Enrollment
657
Delaware · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 100005400362 Charter school
First State Montessori Academy — Wilmington, DE
Federal NCES profile for First State Montessori Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 36/100.
👥 Class size 26
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 52
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: First State Montessori Academy · 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)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.5:1
vs 14.1:1 Delaware avg
+31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How First State Montessori Academy 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
First State Montessori Academy reports 657 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 34.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 18.5:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 31% above the Delaware state mean of 14.1:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 16% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 19.3% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding First State Montessori Academy spends $14,293 per pupil district-wide, below the Delaware average of $18,485 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 31.8% from local sources (property taxes), 58.0% from the state, and 10.2% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (F), calculated from 3 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 First State Montessori Academy 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 | 18.5:1 | ▲ 31% | 14.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 657 | top 67% | — | — |
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
18.5:1
students per teacher
— 31% above state mean
Top 95% in Delaware — lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
19.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$14,293
per pupil, district-wide
— below Delaware avg of $18,485
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 657 Top 67% in Delaware — larger than 33% of 223 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 34.0
Students per teacher 18.5:1 +31% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 100005400362
Student demographics
White 68.0%
African American 18.3%
Two or More 9.3%
Hispanic or Latino 2.1%
Asian 2.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 68.0% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 19.3%
In-school suspensions 7
Out-of-school suspensions 8
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for First State Montessori Academy, which includes First State Montessori Academy.
$14,293
Per student
-23%
vs Delaware
Avg $18,485
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 31.8%
State 58.0%
Federal 10.2%
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.
Similar elementary schools in Wilmington
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Brandywine Springs School
Standard public school
941 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
Mount Pleasant Elementary School
Standard public school
674 students 13:1 students per teacher
Kuumba Academy Charter School
Standard public school
594 students 11.1:1 students per teacher
The Bayard School
Standard public school
571 students 9.2:1 students per teacher
Edison (Thomas a.) Charter School
Standard public school
557 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
Baltz (Austin D.) Elementary School
Standard public school
549 students 12:1 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 First State Montessori Academy
How many students attend First State Montessori Academy?
First State Montessori Academy has 657 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Wilmington, DE.
What is the student-teacher ratio at First State Montessori Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at First State Montessori Academy is 18.5:1, which is 31% higher than the Delaware average of 14.1:1 and 16% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of First State Montessori Academy?
The largest demographic group at First State Montessori Academy is White at 68.0%. The school serves a diverse student body in Wilmington, DE.
What is the Resource Investment Index for First State Montessori Academy?
First State Montessori Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.