The top reported proficiency rate is 47% in English language arts. The lowest is 32% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Marshall (thurgood) Elementary School
Thurgood Marshall Elementary sits on Barrett Run Road in Newark, Delaware, serving kindergarten through fifth grade as part of the Christina School District. It is a regular public school with an enrollment large enough for a full elementary grade span, with each grade cohort filling several classrooms. The student body is racially diverse in a way that mirrors the broader Newark area: the largest group is Black students, followed by sizable Asian and White populations, with a smaller Hispanic contingent and a scattering of students identifying as two or more races or American Indian/Alaska Native. Free and reduced-price lunch data was not reported, nor were English-learner or special-education counts, so a parent wanting to understand the economic and linguistic composition of the school would need to ask the front office directly.
On state assessments, Marshall's results tell a mixed story. English language arts proficiency sits just below half of tested students, and math proficiency is lower still, with roughly four in ten students meeting the standard. Science results are the weakest area, with about a third of tested students reaching proficiency. Social studies, tested only in fourth grade in a prior year, landed near half. Placed against other schools in the New Castle County comparison set, Marshall's overall proficiency index lands above the midpoint, meaning it outperforms a fair share of county peers on tested subjects even though its own numbers show room for growth. A parent may want to look into the school's current improvement plans and classroom-level supports, particularly in math and science, to see how leadership is addressing the gap between current proficiency and the school's own historical performance.
The multi-year trend data is informative. A decade ago, Marshall's ELA and math proficiency rates were well above where they sit today, with each subject clearing the mark for a clear majority of students. The pandemic year brought a sharp drop, and while both subjects rebounded somewhat in the first full return year, they have drifted downward since. ELA has eased lower over the past two cycles, and math has fallen more steeply in the most recent year. The school has not returned to its pre-pandemic levels, and the downward direction in the latest results is something a family watching academic trajectory would want to ask about.
Because Marshall is an elementary school, there is no graduation rate, and the chronic absenteeism and discipline data were not available in the provided records. Those gaps reflect the grade band rather than signaling a problem; elementary schools do not produce graduation figures, and the absence of other metrics means the state or district may not have reported them in the source data set.
Newark itself is a college-dominated small city shaped by the University of Delaware. Main Street runs alongside the campus and serves as the commercial and social spine of the community, with student-oriented businesses, restaurants, and civic offices clustered along it. Beyond that corridor, established residential neighborhoods spread outward, and the surrounding area has shifted from farmland to housing developments over the years, though open farmland still sits just across the Maryland and Pennsylvania borders. The city maintains an extensive park system and trail network, but outside the immediate downtown-campus core most residents rely on cars. Commuter rail service through the Newark station connects to the Northeast Corridor via SEPTA and Amtrak.
The housing market around Marshall is relatively accessible compared with state and national benchmarks. Home values in the school's zip code sit below the Delaware statewide typical home value and close to the national figure, with modest year-over-year appreciation. Rents are affordable relative to local incomes, and the monthly cost of renting runs below what a mortgage would require at current interest rates, which means families not yet ready to buy can find entry points in the rental market. The Christina School District is undergoing a property tax restructuring following a county-wide reassessment. The tax base expanded substantially, and the district plans to raise total receipts while reducing the nominal rate, so homeowners should expect their annual tax bills to shift in the coming year. A family considering a purchase in the Marshall attendance zone may want to ask the district or county for a specific estimate.
Marshall fits a family looking for a diverse, mid-sized elementary school in a university-adjacent community where housing costs remain moderate for the region. The academic results are below the school's own historical baseline and have been trending in the wrong direction in recent cycles, even as the school stands above the midpoint of its county peers. A parent weighing this school should ask direct questions about math and science instruction, post-pandemic recovery efforts, and how the school supports students who are not yet meeting proficiency standards.
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