Enrollment
346
Delaware · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 100020000228
Downes (John R.) Elementary School — Newark, DE
Federal NCES profile for Downes (John R.) Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 40/100.
👥 Class size 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 31
📋 Attendance 5
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Christina School District · Delaware
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12:1
vs 14.1:1 Delaware avg
-15% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Downes (John R.) Elementary School compares with Delaware and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Downes (John R.) Elementary School reports 346 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 32.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 12:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 15% below the Delaware state mean of 14.1:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 25% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Counselor coverage works out to roughly 346 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 37.9% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Christina School District spends $30,267 per pupil district-wide, above the Delaware average of $18,485 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 41.3% from local sources (property taxes), 48.2% from the state, and 10.5% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (D), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Downes (John R.) Elementary School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Delaware state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Delaware | Delaware avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12:1 | ▼ 15% | 14.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 346 | top 22% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Staffing depth
12:1
students per teacher
— 15% below state mean
Top 25% in Delaware — lower ratio than 75% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
37.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$30,267
per pupil, district-wide
— above Delaware avg of $18,485
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 346 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 23 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 346 Top 22% in Delaware — larger than 78% of 223 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 32.0
Students per teacher 12:1 -15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 100020000228
Student demographics
White 38.7%
African American 24.6%
Hispanic or Latino 19.9%
Asian 10.1%
Two or More 6.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 38.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 346:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 37.9%
In-school suspensions 9
Out-of-school suspensions 23
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Christina School District, which includes Downes (John R.) Elementary School.
$30,267
Per student
+64%
vs Delaware
Avg $18,485
+55%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 41.3%
State 48.2%
Federal 10.5%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,425
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Enrollment
- 1,039
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Enrollment
- 908
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Enrollment
- 763
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Enrollment
- 681
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
Similar elementary schools in Newark
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Academia Antonia Alonso
Standard public school
910 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Marshall (Thurgood) Elementary School
Standard public school
529 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Gallaher (Robert S.) Elementary School
Standard public school
469 students 10.8:1 students per teacher
Forest Oak Elementary School
Standard public school
429 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Smith (Jennie E.) Elementary School
Standard public school
413 students 12.3:1 students per teacher
Keene (William B.) Elementary School
Standard public school
408 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Downes (John R.) Elementary School
How many students attend Downes (John R.) Elementary School?
Downes (John R.) Elementary School has 346 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Newark, DE.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Downes (John R.) Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Downes (John R.) Elementary School is 12:1, which is 15% lower than the Delaware average of 14.1:1 and 25% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Downes (John R.) Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Downes (John R.) Elementary School is White at 38.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in Newark, DE.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Downes (John R.) Elementary School?
Downes (John R.) Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.