The Special Education Observatory · South Atlantic · South
Special education in Delaware
Students with IEPs in Delaware, where they spend the school day, and all 46 districts, from 2024–25 federal data.
- 26,340school-age students with IEPs0.4% of the national total
- 18.5%of enrolled students have an IEP3.2 points above the nation (15.3%) · 6th of 51
- 64.4%in general education 80% or more of the day3.5 points below the nation (67.9%) · 36th of 51
- 15.3%in general education less than 40% of the day2.3 points above the nation (13.0%) · 10th of 51
- 44districts reporting a count1 withheld for privacy
Delaware, district by district
Choose a measure. Hover or focus a district for its figure; select it to open its page.
Loading the Delaware district map.
Where students learn
Every setting the federal educational environments file reports for school-age students with IEPs in Delaware, beside the national share.
- In general education 80% or more of the day64.4%
- In general education 40% to 79% of the day16.1%
- In general education less than 40% of the day15.3%
- Separate school4.0%
- Residential facility0.1%
- Homebound or hospital0.6%
- Correctional facility0.1%
- Parentally placed in private school0.2%
| Setting | Students | Share | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| In general education 80% or more of the day | 16,841 | 64.4% | 67.9% |
| In general education 40% to 79% of the day | 4,040 | 16.1% | 15.2% |
| In general education less than 40% of the day | 3,847 | 15.3% | 13.0% |
| Separate school | 1,000 | 4.0% | 2.5% |
| Residential facility | 14 | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Homebound or hospital | 141 | 0.6% | 0.3% |
| Correctional facility | 22 | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Parentally placed in private school | 46 | 0.2% | 1.8% |
What may be driving it
Where Delaware sits among the 50 states and DC on five measures, beside the nation.
- Identification rate18.5%6th highest of 51
- In general education 80% or more of the day64.4%36th highest of 51
- In separate settings5.2%9th highest of 51
- Spending per student$22,2019th highest of 51
- School-age poverty (estimate)13.1%27th highest of 51
Questions worth asking
- 18.5% of Delaware's students have an IEP, 3.2 points above the nation (15.3%). How do referral, evaluation and eligibility practices shape that share?[1][3]
- 5.2% of students with IEPs learn in separate settings, against 2.8% for the nation. What share of special education spending follows those placements?[2]
- Spending per student is $22,201, against $17,314 for the nation. How much of the difference is cost of living, staffing levels or special education services?[6]
Every district in Delaware
Search by name or city, filter by kind of agency, and select a column heading to sort. Not published always sorts last.
Showing 46 of 46
| Academia Antonia AlonsoNewark · Independent charter district | 910 | 82 | 9.0% | 81.7% | 0.0% | Not published | Not published |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy of Dover Charter SchoolDover · Independent charter district | 443 | 92 | 20.8% | 76.1% | 16.3% | Not published | Not published |
| Appoquinimink School DistrictOdessa · Regular school district | 12,897 | 2,218 | 17.2% | 78.4% | 11.5% | 5.5% | $18,456 |
| Brandywine School DistrictWilmington · Regular school district | 10,349 | 1,987 | 19.2% | 67.6% | 10.3% | 10.6% | $22,839 |
| Bryan Allen Stevenson School of ExcellenceGeorgetown · Independent charter district | 208 | 42 | 20.2% | 83.3% | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Caesar Rodney School DistrictWyoming · Regular school district | 8,343 | 1,562 | 18.7% | 75.4% | 11.6% | 12.4% | $18,902 |
| Campus Community SchoolDover · Independent charter district | 409 | 78 | 19.1% | 94.9% | 0.0% | Not published | Not published |
| Cape Henlopen School DistrictLewes · Regular school district | 6,654 | 1,282 | 19.3% | 58.7% | 10.0% | 10.0% | $21,812 |
| Capital School DistrictDover · Regular school district | 6,491 | 1,304 | 20.1% | 59.7% | 16.9% | 18.4% | $23,521 |
| Charter School of New CastleNew Castle · Independent charter district | 788 | 86 | 10.9% | 61.6% | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Charter School of WilmingtonWilmington · Independent charter district | 977 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Christina School DistrictNewark · Regular school district | 12,954 | 3,137 | 24.2% | 43.5% | 27.9% | 14.9% | $34,491 |
| Colonial School DistrictNew Castle · Regular school district | 8,575 | 2,001 | 23.3% | 48.7% | 20.8% | 14.5% | $23,840 |
| Corrections - DOEDover · State operated agency | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Delaware Adolescent Program Inc. (DAPI)Wilmington · Service agency | Not published | 0 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Delaware Military AcademyWilmington · Independent charter district | 547 | 33 | 6.0% | 90.9% | 0.0% | Not published | Not published |
| Delmar School DistrictDelmar · Regular school district | 1,445 | 138 | 9.6% | 68.8% | 16.7% | 14.0% | $12,541 |
| Dept. of Svs. for Children Youth & Their FamiliesWilmington · State operated agency | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Early College High School at Del StateDover · Independent charter district | 583 | 48 | 8.2% | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| East Side Charter SchoolWilmington · Independent charter district | 434 | 82 | 18.9% | 73.2% | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Edison (Thomas A.) Charter SchoolWilmington · Independent charter district | 557 | 81 | 14.5% | 58.0% | 13.6% | Not published | Not published |
| First State Military AcademyClayton · Independent charter district | 433 | 75 | 17.3% | 70.7% | 0.0% | Not published | Not published |
| First State Montessori AcademyWilmington · Independent charter district | 657 | 105 | 16.0% | 100.0% | 0.0% | Not published | Not published |
| Freire Charter School WilmingtonWilmington · Independent charter district | 406 | 122 | 30.0% | 59.0% | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Gateway Charter SchoolWilmington · Independent charter district | 211 | 97 | 46.0% | 88.7% | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Great Oaks Charter SchoolWilmington · Independent charter district | 149 | 53 | 35.6% | 92.5% | 0.0% | Not published | Not published |
| Indian River School DistrictSelbyville · Regular school district | 10,753 | 1,974 | 18.4% | 64.6% | 13.0% | 14.9% | $20,516 |
| Kuumba Academy Charter SchoolWilmington · Independent charter district | 594 | 79 | 13.3% | 63.3% | 0.0% | Not published | Not published |
| Lake Forest School DistrictFelton · Regular school district | 3,727 | 859 | 23.0% | 61.7% | 16.4% | 12.5% | $18,519 |
| Las Americas Aspira AcademyNewark · Independent charter district | 1,471 | 297 | 20.2% | 74.4% | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Laurel School DistrictLaurel · Regular school district | 2,544 | 470 | 18.5% | 80.0% | 14.9% | 18.4% | $16,661 |
| Milford School DistrictMilford · Regular school district | 4,523 | 695 | 15.4% | 57.6% | 22.7% | 14.8% | $15,795 |
| MOT Charter SchoolMiddletown · Independent charter district | 1,407 | 123 | 8.7% | Not published | 0.0% | Not published | Not published |
| New Castle County Vocational-Technical School DistrictWilmington · Regular school district | 4,812 | 632 | 13.1% | 91.8% | 6.8% | Not published | $24,889 |
| Newark Charter SchoolNewark · Independent charter district | 3,109 | 355 | 11.4% | 74.6% | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Odyssey Charter SchoolWilmington · Independent charter district | 2,286 | 283 | 12.4% | 91.5% | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| POLYTECH School DistrictWoodside · Regular school district | 1,228 | 152 | 12.4% | 91.4% | 0.0% | Not published | $20,953 |
| Positive Outcomes Charter SchoolCamden · Independent charter district | 119 | 62 | 52.1% | 91.9% | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Providence Creek Academy Charter SchoolClayton · Independent charter district | 769 | 141 | 18.3% | 90.8% | 0.0% | Not published | Not published |
| Red Clay Consolidated School DistrictWilmington · Regular school district | 14,444 | 3,000 | 20.8% | 58.2% | 21.1% | 12.5% | $23,294 |
| Seaford School DistrictSeaford · Regular school district | 3,580 | 572 | 16.0% | 71.7% | 14.2% | 18.8% | $19,681 |
| Smyrna School DistrictSmyrna · Regular school district | 5,887 | 1,131 | 19.2% | 71.1% | 9.1% | 8.7% | $16,150 |
| Sussex AcademyGeorgetown · Independent charter district | 1,182 | 117 | 9.9% | 97.4% | 0.0% | Not published | Not published |
| Sussex Montessori SchoolSeaford · Independent charter district | 383 | 22 | 5.7% | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Sussex Technical School DistrictGeorgetown · Regular school district | 1,341 | 174 | 13.0% | 73.0% | 9.2% | Not published | $21,953 |
| Woodbridge School DistrictBridgeville · Regular school district | 2,577 | 489 | 19.0% | 65.8% | Not published | 19.1% | $20,310 |
Service agencies in Delaware
Agencies from federal data. Membership not compiled for this state.
| Agency | Kind | Member districts |
|---|---|---|
| Delaware Adolescent Program Inc. (DAPI) | Service agency | Not compiled |
Delaware in the South Atlantic division
The U.S. Census Bureau groups Delaware with these states in the South Atlantic division of the South.
| State | Identification rate | 80% or more | Under 40% | School-age poverty | Spending per student |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | 18.5% | 64.4% | 15.3% | 13.1% | $22,201 |
| District of Columbia | 16.2% | 62.9% | 18.5% | 24.6% | $31,529 |
| Florida | 14.9% | 78.4% | 14.3% | 14.5% | $12,692 |
| Georgia | 13.2% | 60.7% | 18.5% | 16.2% | $15,763 |
| Maryland | 12.3% | 73.4% | 11.0% | 10.3% | $20,208 |
| North Carolina | 13.1% | 71.0% | 11.2% | 15.6% | $12,995 |
| South Carolina | 13.5% | 64.7% | 15.6% | 17.0% | $15,010 |
| Virginia | 14.0% | 70.8% | 9.8% | 11.1% | $17,104 |
| West Virginia | 19.0% | 62.1% | 7.7% | 18.9% | $15,490 |
How these figures are built
Both parts. Rates use only the districts that reported both parts of the fraction. A district missing either part is left out of that rate, never counted as zero.
Not published. Not published means the publisher suppressed the figure to protect student privacy, did not report it, or the count is fewer than 10 students. It is never zero.
- Students with IEPs, school age
- Students with IEPs ages 5 (in kindergarten) through 21 served under IDEA Part B on the state’s child count date.Who is counted: Students with IEPs ages 5 (in kindergarten) through 21.Source: IDEA Section 618 Part B Child Count (file specification 002), district level, 2024–25 school year.
- Identification rate
- School-age students with IEPs as a share of all students enrolled in the same districts. A district that sends students to another district’s schools can count residents with IEPs it does not enroll, so its rate can run high.Who is counted: School-age students with IEPs, over all students enrolled prekindergarten through grade 12.Source: IDEA Section 618 Part B Child Count (file specification 002), district level, 2024–25 school year.Both parts: School-age students with IEPs (IDEA child count), over Students enrolled (Common Core of Data membership).
- In general education 80% or more of the day
- Share of school-age students with IEPs inside the regular class 80% or more of the school day.Who is counted: Students with IEPs ages 5 (in kindergarten) through 21.Source: IDEA Section 618 Part B Educational Environments (file specification 089), district level, 2024–25 school year.Both parts: Students in this setting, over All school-age students with IEPs in the environments file.
- In general education less than 40% of the day
- Share of school-age students with IEPs inside the regular class less than 40% of the school day.Who is counted: Students with IEPs ages 5 (in kindergarten) through 21.Source: IDEA Section 618 Part B Educational Environments (file specification 089), district level, 2024–25 school year.Both parts: Students in this setting, over All school-age students with IEPs in the environments file.
- In separate settings
- Share of school-age students with IEPs in a separate school, a residential facility, at home or in a hospital, or in a correctional facility, taken together. Counted only where all four are published.Who is counted: Students with IEPs ages 5 (in kindergarten) through 21.Source: IDEA Section 618 Part B Educational Environments (file specification 089), district level, 2024–25 school year.Both parts: Students in the four separate settings, over All school-age students with IEPs in the environments file.
- School-age poverty (estimate)
- Estimated share of related residents ages 5 to 17 living in families in poverty, within the district’s boundaries. A model-based estimate with a margin of error.Who is counted: Related residents ages 5 to 17 living within the district’s boundaries.Source: SAIPE school district estimates, Income year 2024.Both parts: Residents ages 5 to 17 in families in poverty, over Related residents ages 5 to 17.
- Spending per student
- Current spending on elementary-secondary education per pupil, as the Census Bureau publishes it: spending for students outside the system’s fall membership, capital outlay and debt service are excluded.Who is counted: All students enrolled in the school system (Census fall membership).Source: Public elementary-secondary education finance data, per-pupil spending by school system (table elsec24t), Fiscal year 2024 (the 2023–24 school year).Both parts: Current elementary-secondary spending, over Fall membership.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. IDEA Section 618 Part B Child Count (file specification 002), district level, 2024–25 school year. data.ed.gov. Public domain. Retrieved October 4, 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. IDEA Section 618 Part B Educational Environments (file specification 089), district level, 2024–25 school year. data.ed.gov. Licensed CC BY. Retrieved October 4, 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Common Core of Data, district membership (final), 2024–25 school year. nces.ed.gov. Public domain. Retrieved October 4, 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Common Core of Data, district directory (final), 2024–25 school year. nces.ed.gov. Public domain. Retrieved October 4, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. SAIPE school district estimates, Income year 2024. www.census.gov. Public domain. Retrieved October 4, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances (F-33). Public elementary-secondary education finance data, per-pupil spending by school system (table elsec24t), Fiscal year 2024 (the 2023–24 school year). www.census.gov. Public domain. Retrieved October 4, 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE program. School district boundaries (composite), simplified for display, 2024–25 school year. nces.ed.gov. Public domain.
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