Category: Press Releases
School District Wins $577,000 in PAsmart Grants
PHILADELPHIA – Governor Tom Wolf has announced the School District of Philadelphia is receiving $577,000 in PAsmart grants, designed to bolster STEM and computer science opportunities, apprenticeship and job training across the Commonwealth to prepare students and workers with the necessary skills to be successful in today’s workforce. PAsmart is the statewide initiative unveiled last…

School District Black History Month Art Exhibit
PHILADELPHIA – In recognition of Black History Month, The School District of Philadelphia is hosting its annual art exhibit in the Education Center’s Second Floor Gallery. The public was also invited to an opening reception and artist meet and greet held on Thursday, February 7, at the Education Center. Ten Philadelphia-based artists, including one student…

District Schools Mark Three Consecutive Years of Improvement Citywide on School Progress Report
PHILADELPHIA – The School District of Philadelphia celebrated three consecutive years of improvement among both District-led and charter schools. Results released today from the 2017-2018 School Progress Report (SPR) show that the average Overall SPR score for citywide schools increased nine points from 33 percent in 2014-2015 to 42 percent in 2017-2018. Mayor Jim Kenney…
District Kicks Off “Thrive At Five” Effort To Promote Kindergarten Registration
PHILADELPHIA – The School District of Philadelphia launched its “Thrive At Five” campaign to promote kindergarten registration for the 2019-2020 school year. Parents and guardians can now register a child who will be five years old on or before September 1, 2019 at the child’s neighborhood school. Registration is open until May 31, 2019. Because…

Mayor Kenney, Superintendent and Elected Officials Celebrate Grand Opening of New Library at Bache-Martin Elementary School
PHILADELPHIA — Bache-Martin Elementary School celebrated the re-opening of its library on Monday, January 14. Thanks to donations and the efforts of Friends of Bache-Martin, the school has raised over $90,000 for books, Chromebooks, furniture, supplies, and a part-time library coordinator, and has amassed a collection of over 10,000 fiction and nonfiction volumes.
School District Opens Pre-Kindergarten Registration
Families Encouraged to Complete Applications by February 28 PHILADELPHIA — The School District of Philadelphia is encouraging all eligible families to enroll their students in pre-Kindergarten for the 2019-2020 school year. The District is now accepting applications for the full-day, free program. “Providing our students a quality early childhood education is key to unlocking their…
Moody’s Upgrades School District’s Bond Rating to First Investment Grade in Decades, Baa3
District’s credit outlook also set to “stable” PHILADELPHIA – Moody’s Investor Services upgraded the School District of Philadelphia’s underlying bond rating by two notches to Baa3. This is the first time Moody’s has assigned an Investment Grade rating for the School District since 1977. Moody’s also set the School District’s outlook to “Stable.” The Moody’s…
Lindback Award Applications Now Open to Teachers, Principals Throughout the School District
PHILADELPHIA — The School District of Philadelphia is once again partnering with The Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation to honor exemplary Philadelphia public school teachers and principals, continuing an annual tradition that has awarded more than $3 million in total grants to deserving educators throughout the city. The Foundation will honor 60 outstanding…
Pennsylvania Department of Education’s New School Improvement Designations Strengthen Work Underway in Philadelphia’s Public Schools
PHILADELPHIA — The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) today released its list of schools that qualify for additional support under the state’s new school accountability framework. The School District of Philadelphia (SDP) has 43 schools identified for Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) and 17 schools identified for Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (A-TSI). CSI and…
Philadelphia Public Schools Now Accepting Teacher Applications for the 2019-2020 School Year
PHILADELPHIA — The School District of Philadelphia has opened its teacher application process for the 2019-2020 school year, almost two months earlier than in previous years. “This continues to be an exciting time to be a teacher in Philadelphia’s public schools,” said Dr. William R. Hite, Superintendent. “We are seeing progress in climate and achievement…