School District of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| School District of Philadelphia |
|---|
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| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| District details |
| Superintendent: Tony B. Watlington |
| # of school board members: 9 |
| Website: Link |
The School District of Philadelphia is a school district in Pennsylvania.
Click on the links below to learn more about the school district's...
- Superintendent
- School board
- Budget
- Teacher salaries
- Academic performance
- Students
- Staff
- Schools
- Contact information
Superintendent
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This information is updated as we become aware of changes. Please contact us with any updates. |
Tony B. Watlington is the superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia. Watlington was appointed superintendent on April 1, 2022 and took office on June 16, 2022. His previous career experience includes working as the superintendent of the Rowan-Salisbury School System and the chief of schools of the Guilford County School District in North Carolina.[1]
Past superintendents
- William R. Hite Jr. was the superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia from October 2012 until his resignation on June 15, 2022.[2]
School board
The School District of Philadelphia school board consists of nine members appointed by the mayor of Philadelphia to four-year terms.[3] The mayor appoints board members from a list of names submitted by the Education Nominating Panel and approved by the Philadelphia City Council.[3] The district was previously under the control of a School Reform Commission (SRC) from 2001 to 2018. The commission was dissolved on June 30, 2018.[4][5]
| Office | Name | Date assumed office |
|---|---|---|
| School District of Philadelphia | Sarah-Ashley Andrews | 2022 |
| School District of Philadelphia | Crystal Cubbage | May 1, 2024 |
| School District of Philadelphia | Cheryl Harper | May 1, 2024 |
| School District of Philadelphia | Whitney Jones | May 1, 2024 |
| School District of Philadelphia | Chau Wing Lam | 2022 |
| School District of Philadelphia | Wanda Novales | May 1, 2024 |
| School District of Philadelphia | Joan Stern | May 1, 2024 |
| School District of Philadelphia | Reginald Streater | February 19, 2021 |
| School District of Philadelphia | Joyce Wilkerson | 2018 |
Ballotpedia covered school board elections in 367 school districts in 29 states in 2024. Those school districts had a total student enrollment of 12,203,404 students. Click here to read an analysis of those elections.
Join the conversation about school board politics
Public participation in board meetings
The School District of Philadelphia school board maintains the following policy on public testimony during board meetings:[6]
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The Board reaffirms the right of the public to deliver comments, both written and verbally, to the Board on matters of general concern, of official actions of the Board, or on deliberations regarding matters that are or may be before the Board prior to the Board taking official action. [22] When addressing the Board, speakers must comply with law, as well as the Board policies and Board Operating Guidelines posted on the Board’s website. By speaking at meetings or by submitting written testimony in advance of meetings, members of the public acknowledge that their name, comments, and written testimony are part of the public record and may be made available within the minutes of each meeting.[7] |
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District map
Budget
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[8]
| SOURCE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal: | $1,044,760,000 | $8,850 | 23% |
| Local: | $1,662,047,000 | $14,079 | 37% |
| State: | $1,783,227,000 | $15,105 | 40% |
| Total: | $4,490,034,000 | $38,034 |
| TYPE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Expenditures: | $4,343,232,000 | $36,790 | |
| Total Current Expenditures: | $2,112,196,000 | $17,891 | |
| Instructional Expenditures: | $1,147,856,000 | $9,723 | 26% |
| Student and Staff Support: | $263,891,000 | $2,235 | 6% |
| Administration: | $275,381,000 | $2,332 | 6% |
| Operations, Food Service, Other: | $425,068,000 | $3,600 | 10% |
| Total Capital Outlay: | $276,370,000 | $2,341 | |
| Construction: | $265,785,000 | $2,251 | |
| Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: | $58,276,000 | $493 | |
| Interest on Debt: | $156,153,000 | $1,322 |
Teacher salaries
The following salary information was pulled from the district's teacher salary schedule. A salary schedule is a list of expected compensations based on variables such as position, years employed, and education level. It may not reflect actual teacher salaries in the district.
| Year | Minimum | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-2025[9] | $54,146 | $103,512 |
| 2023-2024[10] | $51,568 | $102,376 |
| 2020-2021[11] | $47,191 | $90,218 |
Academic performance
Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements.[12]
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 22 | 56 | 12 | 11 | 21-39 | 25 | 41 |
| 2018-2019 | 23 | 57 | 13 | 15 | 20-24 | 29 | 44 |
| 2017-2018 | 22 | 55 | 13 | 14 | 15-19 | 30 | 41 |
| 2016-2017 | 20 | 53 | 12 | 13 | 25-29 | 26 | 39 |
| 2015-2016 | 21 | 52 | 13 | 14 | 25-29 | 25 | 39 |
| 2014-2015 | 19 | 51 | 12 | 12 | 20-24 | 24 | 36 |
| 2013-2014 | 44 | 76 | 36 | 38 | 50-54 | 49 | 64 |
| 2012-2013 | 46 | 75 | 38 | 40 | 45-49 | 53 | 66 |
| 2011-2012 | 49 | 79 | 41 | 43 | 55-59 | 59 | 68 |
| 2010-2011 | 57 | 83 | 52 | 53 | 65-69 | 67 | 73 |
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 28 | 50 | 17 | 18 | <50 | 35 | 53 |
| 2018-2019 | 37 | 65 | 28 | 29 | 35-39 | 41 | 59 |
| 2017-2018 | 37 | 65 | 28 | 28 | 35-39 | 43 | 58 |
| 2016-2017 | 35 | 63 | 27 | 26 | 40-44 | 40 | 55 |
| 2015-2016 | 35 | 61 | 27 | 26 | 35-39 | 39 | 55 |
| 2014-2015 | 34 | 60 | 27 | 26 | 45-49 | 40 | 54 |
| 2013-2014 | 43 | 66 | 38 | 35 | 45-49 | 47 | 62 |
| 2012-2013 | 44 | 66 | 38 | 37 | 50-54 | 50 | 62 |
| 2011-2012 | 44 | 66 | 39 | 38 | 55-59 | 53 | 63 |
| 2010-2011 | 51 | 70 | 47 | 45 | 60-64 | 61 | 69 |
The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-2020 | 70 | 87 | 69 | 62 | 40-59 | 65-69 | 75 |
| 2018-2019 | 66 | 86 | 64 | 60 | 40-59 | 75 | 70 |
| 2017-2018 | 63 | 85 | 61 | 56 | >=50 | 62 | 68 |
| 2016-2017 | 67 | 85 | 65 | 61 | 60-79 | 74 | 74 |
| 2015-2016 | 69 | 83 | 66 | 63 | 60-79 | 75-79 | 75 |
| 2014-2015 | 65 | 80 | 65 | 53 | 60-79 | 70-74 | 71 |
| 2013-2014 | 68 | 83 | 67 | 60 | 60-79 | 80-84 | 70 |
| 2012-2013 | 70 | 84 | 69 | 62 | 40-59 | 75-79 | 77 |
| 2011-2012 | 62 | 75 | 61 | 53 | 40-59 | 60-64 | 65 |
| 2010-2011 | 55 | 72 | 56 | 44 | 40-59 | <=5 | 55 |
Students
| Year | Enrollment | Year-to-year change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024 | 117,907 | -0.4 |
| 2022-2023 | 118,335 | 0.2 |
| 2021-2022 | 118,053 | -5.1 |
| 2020-2021 | 124,111 | -5.2 |
| 2019-2020 | 130,617 | -1.5 |
| 2018-2019 | 132,520 | 1.0 |
| 2017-2018 | 131,238 | -2.1 |
| 2016-2017 | 133,929 | -0.1 |
| 2015-2016 | 134,044 | -0.1 |
| 2014-2015 | 134,241 | -2.6 |
| 2013-2014 | 137,674 | -4.5 |
| 2012-2013 | 143,898 | -7.2 |
| 2011-2012 | 154,262 | -7.8 |
| 2010-2011 | 166,233 | 0.3 |
| 2009-2010 | 165,694 | 3.5 |
| 2008-2009 | 159,867 | -8.0 |
| 2007-2008 | 172,704 | -3.2 |
| 2006-2007 | 178,241 | -3.5 |
| 2005-2006 | 184,560 | -1.6 |
| 2004-2005 | 187,547 | -1.2 |
| 2003-2004 | 189,779 | -1.5 |
| 2002-2003 | 192,683 | -2.3 |
| 2001-2002 | 197,083 | -2.1 |
| 2000-2001 | 201,190 | -2.0 |
| 1999-2000 | 205,199 | 0.0 |
| RACE | School District of Philadelphia (%) | Pennsylvania K-12 STUDENTS (%) |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander | 10.1 | 4.7 |
| Black | 43.7 | 14.4 |
| Hispanic | 27.0 | 14.9 |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Two or More Races | 4.2 | 5.3 |
| White | 14.7 | 60.4 |
Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
Staff
As of the 2023-2024 school year, School District of Philadelphia had 8,639.70 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 13.65.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF TEACHERS |
|---|---|
| Prekindergarten: | 0.00 |
| Kindergarten: | 0.00 |
| Elementary: | 4,596.70 |
| Secondary: | 2,649.50 |
| Total: | 8,639.70 |
School District of Philadelphia employed 7.00 district administrators and 529.00 school administrators as of the 2023-2024 school year.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS |
|---|---|
| District Administrators: | 7.00 |
| District Administrative Support: | 1,024.00 |
| School Administrators: | 529.00 |
| School Administrative Support: | 266.00 |
| TYPE | NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF |
|---|---|
| Instructional Aides: | 2,779.00 |
| Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: | 6.00 |
| Total Guidance Counselors: | 410.00 |
| Elementary Guidance Counselors: | 0.00 |
| Secondary Guidance Counselors: | 0.00 |
| Librarians/Media Specialists: | 3.00 |
| Library/Media Support: | 16.00 |
| Student Support Services: | 1,141.30 |
| Other Support Services: | 4,801.00 |
Schools
Noteworthy events
2015: Debate over School Reform Commission
The School District of Philadelphia has never been run by an elected school board, a unique situation among Pennsylvania school districts. The board was selected by the city's common pleas judge from 1905 to 1965 when the mayor was given the power to appoint members. In 2001, the mayor consented to the creation of the School Reform Commission (SRC), a five-member board with three members appointed by the governor and two members appointed by the mayor. The SRC was created in the midst of public concerns over district finances and academic performance.[13] The commission was dissolved in 2018.[4]
A push for local control gained momentum in 2015 with voter approval of a non-binding ballot question seeking the end of the SRC. Former Mayor Michael Nutter called for the end of the commission before leaving office, and successor James Kenney supported more local control once the district improved its finances.[14] The SRC was also analyzed by The Pew Charitable Trusts in a January 2016 report. The Pew report concluded with the following statement:[13]
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Education experts say that state takeovers of local districts have, at least in some cases, cured financial ills created through mismanagement. But there is no indication that any particular system for governing urban school districts is superior to another in improving long-term academic performance. Too many other factors, experts say, help determine what happens in the classroom, including the quality of principals and teachers, funding, and parental expectations. There is broad agreement on at least one conclusion: Governance systems that produce uncertainty, distrust, and ambiguous accountability can impede districts’ progress on any front.[7] |
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Contact information
School District of Philadelphia
440 N. Broad St.
Philadelphia, PA 19130
Phone: 215-400-4000
About school boards
Education legislation in Pennsylvania
Bills are monitored by BillTrack50 and sorted by action history.
See also
| Pennsylvania | School Board Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
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External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- School District of Philadelphia
- Pennsylvania Department of Education
- Pennsylvania School Boards Association
- Philadelphia Federation of Teachers
Footnotes
- ↑ The School District of Philadelphia, "Meet our Superintendent," accessed January 9, 2024
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Bill Hite," accessed November 1, 2019
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 School District of Philadelphia, "Policy Manual: 003 Membership," accessed April 26, 2021
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 School District of Philadelphia, "About Us," accessed July 15, 2015
- ↑ The Philadelphia Inquirer, "Notable moments during 17 years of Philly’s School Reform Commission," June 29, 2018
- ↑ School District of Philadelphia, "Policy Manual: 006 Meetings," accessed January 9, 2024
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
- ↑ School District of Philadelphia, "PFT Salary Schedule 2024-2025 School Year," accessed April 23, 2025
- ↑ School District of Philadelphia, "Salary Information for Incoming Teachers, Counselors, Nurses, and Clinical Staff," accessed February 6, 2024
- ↑ School District of Philadelphia, "Salary Information for Incoming Teachers, Counselors, Nurses, and Clinical Staff," accessed April 26, 2021
- ↑ U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "State Assessments in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics- School Year 2018-19 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed February 25, 2021
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 The Pew Charitable Trusts, "Governing Urban Schools in the Future: What's Facing Philadelphia and Pennsylvania," January 2016
- ↑ The Philadelphia Inquirer, "Pew: No magic from local or state school control," January 14, 2016
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