4% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
  3. Where does Smyrna School District's money come from?
    $102,031,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 70.5% state, 19.8% local and 9.7% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How many children in Smyrna School District live in poverty?
    The Census Bureau estimates that 628 of the 7,242 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 8.7%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.
  5. How much does Smyrna School District spend on teacher salaries?
    $35,827,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $5,905 per student. Divided by the 385 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $93,057 per teacher, more than 67 in 100 Delaware districts (state median $87,010). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Delaware teacher salary at $65,647 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
  6. How do students in Smyrna School District do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in Smyrna School District scored proficient or above: 39% in reading and 26% in math, against 42.2% in reading and 29.2% in math across Delaware. Delaware's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.
  7. What is the graduation rate in Smyrna School District?
    93% of the 439 students in Smyrna School District's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 88.9% across Delaware. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.
  8. What is Smyrna School District's NCES district ID?
    1001620. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.

Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.

Sources

Every federal file behind this record
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
  • Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
  • EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
  • EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25