If you are a Sussex County 8th-grader interested in a unique career- technical education with a focus on work-based learning, earning professional certifications, and gaining hands-on experience and skills, then you want to apply to Sussex Tech.
Sussex Technical High School is Sussex County’s career and technical education leader, preparing its students to be career- and college-ready. Students are admitted to Sussex Tech through a random, impartial lottery system managed by the State of Delaware. Students apply in the 8th grade for admission as freshmen the following school year. Each year, we are able to admit about 300 students, or about half of the students who apply.
Our Technical Areas
Sussex Tech has 17 technical areas. Students rotate through several areas in their freshman year to help choose their area for the next three years. Sussex Tech students have the opportunity to graduate with a professional-level certification or license that helps them get a leg up in their career. Click here for more information on each of the technical areas and future career paths.
In their senior year, eligible Sussex Tech students have the option of participating in the Career Capstone program, also known as Work-Based Learning, to gain additional on-the-job real-world work experience in their chosen field.
Admissions – Frequently asked questions
Click on any question to reveal the answer.
Students must be passing enough classes to be promoted to the 9th grade. A passing grade is based on your home district’s grading scale.
Sussex Tech uses the State of Delaware's School Choice application for all applying 8th-graders. This application system is managed by the state Data Service Center.
8th Grade students click here to access the School Choice Application
Current 9th and 10th graders click here to access the School Choice Transfer Application
If you do not have access to a computer, please contact Student Services for a printed application.
If you need help with applications, call Sussex Tech Student Services at 302-854-2820 or email Steve.persolio@sussexvt.k12.de.us. It is the applicant's responsibility to make sure the application is complete, accurate, and that all necessary information has been included.
Applications Open: Monday, November 6, 2023, 8 a.m.
Applications Due: Wednesday, January 10, 2024, at 11:59 p.m.
Notifications: Students will receive acceptance notifications no later than Feb. 19, 2024.
Acceptance: Parents or guardians must notify Sussex Tech of their acceptance decision by March 15, 2024. Students must remain academically eligible for promotion to the 9th grade according to Delaware Department of Education standards through the end of the school year.
Sussex Tech uses a random, impartial lottery system for all applicants. There are a limited number of open seats each year, meaning some students will not be admitted in the first round. The lottery is managed by the State of Delaware Data Service Center, and not by Sussex Tech.
Students who are not selected for admission via the lottery will be placed on a ranked waiting list as per Delaware Code (Title 14, Section 405(c)).
Sussex Tech will maintain the ranked waiting list until September 30 of the school year for which a student applied, and students on that list may have the opportunity for enrollment based on available capacity. Students may be admitted off the waiting list throughout the spring and summer as space becomes available, and the number of students admitted varies from year to year.
Note: After September 30, the ranked waiting list will no longer be maintained, and only students who meet the definition of "good cause" as detailed in Delaware Code (Title 14, Section 402) will be considered for enrollment throughout the remainder of the school year. Students who wish to be considered for admission the following year must re-apply during the next school choice application window.
Application procedures are in accordance with Delaware Code (Title 14, Chapter 4 and Chapter 26), and the application process is monitored by the Delaware Department of Education.
To help families, siblings of students already enrolled who will be returning to the school for the following academic year will be automatically accepted in the lottery. Siblings must follow the application process and meet the passing grade requirements to be accepted.
You will need to create an account and login to the Delaware school choice application system.
"Good cause" is defined as one of the following
- A change in a child's residence due to a change in family residence.
- A change in the state in which the family residence is located.
- A change in the marital status of the child's parents.
- A change caused by a guardianship proceeding.
- Placement of a child in foster care.
- Adoption.
- Participation by a child in a foreign exchange program.
- Participation by a child in a substance abuse or mental health treatment program.
Or a set of circumstances consistent with this definition of "good cause."
Questions?
If you have any questions about the admissions process, please contact Steve Persolio, Coordinator of Student Services, at (302) 854-2820 or steve.persolio@sussexvt.k12.de.us.