| School Name | Address | Phone | Grades | County | Type | District Name |
| Penn (William) High School | 713 East Basin Rd
New Castle, DE 19720 | (302) 323-2800 | 9-12 | New Castle | public | Colonial School District |
| Ethnic Background | Percent | Year |
| White, non-Hispanic | 32.8877 | 2009 |
| Black, non-Hispanic | 49.2424 | 2009 |
| Hispanic | 14.2157 | 2009 |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 3.34225 | 2009 |
| Native American or Native Alaskan | 0.311943 | 2009 |
| Students Getting Free Lunch | Year |
| 39% | 2009 |
| Date | Who | Comments |
| 4/15/2012 | other | It is apparent by the manner in which most of the students who have written a review, that WP is not living up to any sort of academic excellence. Most write as if they are in middle school at best, as opposed to being in high school. Sad, but this school is sorely lacking and I'm glad my children do not have to attend. |
| 1/8/2012 | student | Many of the students who find this school to be horrible either has never attended William Penn or has set themselves up for bad experiences there. It is a big school with a wide diversity of students and teachers who some how coexist very well considering it. Like all schools, there is fighting, pregnancies, and bad students but it is all at a very low rate considering its amount of students. As a student there who is very much involved in programs associated with the school (including it brilliant student council who's blood drives have been famously successful) I find the school to be as Awsome as a student will make it out to be. Students who expect things to be handed out to them easily and have erational standards of public schools or have failed a year, are disrespectful or lazy will be disappointed, but hardworking, open minded, polite and Involved students will forever consider themselves (proudly) a colonial. I enjoyed the diversity it provides, the excellent teachers, subject options that include many AP courses unavailable in many many schools like AP Psychology, extracurricular options, and experiences there. You should strongly consider sending your child here. |
| 8/21/2007 | student | This school is just perfect. The teachers are helpful and have a way of making learning fun. You laugh and cry, it's a place of life and you learn from friends and how life itself works. |
| 11/26/2006 | student | I think that WPHS is a great place for learning. The staff is great at supporting their generations. They make you want to come to school. Also they make school interesting for those that choose to come to school everyday |
| 10/18/2006 | parent | My daughter is now in her Junior year at William Penn having completed her Freshmen and Sophomore years there also. While the previous two years, we experienced drastic schedule problems that took weeks to correct, this year there were no problems. However, the teachers seem to continue to be unaccessible to parents and most often to children for extra help. In order for a child to see a counselor, they are required to complete a slip of paper, which usually goes unanswered until a parent calls complaining. I have 3 other children, and none of them will attend William Penn. |
| 9/26/2006 | former student | but the fact is, the teachers don't really work one on one with the kids, they just write it down and expect you to pick up on it. |
| 5/7/2006 | parent | I am very impressed by its faculty and academic programs. By far on a scale of 1 to 10 I give it a 10. My daughter is really dedicated to achieving sucess at William Penn. I would recommend this school to anyone. |
| 4/23/2006 | teacher | As a recently retired teacher with 28 years of teaching at Penn, it is one of the best schools in the State. With the number of students from all backgrounds & nationalities, Penn offers the most comprehensive academic programs, extra curricular & sports programs & the most caring teachers & administrators. I enjoyed working with the students, staff & administrators there --all of my 28 years. As a student, if you want to learn, Penn has the courses. If you're a parent, get involved; parent involvement is encouraged in all of the school's committees, as well as the district's committees. |
| 1/11/2006 | parent | My daughter is in her Sophomore year at William Penn High School. The leadership leaves a lot to be desired in terms of custmomer service. So far, both years I have had to go to the school after the third week of school to have my daughters schedule corrected. This has a significant impact on the children's adjustment each year and they need to have it corrected. Additionally, there doesn't seem to be a standard in which teachers have to provide feedback to students on homework, tests, quizzes, assignments etc. Both years there have been at least two - three week delays in teachers returning the afore mentioned items to the students. Overall this is a decent school but you HAVE to be an involved parent or have a child who works well independently. |
| 6/28/2005 | former student | I graduated from William Penn in 2004. I now attend the University of Delaware. William Penn has a horrible reputation according to students from other schools. I know this, because I played field hockey for William Penn and heard some of the rumors from girls from other schools over the years. However, those rumors are simply that: rumors. William Penn has made a change for the better in the past decades, and the academics are wonderful as long as your child is dedicated and willing to put forth an effort. My college professor told my class about his opinion of William Penn, and it wasn't pretty. Obviously he didn't know a William Penn gradute was in the room. I stood up for William Penn because the school gives everyone a sense of great pride and I wouldn't be the same person today had I went to another school. |
| 4/11/2005 | parent | William Penn has one of the highest academic programs available in the state. If you want to learn, the education is available to you. Each student needs to put forth effort and not sit around like middle school and think grades are going to come to you. The teachers care about the students even though there is a high population and if you want or need help, many teachers stay after or offer alternative times to come in for help. There is good and bad in every school including private schools. This school expects the best from students and parents involvemnt. They have won the sportsmanship award over 5 years in a row. They have high standards for thos participating in sports and will even sacrifice a game by not letting a child participate due to bad grades. You can get a good education here at WP! |
| 3/28/2005 | student | Being a graduating senior at WP, I can give a students point of view. William Penn is a great school. I've been involved in so many activities & I've never had any type of problems. All of the teachers are always willing to help you get the most out of your education. However, for a student who likes to be involved & challenge themselves, William Penn is a great place to do so! GO COLONIALS! |
| 3/8/2005 | parent | My mother graduated Penn in 1955. My husband graduated in 1980, and I am well aware of its reputation back then as a 'tough school.' My son graduated from Penn in 2002, and after 4 years there, I can say with confidence that this is a very good school. The teachers and administrators have worked VERY hard to turn around its reputation from 2 decades ago, and they have succeeded. There are hallways monitors, and appropriate consequences for actions. The extra-curricular activities are OUTSTANDING, with major parent involvement. If your child is interested in sports, get them in EARLY (freshman) because the competition is tough, but well worth it. High School is hard. As a parent, I am VERY pleased my son had this experience. Every school has issues, and the lazy, troublemaking kids are not tolerated here. William Penn HS will reward your good efforts, and appreciates excellence. Go Colonials! |
| 1/23/2005 | student | If anyone can tell you about William Penn it's me. I've been there for five years. It's close to impossible to see a gaidence conselor since you have to get a pass to see them, and how do you get a pass but from the conselor it's self? The school is 1/4 mile long and you have to make it to your class in 5 min or less. Wouldn't be hard if there's wasn't 2,500+ kids there. The teachers, well alot of them have far too many kids to care for individual ones and the demand is heavy and the over all feeling is oppressive and hectic. Everything is standerized now and there's hardly any room for creative growth. It's a machine that turns out standard and below standard students who learn just what they need to legaly graduate and nothing more. Seriously consider vocational before sending your kids here. |
| 1/10/2005 | former student | Being a real person, truth is the school is overpopulated. But you should not be depending on teachers to get you throught it, work must be done on your own. Athletics are great (Go Colonials). Academically, teachers prepare you by telling you what needs to be done but it is up to you to do it. Socially,there will always be little rivals, but not huge fights as the school is typically stereotyped to have. I made lots of acquaintances- and you should always network with everyone. If you want help you need to take the initiative. There is a multitude of activities to participate in. If you do your own thing and stay out of trouble, it won't come to you. There has never seemed to be major racial issues, however, some are present that seem to be pushed into the dark. Colonial Pride- the greatest in cherry & black. '04 |
| 10/25/2004 | former student | I graduated from William Penn recently and I think it is a good school overall. The athletics and extre-curricular activities are excellent BUT-and this is a big BUT- there is a serious problem with racial issues at Penn. They will be back at school starting trouble again the next week. It was really very hard for me to learn. And there were several times either I or a friend of mine was actually scared to come to school because of the constant bullying. A fight can go on for 20 minutes before anyone even comes to help and by then the damage has been done. It's terrible. |
| 10/5/2004 | parent | I rate Willaim Penn Hich School as a 4.5. The school did a world of good to my daughter despite its reputation. Although Penn has a reputation that is questionable, I have no idea where it came from because the people there are just as friendly as any other school I have heard of. The groups of kids there taught my daughter about the real world and how to handle other types of people. There are so many activities, and the teachers really treat the students with respect. I have nothing but good things ot say about William Penn. |
| 9/26/2004 | student | William Penn high is one school not to consider sending your child to. I've been to william penn for almost 3 years and I want to leave because it is so horrible. The teachers are lazy and don't help you comprehend the work they give you. The students are rude and want fight you over petty things like what you wear or who you go out with, and plus the school is very overpopulated. In some classes you might have to stand or sit at a table because there is more students than desks availiable. Also only 11th graders can take health, but by that time most students have already contracted an STD or have gotten pregnant. So parents think twice about sending your child or children to William Penn High School. |
| 8/23/2004 | former student | I feel that this school was a great school.I graduated from this school in 2003 and I feel that if I had never came to this school I would have never graduated.This school helped me focus more than any other school I have attended.I strongly recomend this school. |
| 7/11/2004 | student | I think that this school is over populated and the students don't have the chance to learn but of the un-one on one contact with the teacher. And I know this because I am a student of this school. |
| 6/8/2004 | parent | My son attended William Penn High School as a ninth grader during the 2003-04 school year. My son feels that there are too many students. My husband and I, however, recieved exceptional interaction and feedback from my sons teaching team. |
| 4/10/2004 | former student | This school is excellent academically, spiritually, and athletically. I came into this school as a know-it-all ninth grader and left as a focused young man. The teachers were very helpful and receptive to new ideals. This is also the largest high school in the state with an almost perfect mix of whites and blacks. There were never any real racial conflicts within my 4 years there. They have one of the biggest athletic followings of any school in the state with state championships in almost every sport, if not every. So if you are into sports, academics, and a whole lot of Colonial pride this is the school for you! |
