School District of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, elections
| School District of Philadelphia |
|---|
 |
| District details |
| School board members: 9 |
| Students: 117,907 (2023-2024) |
| Schools: 221 (2023-2024) |
| Website: Link |
School District of Philadelphia is a school district in Pennsylvania (Philadelphia County). During the 2024 school year, 117,907 students attended one of the district's 221 schools.
This page provides information regarding school board members, election rules, finances, academics, policies, and more details about the district.
Elections
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Election rules
Election dates and frequency
School board primary elections in Pennsylvania are held on the third Tuesday of May every two years in odd-numbered years.
School board general elections in Pennsylvania are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November every two years in odd-numbered years.
See law: State Statute 1937 Act 320
Below are the recent/upcoming dates for all public school districts in the state except the Philadelphia School District. There may be exceptions to these dates for specific districts because of local charters and district-specific exceptions and carve-outs.
- Filing deadline date: March 10, 2027
- Primary election date: May 18, 2027
- General election date: November 8, 2027
Election system
Elected school board members in Pennsylvania are elected through a system of a partisan primary election and a partisan general election. As of 2022, all school boards except the board of the Philadelphia School District had elected school board members. The nine members of the Philadelphia School District Board of Education are appointed by the Philadelphia Mayor and confirmed by the city council.
See law: State Statute 1937 Act 320
Party labels on the ballot
School board elections in Pennsylvania are partisan, which means political party labels do appear on the ballot for school board candidates. School board candidates are nominated in closed partisan primary elections to appear on the general election ballot. Pennsylvania has closed primaries, which means that voters have to be affiliated with a political party in order to participate in primary elections. State statute allows school board candidates, among candidates for other offices, to file for nomination by multiple political parties. This practice, which is known as cross-filing, allows candidates to appear on both the Democratic primary election ballot and the Republican primary election ballot.
See law: State Statute 1937 Act 320
Winning an election
The school board candidate that receives the largest number of votes in the general election is elected to office.
The school board candidate that receives the largest number of votes in a closed party primary is the nominee for that party and advances to the general election ballot.
See law: Pennsylvania Statute 1937 Act 320 and Pennsylvania Statute 1937 Act 320
Term length and staggering
Elected school board members in Pennsylvania have four-year terms. State law provides for six-year terms for the members of a reorganized First Class A district containing former districts of lower classes. As of 2022, all school districts in the state had board members with four-year terms.
See law: Pennsylvania Public School Code of 1949, Article III
As close to half of school board members as possible are elected every two years.
See law: Pennsylvania Public School Code of 1949, Article III
Representation: at large vs. by sub-district
School board members are elected at large, by sub-district, or through a combination of the two, depending on the class of the district and whether or not a district has established a plan to elect board members from regions (sub-districts).
School districts classified as school districts of the second, third, or fourth classes can elect their school board members at large, by sub-district, or a combination of both.
Schools districts classified as First Class and First Class A School Districts must elect their school board members by sub-district.
See law: Pennsylvania Public School Code of 1949, Article III, Section 303
and Pennsylvania Public School Code of 1949, Article III, Section 303(b)
and Pennsylvania Public School Code of 1949, Article III, Section 303(a)
Filing deadlines and swearing-in dates
The deadline for independent and minor party candidates to file nomination papers to qualify for the general election ballot is August 1. Although Pennsylvania Statute states that independent and minor party candidates must file nomination papers on or before the second Friday after the primary election, the state moved the filing deadline to August 1 each year following two consent decrees in Hall v. Davis and Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania v. Davis.
Candidates running in the primary must file nomination petitions by the tenth Tuesday before the primary election held on the third Tuesday in May in odd-numbered years. This filing deadline is in early March.
See law:
Pennsylvania Bureau of Elections Calendar; Nomination Paper Instruction Sheet; Hall v. Davis, 84-cv-1057 (E.D. Pa.); and Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania v. Davis, 84-cv-0262 (M.D. Pa.) and Pennsylvania Election Code, Act No. 320 of 1937, Article IX
Newly elected school board members officially take office on the first Monday in December according to state law.
See law: Pennsylvania Election Code, Act No. 320 of 1937, Article IX
About the district
School board
The School District of Philadelphia consists of nine members serving four-year terms. To find information about school board meetings, click here.
| Name | Year assumed office | Year term ends |
|---|---|---|
| Crystal Cubbage | 2024 | 2028 |
| Cheryl Harper | 2024 | 2028 |
| Whitney Jones | 2024 | 2028 |
| Wanda Novales | 2024 | 2028 |
| Joan Stern | 2024 | 2028 |
| Sarah-Ashley Andrews | 2022 | 2028 |
| Chau Wing Lam | 2022 | 2028 |
| Reginald Streater | 2021 | 2028 |
| Joyce Wilkerson | 2018 | 2028 |
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District map
Overlapping state house districts
The table was limited to the lower chamber because it provides the most granularity. State house districts tend to be more numerous and therefore smaller than state senate or U.S. House districts. This provides an impression of the partisan affiliations in the area.
Budget
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[1]
| 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 |
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. To protect student privacy, percentages are reported as ranges for groups of 300 students or fewer. If five or fewer students were included in a data set, the data will display as "PS."[2]
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
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[3]
| 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
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[4]
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
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[5]
About school boards
Education legislation in Pennsylvania
Bills are monitored by BillTrack50 and sorted by action history.
See also
| School Boards | Education Policy | Local Politics | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|---|
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
- ↑ 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
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
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