Choosing a school? Youāve got options.
Each spring, parents face one of the biggest decisions they can make for their childās future: what school environment will their child spend about 1,000 hours in next year?Ā Letās dive into school choice in Delaware.
Making that decision with confidence starts with knowing what options you have. You may have more school choices than you realize! Understanding these options can help you find a school where your child grows and learns to the best of their ability. Delaware families can choose from traditional public schools,Ā public charter schools,Ā public magnet schools,Ā private schools,Ā online learning,Ā homeschooling, andĀ microschooling and mix-and-match learning.
Transportation is one of the many factors that parents consider when choosing a school. In Delaware, transportation is available for students who attend their assigned public school, attend a public charter school and meet eligibility requirements, attend a private school located in their zoned school district boundaries, or have transportation services in their Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Transportation may be available for other types of schools – you can find more information in our transportation guide.
Looking for special education options? You can learn what special education services are available in Delaware at theĀ Ultimate Guide to Special Education.
Widely
Available
Traditional Public Schools
Public School Transfers
Public Charter Schools
Private Schools
Homeschooling
Microschooling
Partially
Available
Public Magnet Schools
Online Learning
Not
Available
State Choice Funding
Widely
Available
Traditional Public Schools
Public School Transfers
Public Charter Schools
Private Schools
Homeschooling
Microschooling
Partially
Available
Public Magnet Schools
Online Learning
Not
Available
State Choice Funding
Download the School Choice Snapshot for Delaware
Click a School Type to See Your Options
Traditional Public School
Free public school based on your address or zone
Public Charter School
Free public schools open to all students run by an independent board of directors
Homeschool
School that takes place in your own home
Online Learning
Schools where students attend virtually, can be free public or private schools
Microschool
School that takes place with a small group of students
Delaware Traditional Public Schools
Most children in Delaware (72%) attend traditional public schools. Traditional public schools are free to attend, open to all students, operated by schoolĀ districts, and funded by federal, state, and local government. Each year, Delaware spends an average ofĀ $21,340 per public school pupil.
Delaware has unrestricted open enrollmentĀ for public school. What this means is that you can send your child to any public school in Delaware, regardless of where you live or where the school is located.Ā As long as the school has room, your child should be accepted.Ā While districts areĀ not allowed to charge tuitionĀ for transfer students, parents areĀ responsible for transportationĀ of students participating in open enrollment.
You can take advantage of this valuable option by visiting multiple public schools near you and discovering which is the best fit for your family. Traditional public schools arenāt all the same: They may differ in learning methods and one may just āfeel differentā than another to you.
Families interested in submitting choice applications for participating public school districts in Delaware can do so online atĀ SchoolChoiceDE. TheĀ deadline for applications is usually around mid-JanuaryĀ for the upcoming school year. In Delaware, districts are required to post their open enrollment policies on their website, so you may also want to check out your districtās website!
Find out more about public schools in your state at theĀ Delaware State Department of Education.Ā You can also learn more about Delaware open enrollment in āPublic Schools Without Boundaries: A 50-State Ranking.ā
Delaware Charter Schools
Families have another public school choice in charter schools. These are tuition-free public schools that have extra freedom to innovate with earning methods. Sometimes charter schools are compared to sailboats: they arenāt built to serve as many people as luxury liners are, but it is easier to adjust the sails and change directions with the wind. The innovations that charter schools offer can complement traditional public schoolās stability.
DelawareĀ passed charter school legislation in 1995. Today, Delaware has more than 20 active charter schools ā you can findĀ a complete list at the Department of Education. As of 2025, about 12% of the public school population attend charter schools.
Each school has a charter that explains the schoolās purpose and what specific community need it serves, whether that is providing a language immersion programĀ or offering a rigorous, literacy-based curriculum. If there are more families seeking admittance to a charter school than there are seats, a lottery system is usually used to determine admittance.
Free transportation is available to all charter school students in Delaware who live within their school district, provided they meet specific criteria. Criteria includes students in grades Kā6 residing less than 1 mile from the school, students in grades 7ā12 residing less than 2 miles from the school, or students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP).
Families interested in submitting choice applications for participating charter schools in Delaware can do so online atĀ SchoolChoiceDE.Ā To learn more, you can also check outĀ The Delaware Charter Schools Network.
Delaware Magnet Schools
Magnet schools are free public schools that allow kids to narrow in on a specific learning track, such as engineering or the performing arts. At a magnet school, all of the subjects are taught through the lenses of that specific track. In Delaware, 1.6% of all K-12 studentsĀ attend a public magnet school.
Delaware has a few magnet schools scattered throughout the state. These can be a great option if there is one near you and your child learns best by focusing in on a subject they are passionate about. Cab Calloway School of the ArtsĀ in the Red Clay Consolidated School District, for instance, allows students to major in dance, digital media, vocal music, theatre arts, and more.Ā Conrad Schools of Science, also in the Red Clay Consolidated School District, offers a life science magnet. In the Indian River School district,Ā Southern Delaware School of the ArtsĀ seeks to facilitate student learning through the arts.
Delaware Private Schools
You can also choose private school! Private schools come in all shapes and forms, from schools that help pass on a familyās faith tradition to schools designed for children with special needs.Ā You probably know that private schools are nonpublic schools that charge tuition. But did you know that,Ā since 2018,Ā the federal government allows parents to save for K-12 private school tuition using tax-preferred 529 savings accounts?
There are aboutĀ 140 private schools across the state of Delaware servingĀ 12.6% of all K-12 students. The average tuition for private schools in the state is $13,894Ā for elementary schools and $19,119Ā for high schools.
Unfortunately, in Delaware there are no state-run scholarship options for private schools, but private scholarships may be available, such as through theĀ Delaware KIDS Fund.
Learn more at theĀ Catholic Diocese of WilmingtonĀ andĀ Private School Review: Delaware.
Delaware Online Learning
Most states have free online school programs. Delaware does not have an official state online school, but the Christina School District in New Castle County offers aĀ fully virtual academy. Families outside of the district may be able to use open enrollment to attend the school.
Additionally, some Delaware districts offer part-time online courses, and some high schools allow students to participate in theĀ University of Delawareās Online High Schoolās dual enrollment courses.
Paid Online School Options:
Paid options are also available, such asĀ George Washington University Online High School,Ā The Keystone School,Ā Excel High School, and K12 Private Academy.Ā These private online schools are available to families in Delaware for a fee, but they are not specific to the state.
To read more about online learning in Delaware, check out theĀ Digital Learning Collaborativeās state profile.
Delaware Homeschooling
Delaware parents can also choose homeschooling, the process of parents educating students at home. Homeschooling is permitted in all 50 states. In Delaware,Ā 2.2% of all K-12 studentsĀ are homeschooled.
Homeschooling Requirements:
The state requires notice of your intent to homeschool before establishing yourself as a homeschool and annually before October 5th. The state also requires that your homeschool submit anĀ end-of-year attendance report. You should also notify your public school of your intent to withdraw.
You are not required toĀ teach specific subjects or use specific standardized testsĀ if you choose to homeschool in Delaware. Keep in mind that children who are homeschooled may face roadblocks if they want to participate in public school sports. But you can always look for other sports leagues and activities near you. In Delaware, if you decide to switch back to public school, it is up to the school to decide what grade to place your child in.
Learn More:
You can find a great how-to about Delaware homeschooling atĀ Home School Legal Defense Association ā Delaware.Ā You can also check out theĀ Department of Educationās homeschooling pageĀ orĀ Tri-State Homeschool, Inc.
Delaware Microschools and Mix-and-Match Learning
Increasingly, Delaware families are mixing and matching school options to come up with new ways to personalize education.Ā MicroschoolsĀ are one of these ways. A microschool refers to students gathering together in a small group ā with adult supervision ā to learn, explore, and socialize. Microschools can take a variety of shapes and legal forms, from homeschoolers coming together at an enrichment center to a private school committed to small classrooms. What microschools share in common is a commitment to small-group learning, close-knit relationships, and emphasizing children as individual learners.
Examples of innovative learning arrangements in Delaware:
- TheĀ United Way of Delaware has partnered with school districts, like the Christina School District, to offer Learning Support Groups to hundreds of low-income students statewide.
- One of Delawareās newest private schools isĀ Cedar Creek, anĀ Acton Academy schoolĀ that focuses on curiosity, independence, and lifelong learning.
- R.O.O.T.S.Ā (Reaching Outside of Traditional Schooling) is a family-founded initiative to teach self-sufficiency and altruism in the Georgetown community. The program is located on a family homestead and teaches life-skills workshops.
Remember, microschooling is more a mentality than a specific legal distinction in most cases. Often, a family participates in a microschool while legally homeschooling, or being enrolled in a private or online school.
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