The Best Private Schools in Woodside, Delaware
Discover 3 exceptional private schools in Woodside. Find the perfect educational environment for your child with our comprehensive reviews and ratings.
School Overview
Top-Rated Private Schools
St. Thomas More Academy
Catholic Diocese of Wilmington
St. Thomas More Academy is a highly-regarded Catholic college preparatory school serving the Woodside area and greater Kent County. The school offers a rigorous academic curriculum with 17 Advanced Placement courses and maintains a 100% college acceptance rate. Facilities include modern science labs, technology-integrated classrooms, and extensive athletic facilities. The school emphasizes character development and community service while providing strong extracurricular programs in athletics, arts, and leadership.
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The Nativity School
Catholic Diocese of Wilmington
The Nativity School provides exceptional private education for students from preschool through eighth grade, serving families throughout Delaware including the Woodside area. The school features small class sizes, dedicated faculty, and a comprehensive curriculum that emphasizes academic excellence and moral development. Their STEM program includes robotics and coding, while their arts program offers music, drama, and visual arts. The campus features modern classrooms, science labs, and extensive playground facilities.
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The Academy of Dover
Independent School Network
The Academy of Dover is an independent private school serving the Woodside and greater Dover area with a strong focus on academic excellence and character development. The school offers a challenging curriculum with specialized programs in STEM, technology integration across all grade levels, and comprehensive arts education. Features include smart classrooms, science laboratories, and dedicated spaces for music and art. The school maintains small student-teacher ratios and emphasizes individualized learning approaches.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about private schools in Woodside, Delaware
What are the primary private school options serving families in Woodside, Delaware, and what are their educational approaches?
Woodside, DE, is primarily served by a few notable private schools in the surrounding Kent County area. The most prominent are St. Thomas More Academy (a Catholic, co-educational college preparatory school in Magnolia), The Nativity School (a private Catholic school in Dover), and The Academy of Dover (a public charter school, which is tuition-free and not a private school, but often considered in alternative education searches). For true private options, parents in Woodside typically look to St. Thomas More for a rigorous, faith-based classical curriculum and Nativity for a smaller, parish-based elementary education. It's important to note that Woodside itself has a limited number of standalone private campuses, so commuting to nearby Dover, Magnolia, or even Smyrna is common for private school families.
How does tuition for private schools in the Woodside, Delaware, area compare to the state average, and what financial aid options are available?
Tuition for private schools near Woodside is generally below the national average for private education but aligns with Delaware's cost of living. For the 2023-2024 academic year, St. Thomas More Academy's high school tuition is approximately $11,000-$13,000, while The Nativity School's elementary tuition is around $6,000-$8,000. Delaware offers the Unique Abilities Scholarship (formerly the Autism Scholarship) and the Opportunity Scholarship tax credit program for students with IEPs or from low-income families, which can be applied to participating private schools. Additionally, most schools offer need-based financial aid and parish subsidies for active church members. Parents should inquire directly with each school about their specific aid packages and application deadlines.
What unique academic or extracurricular programs do private schools near Woodside, DE, offer that differentiate them from local public schools?
Private schools in the Woodside area often emphasize specialized programs that may be less available in the public Appoquinimink or Caesar Rodney districts. St. Thomas More Academy, for instance, offers a distinctive Classical Liberal Arts curriculum with a strong focus on Great Books, Latin, and rhetoric, alongside competitive athletics and fine arts. The Nativity School provides a strong faith-based foundation with integrated technology and character education in a small-class setting. These schools often have more flexibility in their curriculum, allowing for deeper dives into subjects like theology, philosophy, or specific sciences, and can offer a close-knit community atmosphere that is a hallmark of smaller private institutions in Delaware's close-knit communities.
What is the typical enrollment process and timeline for private schools serving Woodside, Delaware families?
The enrollment process for schools like St. Thomas More and The Nativity School usually begins in the fall or early winter for the following academic year. Key steps include: 1) Attending an open house (often held October-January), 2) Submitting an application by a priority deadline (typically in February or March), 3) Providing academic records, teacher recommendations, and sometimes attending a student interview or assessment day, and 4) For Catholic schools, providing proof of baptism and parish affiliation. Rolling admissions may continue if spaces are available. Given the limited seats, especially in the lower grades, it is highly advisable for Woodside parents to start the process early. Sibling and parish member applicants often receive priority.
For families in Woodside, what are the key considerations when choosing between the high-performing public schools (like those in the Appoquinimink School District) and local private options?
This is a significant decision for Woodside families. The Appoquinimink School District is consistently ranked among the top in Delaware, offering robust Advanced Placement (AP) courses, extensive extracurriculars, and modern facilities. Choosing a private school like St. Thomas More often hinges on desiring a specific values-based education (e.g., Catholic identity), a classical curriculum, or a smaller student-teacher ratio where individual attention is paramount. The private school choice may also be driven by a preference for a particular community culture or a need for a different educational approach. Conversely, the public option provides a tuition-free, diverse, and comprehensive program with strong resources. Parents should consider their child's learning style, family values, budget, and willingness to commute when making this comparison.
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