The top reported proficiency rate is 30% in English language arts. The lowest is 17% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Great Oaks Charter School
Great Oaks Charter School is a single-site charter high school serving grades nine through twelve in the Wilmington area of New Castle County, Delaware. It is organized as a district-level charter entity, meaning the school itself functions as its own district under state governance. The school came through charter renewal in 2023, and publicly reported state records confirm it remains open and enrolling for the current academic year, so families considering it can count on continued operation rather than an uncertain charter status.
The enrollment is small for a high school, which shapes much of what follows. A student body of this size means classmates are the same handful of peers across all four years. For some families that close-knit setting is exactly what they want; for others it can feel limiting. The student population is predominantly Black, with a smaller Hispanic presence and very few students from other racial or ethnic backgrounds. Free or reduced-price lunch data was not reported, so the economic profile of the student body is something a parent would need to ask the school about directly. The same goes for special education and English learner populations, where the data was not available.
Academically, the state assessment picture is thin and comes with an important caveat. Although Great Oaks serves grades nine through twelve, the available state testing results are for grade eight, likely reflecting an earlier grade configuration or a transitional testing year. ELA proficiency was reported at roughly three in ten students proficient, which sits just below the county median when compared among New Castle County's districts. Social studies proficiency was lower, with fewer than two in ten reaching proficiency. Math and science proficiency rates were suppressed in the state data, so no public read on those subjects is available. Across the available ELA trend, proficiency rose from the low twenties to the low thirties over several years before settling back slightly, suggesting modest, uneven improvement rather than a steep trajectory. Taken together, the academic results place this school below the midpoint among New Castle County districts on overall proficiency. A parent weighing academic rigor may want to look into this further with the school, particularly asking how the current high school grades perform on state assessments and what interventions are in place.
One area where the data is clearly concerning is chronic absenteeism. Great Oaks reports a chronic absenteeism rate in the bottom quartile among county districts, well above the county median. That figure alone does not tell a parent why students are missing school, but it is a signal worth asking about. High absenteeism can both reflect and compound academic challenges, and understanding the school's attendance supports would be a reasonable line of inquiry before enrolling.
On the resource side, per-pupil spending at Great Oaks sits in the upper range among New Castle County districts, well above the county median and near the top of the reported range. Charter schools in Delaware often carry different cost structures than traditional districts, and higher per-pupil spending can reflect smaller enrollment, specialized programming, or facility costs. What the data does not show is how that spending translates into classroom resources, staffing ratios, or program offerings, since staffing and course access data were not available.
No graduation rate was reported for Great Oaks in the comparison dataset. This may reflect the small senior class, data suppression, or reporting timing, but it is a gap. For a high school, graduation outcomes are central to a family's decision, so this is another item to raise directly with school leadership.
No information was available on the surrounding community, housing, school environment, discipline, or specific academic programs. The school's website and direct outreach would be the next step for a parent who wants to understand daily culture, extracurriculars, and college or career supports.
What the available data describes is a small, community-rooted charter high school with a predominantly Black student body, stable charter status, above-average per-pupil investment, and academic results that trail the county midpoint. The chronic absenteeism figure is a concern. The missing graduation rate and suppressed assessment results leave real gaps. For a family drawn to a small, focused environment and willing to dig into the unanswered questions, Great Oaks may be worth a closer look. The data alone does not make the case either way.
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