Enrollment
577
Delaware · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 100019000055
South Dover Elementary School — Dover, DE
Federal NCES profile for South Dover Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 22/100.
👥 Class size 36
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 23
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: Capital 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)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.1:1
vs 14.1:1 Delaware avg
+14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Dover 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
South Dover Elementary School reports 577 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 38.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 16.1:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 14% 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 1% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Counselor coverage works out to roughly 577 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 30.8% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Capital School District spends $26,800 per pupil district-wide, above the Delaware average of $18,485 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 20.9% from local sources (property taxes), 65.9% from the state, and 13.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (F), 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 South Dover 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 | 16.1:1 | ▲ 14% | 14.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 577 | top 59% | — | — |
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
16.1:1
students per teacher
— 14% above state mean
Top 80% in Delaware — lower ratio than 20% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
30.8%
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
$26,800
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 577 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 20 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 577 Top 59% in Delaware — larger than 41% of 223 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 38.0
Students per teacher 16.1:1 +14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 100019000055
Student demographics
African American 61.2%
Hispanic or Latino 16.1%
White 12.0%
Two or More 9.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Asian 0.7%
Largest group: African American at 61.2% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 577:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 30.8%
In-school suspensions 9
Out-of-school suspensions 20
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Capital School District, which includes South Dover Elementary School.
$26,800
Per student
+45%
vs Delaware
Avg $18,485
+38%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 20.9%
State 65.9%
Federal 13.1%
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
- 1,812
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Enrollment
- 860
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Enrollment
- 432
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Enrollment
- 341
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Enrollment
- 333
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
Similar elementary schools in Dover
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
W. Reily Brown Elementary School
Standard public school
506 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Nellie Hughes Stokes Elementary School
Standard public school
487 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Academy of Dover Charter School
Standard public school
443 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
William Henry Middle School
Standard public school
432 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
Star Hill Elementary School
Standard public school
429 students 21:1 students per teacher
Campus Community School
Standard public school
409 students 14.9:1 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 South Dover Elementary School
How many students attend South Dover Elementary School?
South Dover Elementary School has 577 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Dover, DE.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Dover Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at South Dover Elementary School is 16.1:1, which is 14% higher than the Delaware average of 14.1:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Dover Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at South Dover Elementary School is African American at 61.2%. The school serves a diverse student body in Dover, DE.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Dover Elementary School?
South Dover Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (F) 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.