The top reported proficiency rate is 64% in English language arts. The lowest is 35% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on First State Montessori Academy
First State Montessori Academy is Delaware's first Montessori charter school, serving kindergarten through eighth grade in Wilmington. As a charter rather than a traditional district school, it operates under its own authorization and draws families who specifically want a Montessori approach within the public system. The school recently cleared a charter renewal review by the Delaware Department of Education and earned a rating of meets standards in its most recent annual report, a foundational signal for any family considering enrollment that the school's authorization is stable.
The academic picture is mixed but leans strong in literacy. English language arts proficiency has held in the mid-sixties range for most of the past decade, with only a modest dip during the pandemic years before recovering. That places reading outcomes well above what many nearby schools post. Math tells a different story. Proficiency peaked several years ago in the low fifties and has since drifted down to the low forties, where it has held for the last few testing cycles. Science proficiency sits lower still, in the mid-thirties. Social studies results, reported by grade level, are healthier, with fourth and sixth grade landing in the high fifties to mid-sixties and eighth grade in the mid-fifties. Taken together, the school's overall proficiency index lands in the top quartile relative to districts in New Castle County, driven largely by its reading strength. A parent weighing this school may want to ask how math and science instruction are structured within the Montessori framework, particularly whether the hands-on materials and individualized pacing translate into measurable gains in those subjects as students move through the upper grades.
The school serves a mid-sized enrollment for a K-through-eight charter, with relatively even distribution across grade levels and a slight tapering in the upper grades. The student body is predominantly white, with a sizable Black population and a smaller share of students identifying as two or more races. Asian and Hispanic students each represent a small fraction of enrollment. Data on free or reduced-price lunch, special education, and English learner populations was not available, so it is hard to characterize the school's socioeconomic mix or the level of specialized support from the provided data. A family whose child receives special education services or English learner support would want to contact the school directly to understand what is offered.
Because the school ends at eighth grade, there is no graduation rate, no high school course catalog, and no AP or career pathway data to evaluate. That is expected for this grade band and should not be read as a gap in the school's program. Families will need to plan for a high school transition, and the school's track record of preparing graduates for that step is worth asking about during a visit.
The school sits in Wilmington, Delaware's largest city and its corporate and financial center. The city blends a dense downtown of office towers and banking institutions with residential neighborhoods and a revitalized Riverfront district. Publicly reported sources describe Wilmington as a city that preserves small-town charm in its walkability despite its big-city economic role. The downtown is compact and grid-patterned, with restaurants, galleries, and venues like The Grand Opera House. Amtrak and SEPTA service connect the city to Philadelphia, and major highways run through it. The surrounding area carries a rich industrial history tied to DuPont and chemical manufacturing, now pivoted toward finance, technology companies, and startup activity. The city has an active planning process and ongoing redevelopment of former industrial and shipyard lands along the Riverfront.
Housing in the school's zip code is affordable relative to state and national benchmarks. Typical home values sit well below both the Delaware statewide median and the national median, and rents are similarly modest. Year-over-year appreciation has been steady but not dramatic. For families considering relocation near the school, this is one of the more accessible housing markets in the region, especially compared to suburban New Castle County communities where prices climb higher. The trade-off is an urban setting with the usual considerations around city schools, neighborhood variation, and commuting logistics.
What this school offers is a Montessori pathway in a stable charter setting, with genuine strength in reading and a peer environment that is more racially diverse than many charter schools in the region. The math and science results are softer, and the missing data on special populations makes it hard to assess how well the school serves students with additional needs. For a family drawn to Montessori pedagogy and comfortable with an urban location, this is a school worth a closer look, with specific questions about upper-grade math outcomes and the high school transition.
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