The top reported proficiency rate is 38% in English language arts. The lowest is 13% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Brookside Elementary School
Brookside Elementary School sits on Marrows Road in Newark, Delaware, serving kindergarten through fifth grade as part of the Christina School District. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and its enrollment is modest for an elementary school covering six grade levels. The student body is racially diverse. Black and Hispanic students each make up roughly a third of enrollment, white students account for about a quarter, and smaller shares of Asian and multiracial students round out the population. Data on free or reduced-price lunch, special education, and English learner populations was not available, so a parent looking for those indicators would need to ask the school directly.
On state assessments, Brookside's results show a school where fewer than half of tested students reach proficiency in any subject. English language arts is the relatively stronger area, with recent results landing in the upper thirties. Math sits a bit lower, in the low thirties. Science and social studies results are more concerning, with only a small fraction of tested students demonstrating proficiency in each. Looking at the multi-year trend, ELA proficiency has moved around over the past decade, hitting some higher points in earlier years before settling into the mid-to-upper thirties in recent testing. Math has followed a similar pattern, with a sharp dip during pandemic-affected years and partial recovery since. A parent may want to look into what support structures the school has in place for science and social studies instruction, and how the school is working to move more students above the proficiency bar in math and reading.
Against other districts in New Castle County, Brookside's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades sits above the midpoint. This comparison reflects an aggregate of the school's results across subjects and grade levels relative to the county's districts. The school does not have a graduation rate, which is expected for an elementary school serving only early grades. No chronic absenteeism figure was available either. No program offerings data was provided, so we cannot describe specialized academic pathways, extracurriculars, or enrichment programs the school may offer.
Newark itself is a college-dominated small city shaped by the University of Delaware, which sits along Main Street and serves as the area's dominant employer. Publicly reported sources describe a community that has transitioned from surrounding farmland to housing developments, though farmland remains just across the state lines in Maryland and Pennsylvania. The city maintains an extensive park system with dozens of parks and miles of trails, and Newark Rail Station provides commuter rail on the Northeast Corridor. Outside the immediate downtown-campus corridor, most residents drive to work, and car ownership is high. The built environment is a mix of university life, student-oriented businesses, and established residential neighborhoods.
For families considering the housing market around Brookside, the zip code's typical home value sits below the statewide benchmark, making this area relatively more affordable than much of Delaware. Rents are also moderate. The gap between estimated monthly mortgage costs and rents is modest, meaning renting and owning carry somewhat similar monthly costs. Home values have been appreciating at a healthy clip year over year, and rents have risen as well, which may reflect broader regional demand.
The Christina School District is undergoing a property tax restructuring following a county-wide reassessment. Publicly reported budget documents indicate the district's tax base grew substantially, and the district plans to raise total tax receipts collected while reducing the nominal tax rate by a corresponding factor. This restructuring will affect what homeowners pay annually, and parents or prospective residents may want to understand how this translates to their own tax bills.
Brookside is a diverse, moderately sized elementary school with assessment results that leave room for growth, particularly in science and math, set within an affordable Newark neighborhood shaped by university life and suburban transition. Families drawn to the area's relative affordability and proximity to the University of Delaware campus may find it worth asking the school directly about academic support programs, enrichment offerings, and the demographic data that was not available here.
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