Our Mission
We strive to inspire our students to realize their vision for the future and ensure that they are equipped with the resources to achieve it. EastSide Charter School will provide students with high expectations, critical thinking, responsive and engaging instruction and the character skills that are necessary to succeed in the world of tomorrow.
Our Vision
Our students will become strong leaders in their communities, living choice filled lives!
CEO Message
I am overjoyed to be working with such amazing students, staff, and families. We have ambitious goals for EastSide and for the future. Every aspect of our goals are focused on how to empower our youth. This focus on empowerment is not simply shown through the children’s grades and standardized test scores; but rather by ensuring that our students can graduate from our schools and live successful and choice-filled lives in the future.
To this end we are working to build supports for our students to carry them through high school and through their eventual college graduation. We are also determined to partner with businesses and institutions to ensure that our students are able to have access to internships, which will better prepare them for engagement in career fields that will lead to meaningful futures.
EastSide Charter School has an been a staple in the community for over 20 years and has made a positive impact on our students, families and the community. We are blessed to have incredible leadership and staff who are focused on seeing our students become the leaders of tomorrow. We are equally blessed to have parents who love their children. We are thankful that you have made the choice to send your most precious assets - your children - to EastSide.
Our organization has benefited by learning from other schools in our state, as well as from those located across the nation; and we look forward to sharing all of that knowledge and programming with others. Our hope is that through this exchange of knowledge and skills, the children of Delaware will have a brighter tomorrow.
-Aaron Bass, CEO
Our Values
Growth
We believe every member in our organization should be developed. Students should grow more in their application and synthesis. Staff should improve in their craft and have a better impact on the development of scholars. Leaders should grow in their abilities to manage in a positive direction. We constantly re-examine who we are and what we are doing to continue to grow and develop in every area of our organization.
Teamwork
We know our school does better (is stronger) when we collaborate productively. Each member looks out for the best interest of the other and actively seeks to build them up. We do what we say we are going to do. We know students thrive in healthy environment where adults are aligned in their words and collective actions.
Respect
We treat others as we wish to be treated. This should happen even when that person does not behave in the same manner. We ensure our actions show respect for ourselves. We show this through conducting ourselves positively and developing a strong self-image.
Responsibility
We show individual responsibility by caring for our belongings, planning ahead, and exhibiting self-control. We take ownership for our words and actions. We show collective responsibility through engaging in community service, activities impacting the world around us and making decisions in the best interest of others.
Achievement
We believe that the impact of our work is only as strong as our results. This is reflected in academic data, behavioral conduct, and progress towards individual goals. We will put students first in everything we do, and we will achieve a level of academic performance that will prepare our students for success in high school, college and/or career of their choice.
Our History
EastSide Charter School was founded in 1997 with the belief that children in Wilmington deserved access to a high-quality education that would prepare them for success in school and beyond. EastSide initially served students in grades K–3 and, in 2000, received a five-year charter that allowed the school to expand through sixth grade.
In 2006, EastSide entered an important new chapter when the school moved to its current home at 3000 North Claymont Street. The move provided the space needed to expand EastSide into a K–8 school and serve more students and families throughout Wilmington. That same year, EastSide renewed its charter and established First Community Foundation, a nonprofit organization designed to support the school and broader community initiatives.
Over the years, EastSide has continually evolved its academic program to better meet the needs of its students. After ranking near the bottom of Delaware schools in academic growth in 2016–17, EastSide made significant progress and ranked among the state's leaders in growth the following year. The school continued building on that momentum through investments in high-quality instruction, intervention, enrichment, and teacher development.
In 2019–20, EastSide launched the APEX Honors Program to provide high-achieving students with increased academic rigor, smaller class sizes, advanced coursework, technology, and exposure to opportunities beyond the traditional classroom. The program has since expanded to serve students in grades 4–8 and includes partnerships with area independent schools and community organizations.
EastSide's academic progress was particularly evident in the years leading into 2025. From 2022 through 2025, eighth-grade Math proficiency increased from 11% to 44%, while Reading proficiency increased from 27% to 52%. During that period, EastSide's eighth-grade students also outperformed statewide proficiency results, while graduating students earned more than $250,000 in scholarships and financial aid to support their transition to high school.
January 2025 marked another major milestone with the opening of the Chemours Community STEM Hub, a more than 40,000-square-foot addition to EastSide's campus. The expansion created a new home for the middle school and added state-of-the-art science laboratories, a makerspace, e-sports lab, recording studio, collaborative learning areas, community classrooms, and expanded gathering spaces. The Hub was designed not only for EastSide students, but also as a resource for the surrounding community during evenings, weekends, and summers.
Since opening, the STEM Hub has become an important center for learning and community engagement, welcoming thousands of visitors and hosting educational, workforce-development, cultural, and community programs. The campus expansion was completed with the opening of the Student-Based Health Center, operated in partnership with Westside Family Healthcare. The center provides students with convenient access to preventive healthcare, behavioral health support, and other services that help address barriers to learning while supporting the overall well-being of students and families.
Today, EastSide continues to build on nearly three decades of service to Wilmington. With expanded academic opportunities, innovative programming, modern learning spaces, community partnerships, and comprehensive student supports, EastSide remains focused on preparing every student for success in high school, college, career, and life.