The top reported proficiency rate is 22% in English language arts. The lowest is 6% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Academia Antonia Alonso
Academia Antonia Alonso is a charter school in Newark, Delaware, serving kindergarten through seventh grade, with a recent expansion to eighth grade for the current school year. The school sits on North Wakefield Drive in a city shaped heavily by the University of Delaware, whose campus anchors Newark's Main Street corridor just a short distance away. Newark reads as a college town through and through. Main Street functions as the commercial and social spine, lined with student-oriented businesses and university activity, while established residential neighborhoods radiate outward. The surrounding area has shifted from farmland to housing developments over the years, though open agricultural land remains just across the state lines in Maryland and Pennsylvania. The city maintains an extensive park system and sits on the Northeast Corridor rail line with SEPTA and Amtrak service, giving residents commuter access to Philadelphia and Baltimore.
The school serves a student body that is predominantly Hispanic, with small representations of white, Black, and multiracial students. This composition is a defining characteristic of the school and likely reflects its mission and the community it was designed to serve. The enrollment is moderate for a K-through-8 charter, with relatively even distribution across the early grade bands and a smaller upper-grade cohort. Free and reduced-price lunch data was not reported, so the economic profile of the student body cannot be characterized from available information. Data on English learners and students with individualized education programs was also missing, which limits the picture of how the school serves special populations.
On state assessments, Academia Antonia Alonso's results are low across tested subjects. In math, the proficiency rate sits well below the midpoint among New Castle County districts, and in English language arts the rate is similarly modest. Science proficiency is particularly low, with only a small fraction of tested students reaching proficiency. Social studies results, reported for fourth and sixth grades in the prior year, fall in a comparable range. When the school's overall proficiency is placed relative to districts in New Castle County, it lands in the bottom quartile. Looking at the trend over several years, both math and ELA proficiency have fluctuated without a clear upward trajectory, with ELA showing some year-to-year movement and math remaining consistently low. A parent weighing this school may want to look into how the school supports students working below grade level and what interventions are in place, particularly in math and science.
Because the school does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and that gap reflects the grade band served rather than any omission. Chronic absenteeism data was not available. Information on course offerings, staffing, discipline, and attendance was not provided, so the picture of school environment and access is limited. No program offerings were listed in the available data.
The housing market around the school's zip code is more affordable than the Delaware state benchmark, with home values below the state midpoint and rents that are moderate for the region. Both home values and rents have been growing at a modest pace. Newark's median household income sits above the national median, though the city's poverty rate is influenced by the large student population from the university. The University of Delaware is the dominant employer, with the area's highest-paying industries concentrated in utilities, information, and finance and insurance. The former Chrysler assembly plant site, closed during the recession, represents a large industrial footprint awaiting redevelopment.
For families considering this school, the academic data points to real challenges in proficiency across subjects. The school's recent completion of its K-through-8 expansion means families can now keep children enrolled through eighth grade rather than transitioning earlier. Whether the school's mission and community orientation fit a particular family will depend on what that family is looking for, and the gaps in the available data mean some questions about student support, staffing, and program offerings will need to be asked directly of the school.
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