School History

  • Maurice Pritchett Sr. Academy

    On September 19, 2023, the Christina School District Board of Education voted to accept the recommendation to name the new Christina School District building to replace the Bancroft School the Maurice Pritchett Sr. Academy named in honor of the late Maurice Pritchett, Sr., a highly respected educator with an impressive 30+ year career. Maurice Pritchett Sr. Academy opened to students in the Fall of 2024.

    Maurice Pritchett Sr. Academy will continue to uphold the high standards of education and support that our community has come to expect from the Bancroft School. By naming the new school after Mr. Pritchett, the Christina School District aims to pay tribute to his legacy and ensure that his contributions to the education field are forever remembered. Maurice Pritchett Sr. Academy will stand as a symbol of excellence, providing a nurturing learning environment for future generations of students. We are excited about this new chapter in our district's history and the opportunities that lie ahead for our students.

    The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Maurice Pritchett Sr. Academy was held on Friday, August 23, 2024.  

    Maurice Pritchett Sr. Academy is the first new school in Wilmington in decades, capturing some $84 million in state funding in Wilmington’s eastside community. 

  • Portrait of Maurice Pritchett, Sr.

  • New Facility Named in Honor of Local Legend Maurice Pritchett, Sr.

    Mr. Maurice Pritchett, Sr. served as the former school principal of Bancroft, making a lasting impact on students, staff, and the community. His dedication and commitment to education have left an indelible mark on our district. Mr. Pritchett was a 1961 Wilmington Howard High School All-City Basketball pick before enrolling at Delaware State University (DSU) majoring in Elementary Education.  He graduated from DSU in 1965 with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education.  Mr. Pritchett married in April 1968 and started his teaching career in Cecil County School District in Elkton, MD for about four years. 

    Upon leaving Maryland, he took a teaching position at the Elbert School in the Wilmington School District. Later Mr. Pritchett was appointed as Community School Director at Bancroft. Mr. Pritchett took this position as an honor because he attended Bancroft as a child. Mr. Pritchett pursued and completed his Master of Arts degree in Educational Administration at Villanova University.  He later applied for and received the position of Vice Principal at Bancroft.  After serving two years, he was appointed Principal of Bancroft from 1975-2005.  Upon leaving his principalship, he was appointed Director of Family & Community Engagement and later assumed the position of Assistant to the Superintendent of Christina School District.  Mr. Pritchett retired in 2008. Mr. Pritchett died on April 21, 2023.

  • sidewalk view of Bancroft Elementary School in 2018

  • From Elementary to a Modern Grade 1-8 Facility in Wilmington

    The Bancroft School has experienced various name changes over the years, having once been referred to as Bancroft Elementary School and most recently as The Bancroft School, serving grades 1-8. 

    On February 13, 2018, the Christina Board of Education approved an agreement with the Governor's Office and the Department of Education that included new ideas for the City of Wilmington schools to improve student achievement. Beginning in the 2019-2020 school year, The Bancroft School started its conversion to a grade 1-8 school.

    In 2024, the original school was closed, making way for a new facility designed to better serve its students.

  • Portrait of Mr. William Poole Bancroft

  • Original School Named in Honor of William Poole Bancroft

    The Bancroft School was named in honor of William Poole Bancroft. William Poole Bancroft (1835-1928) was born of Quaker parents at Rockford, then a small village along the Brandywine, on July 12, 1835. His family was successful in the mill industry, where William worked starting at an early age. Mr. Bancroft contributed much to the City of Wilmington for education, recreational, and philanthropic purposes. He established the park system of Wilmington.

    Over half the land now comprising the parks of the city of Wilmington was a gift of William Bancroft. Through his generosity, the Wilmington Institute was made a free library.  He addressed housing, hospitals, homes for the aged and children, schools and colleges through his charity and generosity. He formed an organization, the Woodlawn Trustees, to ascertain that his work would continue after his death.  Mr. Bancroft died June 20, 1928.