The top reported proficiency rate is 13% in Social studies. The lowest is 7% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Warner Elementary School
Warner Elementary School sits on West 18th Street in Wilmington, serving third through fifth graders as part of the Red Clay Consolidated School District. It is a regular public school with an enrollment that is modest for its grade band, spread across three grades. The student body is predominantly Black, with a smaller Hispanic presence and very small shares of White students and students of two or more races. The school does not carry charter or magnet status. Free-or-reduced-price lunch data, special education rates, and English learner counts were all missing from the available data, so the economic profile of the families here cannot be characterized from what was provided. A parent wanting that picture would need to ask the school directly.
On state assessments, Warner's results are low. The most recent Smarter Balanced scores show single-digit proficiency in both math and English language arts, and science proficiency on the Delaware System of Student Assessment sits in a similar range. A fourth-grade social studies result from the prior year was somewhat higher but still well below what most schools in the county post. Looking across nearly a decade of data, English language arts proficiency peaked several years ago at a level that was still modest, then drifted downward and has remained low since. Math has been persistently low throughout the same span, with no year reaching what would be considered a middling result. Against other districts in New Castle County, Warner's overall proficiency index lands in the bottom quartile. Participation rate data was missing for the current year's math, ELA, and science results, so it is unclear from the data whether testing participation was a factor. This is a school whose academic outcomes a parent would want to discuss with leadership in some depth, asking what improvement plans are in place and how the school supports students working below grade level.
Because Warner serves only grades three through five, there is no graduation rate to report, and that absence reflects the grade band rather than a missing metric. Chronic absenteeism data was also not available.
The surrounding community is Wilmington, Delaware's largest city and its corporate and financial center. The downtown core is compact and grid-patterned, with banks, government offices, and cultural venues like The Grand Opera House and the Delaware Art Museum nearby. The revitalized Riverfront area offers restaurants and gathering spaces, and the city is bisected by I-95 with Amtrak and SEPTA service at Wilmington Train Station. Red Clay Consolidated School District is one of the city's major employers. Publicly reported district plans indicate Red Clay is transforming McKean High School into an innovation campus opening in August 2027, which will offer industry-recognized credentials, though that secondary-level change does not directly affect Warner's elementary program.
Housing in the school's zip code is well below state and national benchmarks for typical home values, and values have edged downward recently. Rents have risen modestly. The estimated monthly cost of owning is higher than typical rent by a meaningful margin, so renting is the more affordable path for many families in this area. The price-to-income ratio sits above what is generally considered comfortable, reflecting the broader challenge of homeownership costs relative to local earnings.
Warner is a small urban elementary school serving a predominantly Black student population in a city with deep institutional roots and active redevelopment. Its academic results have been persistently low across subjects and years, and several key data points about student need and engagement are absent from what was available. Families considering this school would benefit from a direct conversation with staff about instruction, support services, and the trajectory they envision for students here.
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