Penn (William) High School

713 East Basin Road
New Castle, DE 19720

www.colonialschooldistrict.org/williampenn

2,069 Students

High School 9th - 12th

School Overview

William Penn High School, located in New Castle, Delaware, serves as the flagship high school of the Colonial School District. As one of the largest high schools in the state, it offers a diverse and comprehensive educational environment designed to prepare a large, multifaceted student body for life after graduation. The school is well-regarded for its expansive campus and its commitment to fostering both academic achievement and personal development within the local community.

The school is particularly notable for its robust Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, which allow students to gain hands-on experience in fields such as healthcare, culinary arts, engineering, and digital media. Beyond its technical offerings, William Penn provides a wide array of Advanced Placement (AP) courses, athletic programs, and extracurricular clubs that encourage student engagement. By integrating traditional academics with specialized vocational training, the school aims to ensure that every student has the tools and pathways necessary to succeed in college, the workforce, or military service.

2,069

Total Students

117.0

Full-Time Teachers

17.7

Student/Teacher Ratio

N/A

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for Penn (William) High School
Demographic	Student Count
White	443
Hispanic	483
Black	1,030
Asian	34
Two or More	67
American Indian	9
Pacific Islander	3

Black
1,030 (49.8%)
Hispanic
483 (23.3%)
White
443 (21.4%)
Two or More
67 (3.2%)
Asian
34 (1.6%)
American Indian
9 (0.4%)
Pacific Islander
3 (0.1%)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	High School
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Public Non-Charter
Virtual Instruction:	No virtual instruction
Shared Time Status:	No
District:	Colonial School District
Phone:	(302)323-2800
Website:	http://www.colonialschooldistrict.org/williampenn
Grade Range:	9th - 12th
Total Students:	2,069
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	117.0
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	17.7
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Community Eligibility Option (CEO)
Qualified Free Lunch:	0
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	0

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Grade 9 711

Grade 10 473

Grade 11 476

Grade 12 409