Quick Facts About NCS

What is a Charter School?

Charter Schools are independently operated public schools. Families choose to send their children to charter schools instead of being assigned there. Charter schools are financed the same way as traditional public schools, but charter schools are able to operate free of many regulations and constraints imposed at the state and local levels. With such barriers and restrictions removed, charter schools have a greater flexibility and swiftness in responding to students’ needs, in being innovative, and in operating efficiently. In exchange, charter schools are held accountable for achieving educational results. They combine the best parts of both public and nonpublic schools. Charter Schools have been called “winning examples of American creativity at its best – a promising new vehicle to raise academic standards, empower educators, involve parents, and boost accountability.”

According to the Delaware Charter School Network, there are  24 Delaware charter schools educating 12,521 students and over 1,000 school administrators and staff members.

Newark Charter School is a non-profit organization and a public charter school of the State of Delaware authorized by the Department of Education with the assent of the Delaware State Board of Education.

Why does Newark Charter School Use a Lottery and Admissions Preferences, and Does It Have a Waiting List?

In the event that charter schools have more applicants than available openings for new students, a lottery is conducted to determine who is accepted and who is placed on a waiting list.

The Delaware Charter School Law provides for certain preferences in conducting a lottery. Newark Charter School uses preferences for siblings of students who are currently enrolled, children of NCS teachers, and students who live within a five-mile radius of the school (this refers to “as the crow flies”, not driving distance).

With over 3,600 students on its waiting list, Newark Charter School has more applications than it has openings, so a lottery is conducted every year. 

Will we have to reapply each year?

Students in good standing will matriculate to each successive grade without reapplying. Students on the waiting list need to reapply each year. Waiting lists do not carry over from year to year.

How many students are in each grade?

Newark Charter School has a total student enrollment of 2,996 students. .

Below are the enrollment figures for the 2022-2023 school year:

  • Primary School: Kindergarten to grade 2: 242 students per grade; approximately 24 students per class

  • Intermediate School: Grades 3 through 5: 243 students per grade; approximately 24 students per class

  • Junior HIgh School: Grades 6 through 8: 243 students per grade; approximately 27 students per class

  • Senior High School: Grades 9 through 12: 243 students in 9th grade; approx. 190 students in grades 10 through 12: , approximately 27 students per class.

What is Newark Charter School’s academic performance?

Since the school’s inception, NCS’s academic results have been consistently excellent:

  • The Delaware Department of Education has given NCS its highest rating of “Superior School” every year.

  • Statewide rankings published in the News Journal (July 2014) show that NCS ranked #1 in the state in 13 of 18 categories and #1, #2 or #3 in the state in 17 of 18 categories (Reading, Math, Social Studies and Science; grades 3-9).

  • In 2014 Delaware’s Lt. Governor and the Secretary of Education cited NCS as a Recognition School: “Highest Performing School”.

  • In 2010 & 2106 was named a Blue Ribbon School for Academic Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education: our nation’s highest recognition for schools.

  • In 2011, The Global Report Card, a product of the George W. Bush Presidential Center, ranked Newark Charter School # 2 on the national list for top performing schools or districts in reading.

  • The Performance Framework analysis done by the Delaware Department of Education indicates that NCS’s rating is “Exceeds Standard”.

  • The data show that demographic sub-population groups (race, income level, disabilities, gender, etc.) at NCS not only outperform the same sub-population groups statewide but they also consistently outperform the general population of students as well.

What are the school hours?

Primary School and Intermediate Schools: 8:45 a.m. – 3:25 p.m.

Junior and Senior High Schools: 7:30 a.m. – 2:25 p.m.

Is Kindergarten full-day?

Yes

Do Kindergarten classes have full-time Kindergarten Aides in addition to the Kindergarten teachers?

Yes