Smyrna 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.

Smyrna, Delaware - 8 schools

An equity score of 44/100 ranks Smyrna School District #17 of 40 districts in Delaware (state average 39). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $15,084 per pupil, Smyrna School District ranks #24 of 42 Delaware districts by per-pupil spending (Delaware districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

6,067
Total Enrollment
8
Schools
$15,084
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Smyrna School District operates 8 public schools serving 6,067 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Delaware. The school portfolio breaks down into 5 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle, 1 combined schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Kent County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,084 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 42 Delaware districts by per-pupil spending. See how Delaware compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 19.3% local, 69.6% state, and 11.2% 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 44/100, ranked #17 of 40 in Delaware against a state average of 39, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 8 schools offering Advanced Placement (17 AP courses district-wide), a 368:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 18.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 49.5% White, 33.8% African American, 9.6% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is North Smyrna Elementary School, with a diversity index of 67.1/100.

Its largest campus is Smyrna High School, enrolling 1,777 students (30% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Smyrna Elementary School, at 420 students, a 4x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Smyrna High School accounts for 29.3% of all Smyrna School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Smyrna 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

Smyrna School District school enrollment varies 4.2× across entities

Smyrna School District school enrollment ranges from 420 students (lowest) to 1,777 students (highest), a spread of 1,357 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. 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

Smyrna School District student-counselor ratio is 368:1 — 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

Smyrna School District chronic absenteeism rate is 18.6% — 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 Smyrna School District is typically wider than the Smyrna 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?

11.2%
Federal
69.6%
State
19.3%
Local

Funding Equity

44
Equity Score
17 / 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 8 schools in Smyrna School District.

White 49.5%
Hispanic or Latino 9.6%
African American 33.8%
Asian 1.2%
Multiracial 5.6%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 62.2/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Smyrna School District's schools, about the same as the Delaware average of 61.3.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 North Smyrna Elementary School 67.1
  2. 2 Moore (John Bassett) School 65.9
  3. 3 Smyrna Elementary School 65.6
  4. 4 Smyrna High School 62.5
  5. 5 Smyrna Middle School 62.3

Programs & Resources

1 / 8
Schools with AP
17 AP courses total
368:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
18.6%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Smyrna School District

School Enrollment
Smyrna High School
1,777
Smyrna Middle School
1,011
Moore (John Bassett) School
638
North Smyrna Elementary School
557
Sunnyside Elementary School
507
Clayton Intermediate School
490
Clayton Elementary School
487
Smyrna Elementary School
420

How Smyrna School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Delaware districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Cape Henlopen School District Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Capital School District Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
New Castle County Vocational-Technical School District Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Milford School District Smaller Similar spending Similar funding mix
Caesar Rodney School District Larger Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Smyrna 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 Smyrna School District →
Christina School District
13,092 students · 28 schools · $26,659/pupil
Compare vs Smyrna School District →
Appoquinimink School District
12,804 students · 20 schools · $15,779/pupil
Compare vs Smyrna School District →
Indian River School District
10,799 students · 16 schools · $17,680/pupil
Compare vs Smyrna School District →
Brandywine School District
10,367 students · 17 schools · $20,248/pupil
Compare vs Smyrna School District →

Compare Smyrna 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 Smyrna School District?

Smyrna School District has 8 schools, including 1 high, 1 middle, 5 elementary, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 6,067 students.

How much does Smyrna School District spend per student?

Smyrna School District spends $15,084 per student. The district has an equity score of 44/100, ranking #17 in Delaware.

What is the demographic composition of Smyrna School District?

Smyrna School District students are 49.5% White, 33.8% African American, 9.6% Hispanic or Latino, 1.2% Asian, averaged across 8 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Smyrna School District?

Smyrna School District has an equity score of 44/100, ranking #17 out of 40 districts in Delaware.