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William Penn High School
713 East Basin Road, New Castle, DE, 19720-4295 -  Map
tel: (302)323-2800
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School Overview:
Definition of Terms William Penn High School
School Level High school
Grades Offered Grades 9 - 12
County New Castle County, DE
Students & Faculty
Total Students 2331 students
% Male / % Female 50%  /  50%
Total Classroom Teachers 127 teachers
Students by Grade
Grade 9 - 814 students
Grade 10 - 566 students
Grade 11 - 493 students
Grade 12 - 458 students
This School (DE) School Average
Teacher : Student Ratio 1:18 1:16
Students by Ethnicity
This School (DE) School Average
% American Indian n/a n/a
% Asian 3% 2%
% Hispanic 12% 11%
% Black 48% 33%
% White 38% 52%
Additional Student Information
This School (DE) School Average
% Eligible for Free Lunch 29% 35%
% Eligible for Reduced Lunch 6% 5%
% Migrant Students Enrolled n/a n/a
School Performance:
(DE) Statewide Testing Performance
School Statewide Performance View Education Department Test Scores
School District:
School District Name Colonial School District
This School's Agency (DE) District Average
Number of Schools Managed 15 3
Number of Students Managed 10,693 students 1,194 students
District Total Revenue $109,728,000 $19,096,000
District Expenditure $126,800,000 $19,228,000
District Revenue / Student $10,262 $15,993
District Expenditure / Student $11,858 $15,708
District Graduation Rates 56% 92%
School Notes:
  • William Penn High School, also known and referred to as William Penn or simply Penn is a four-year comprehensive, coeducational high school located in New Castle, Delaware, USA. The school is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and a member of the Colonial School District. It is the largest high school in the state of Delaware. The school mascot is the Colonial.
  • History: William Penn High School was established in 1849 and named after William Penn, who founded the Province of Pennsylvania which would later go on to become the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.
  • Departments: The school has a large selection of departments including those with classes mandatory for graduation as well as various elective courses.
  • Agriculture, Art, Business Education, English, Foreign Language, Foreign Integration, Math, Music, Physical Education, Science, Social Studies, Special Education, Technical Education, ROTC.
  • Athletics: The William Penn Colonials participate in the Blue Hen Flight A Conference in Delaware. Active sports include: Boys Baseball, Boys Basketball, Girls Basketball, Boys Football, Wrestling, Cheer leading, Cross Country, Golf, Field Hockey, Lacrosse, Soccer, Swimming, Tennis, Girls Softball, Track & Field, Volleyball.
  • William Penn also prides itself on sportsmanship. The school has won the DIAA State Sportsmanship Award an unprecedented 9 years in a row. They were also one of 8 schools in the country to receve the National Sportsmanship award. The WP athletic staff try to influence this by having school sportsmanship weeks, and writing prompts in English class.
  • Miscellaneous: William Penn hallways are epidemically congested, if a student has a class on the opposite side of the building it is likely he or she will not make it there on time even with the generosity (but impossibility) of a sprint through the halls.
  • Students have, at leisure, the ability to leave at virtually any point during the day, at any of the school's various exits. One of the school's main focal points of behavioral reinforcement is to stop tardiness and class-cutting, making the above a humorous topic among students who exercise this freedom daily.
  • William Penn (and Colonial School District as a whole) has very rarely, if ever, had a two- or one-hour late day or canceled school due to weather conditions. This is frequently a topic of chagrin and disgust to students who sit and watch other local schools, sometimes facing more pleasing conditions, have their days shortened or called off due to weather.
  • Notable alumni: Rick Springfield ('67, dropped out senior year to pursue musical career).
  • Tricky Jim ('96).
  • Source: Wikipedia; it is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL
  • Add information about this school (e.g., awards, news stories, notable alumni, fun facts)
 
School Zip Code:
About This Zip Code (19720)
School Zip (19720) (DE) State Average
Population (Approximate) 55,539 people 766,119 people
% (age 25+) w/College Degree 21% 30%
Population Average Age 35 years old 35 years old
Average Household size 2.7 persons 2.5 persons
Median Household Income $46,669 $48,657
Avg. # of Rooms in Household 5.9 rooms 6.0 rooms
Median Age of Housing Structure 41 years old 38 years old
View current housing listings in this area
Median Value of Housing Unit
Zipcode (19720)



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% Owning / % Renting 71% / 29% 70% / 30%
School Map:
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  Nearby Schools:
1. Multiple Alternative Program - 72 students - view location
2. Delaware Military Academy - 509 students - view location
3. Delcastle Technical High School - 1520 students - view location
4. Pennsville Memorial High School - 614 students - view location
5. Howard High School Of Technology - 869 students - view location
View all schools in: New Castle Town, New Castle County, Zip 19720 
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Note: Data has been gathered from several government and commercial data sources. School data reflects years 2002-04 statistics (most recent years available). Area and demographic data reflects year 2000 statistics. Public School Review does not ensure the timeliness or accuracy of the information on this site.

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School Reviews:
• Parent Review - 06/23/08
Recommended Recommended
New the area 7 years ago, many neighbors told me how 'bad' it is at WP. We decided to see for ourselves, and we're glad we did. The staff and facult ...more
 
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