Enrollment
487
Delaware · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Clayton, DE
Clayton Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Clayton Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 100162000302
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 3
📋 Attendance 67
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Clayton Elementary School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Delaware schools.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Clayton · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.7:1
- large classes for Delaware
- 487
- students enrolled
Clayton Elementary School has class sizes larger than 76% of Delaware schools. Computed live against every Delaware school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Clayton Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Clayton, DE.
School address
District: Smyrna School District · Delaware
NCES ID 100162000302 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.7:1
vs 13.9:1 Delaware avg
+13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Clayton Elementary School compares with Delaware and U.S. medians
What stands out at Clayton Elementary School
Clayton Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Clayton, Delaware, enrolling 487 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Delaware schools by student-teacher ratio.
With 487 students, its enrollment sits close to the Delaware median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 222 scored Delaware schools.
Its student body is led by White (62%) and African American (27%) (diversity index 54/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 487 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
13.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Clayton's elementary schools, it stands alongside Providence Creek Academy Charter School (769 students): Clayton Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.7:1 vs 16.7:1).
Smyrna School District also operates Smyrna High School (1,777 students) and Smyrna Middle School (1,011 students) alongside Clayton Elementary School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Clayton Elementary School compares
Clayton Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Delaware and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Delaware | Delaware avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.7:1 | ▲ 13% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 487 | top 55% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.7:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
487
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
15.7:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 76% in Delaware - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
13.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$15,084
per pupil, district-wide
- below Delaware avg of $16,990
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 487 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 61.8%
African American 26.7%
Hispanic or Latino 8.6%
Two or More 2.5%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 61.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.9, Clayton Elementary School is less mixed than the Delaware school average of 61.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Smyrna School District, which includes Clayton Elementary School.
$15,084
Per student
-11%
vs Delaware
Avg $16,990
-9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.3%
State 69.6%
Federal 11.2%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Clayton Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smyrna High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Smyrna Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Moore (John Bassett) School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| North Smyrna Elementary School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sunnyside Elementary School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Clayton Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,777
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,011
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 638
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 557
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 507
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar elementary schools in Clayton
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Delaware, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~487 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Clayton Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Clayton Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Smyrna School District's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Clayton Elementary School
How many students attend Clayton Elementary School?
Clayton Elementary School has 487 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Clayton, DE.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Clayton Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Clayton Elementary School is 15.7:1, which is 13% higher than the Delaware average of 13.9:1 and 0% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Clayton Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Clayton Elementary School is White at 61.8% of enrollment, in Clayton, DE. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Clayton Elementary School?
Clayton Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Clayton Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Clayton?
By Resource Investment Index, Clayton Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Clayton, DE. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Clayton on the city page.
Is Clayton Elementary School a good school?
Clayton Elementary School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Delaware schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Smyrna School District?
Besides Clayton Elementary School, Smyrna School District also operates Smyrna High School (1,777 students), Smyrna Middle School (1,011 students), and Moore (John Bassett) School (638 students). See the Smyrna School District district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.