Seaford School District

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Seaford, Delaware - 7 schools

An equity score of 48/100 ranks Seaford School District #10 of 40 districts in Delaware (state average 39). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $17,673 per pupil, Seaford School District ranks #15 of 42 Delaware districts by per-pupil spending (Delaware districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

3,410
Total Enrollment
7
Schools
$17,673
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Seaford School District operates 7 public schools serving 3,410 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Delaware. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle, 1 combined schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Sussex County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $17,673 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 42 Delaware districts by per-pupil spending. See how Delaware compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 15.9% local, 63.1% state, and 20.9% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 48/100, ranked #10 of 40 in Delaware against a state average of 39, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 7 schools offering Advanced Placement (8 AP courses district-wide), a 434:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 26.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 34.9% African American, 28.6% Hispanic or Latino, 27.1% White across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Seaford Central Elementary School, with a diversity index of 71.3/100.

Its largest campus is Seaford Senior High School, enrolling 960 students (27% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Sussex Orthopedic Program, at 57 students, a 17x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Seaford Senior High School accounts for 26.8% of all Seaford School District student enrollment

That concentration means Seaford School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Seaford School District school enrollment varies 17× across entities

Seaford School District school enrollment ranges from 57 students (lowest) to 960 students (highest), a spread of 903 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Seaford School District student-counselor ratio is 434:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Seaford School District chronic absenteeism rate is 26.0% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Variation between sub-units within Seaford School District is typically wider than the Seaford School District-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

20.9%
Federal
63.1%
State
15.9%
Local

Funding Equity

48
Equity Score
10 / 40
State Rank
39
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 7 schools in Seaford School District.

White 27.1%
Hispanic or Latino 28.6%
African American 34.9%
Asian 0.8%
Multiracial 8.3%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 70.6/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Seaford School District's schools, above the Delaware average of 61.3.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Seaford Central Elementary School 71.3
  2. 2 Frederick Douglass Elementary School 71.3
  3. 3 West Seaford Elementary School 71.0
  4. 4 Sussex Orthopedic Program 70.8
  5. 5 Blades Elementary School 70.7

Programs & Resources

1 / 7
Schools with AP
8 AP courses total
434:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
26.0%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Seaford School District

School Enrollment
Seaford Senior High School
960
Seaford Middle School
800
Seaford Central Elementary School
473
Frederick Douglass Elementary School
456
West Seaford Elementary School
424
Blades Elementary School
410
Sussex Orthopedic Program
57

How Seaford School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Delaware districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Lake Forest School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Newark Charter School Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Laurel School District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Woodbridge School District Smaller Similar spending Similar funding mix
Milford School District Larger Lower spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Seaford School District's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Delaware

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Red Clay Consolidated School District
14,771 students · 28 schools · $21,267/pupil
Compare vs Seaford School District →
Christina School District
13,092 students · 28 schools · $26,659/pupil
Compare vs Seaford School District →
Appoquinimink School District
12,804 students · 20 schools · $15,779/pupil
Compare vs Seaford School District →
Indian River School District
10,799 students · 16 schools · $17,680/pupil
Compare vs Seaford School District →
Brandywine School District
10,367 students · 17 schools · $20,248/pupil
Compare vs Seaford School District →

Compare Seaford School District

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Red Clay Consolidated School District →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Seaford School District?

Seaford School District has 7 schools, including 1 high, 1 middle, 4 elementary, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 3,410 students.

How much does Seaford School District spend per student?

Seaford School District spends $17,673 per student. The district has an equity score of 48/100, ranking #10 in Delaware.

What is the demographic composition of Seaford School District?

Seaford School District students are 34.9% African American, 28.6% Hispanic or Latino, 27.1% White, 0.8% Asian, averaged across 7 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Seaford School District?

Seaford School District has an equity score of 48/100, ranking #10 out of 40 districts in Delaware.