Philly School District reports record enrollment and uptick in graduating seniors

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For the first time in a decade, enrollment in the School District of Philadelphia has increased. The number of students graduating from its schools also rose.

Enrollment in district-operated public schools during the 2024-2025 year has increased by 1,841 students, to 117,956, based on an Oct. 1 snapshot. The school district credits the uptick to more students registering in neighborhood high schools, criteria-based high schools, 10 of 15 regional learning networks and the Opportunity network.

“Over the past two and a half years … the 4-year graduation rate increased, test scores increased in reading, math, and science in grades 3 through 8, and the number of student dropouts decreased by more than 1,400 students,” District Superintendent Tony B. Watlington, Sr. said in a statement.

The district also said enrollment increases are due to more students enrolling from outside of the district and others moving between district and charter schools.

“While we know we have a lot more work to do, we are so thrilled that most areas are improving and more families are choosing the School District of Philadelphia,” Watlington said.

The district’s four-year graduation rate increased by 3.4 percentage points, from 74.1% in the 2022-2023 school year to 77.5% in the 2023-2024 school year. School officials credit staff and many new programs.

“The significant improvement that is occurring across our school district in our schools is a testament to the hard work of our dedicated teachers, principals, and school-based support staff,” Watlington said.

Watlington attributed the district’s four-year graduation rate increase “to the laser-like focus on the Board’s Goals and Guardrails, as well as the District’s conditions for success, which provide monthly reports on the District’s student attendance, teacher attendance, and number of dropouts.”

To increase graduation rates and reduce the number of dropouts, the district implemented an expanded 9th Grade On-Track program and hired an administrator to better coordinate a district-wide dropout reduction strategy.

The On-Track initiative is funded by the Neubauer Family Foundation, in partnership with the University of Chicago and Philadelphia Academies. According to a release from the district’s Board of Education, the program has resulted in a 7.4 percentage point increase since the 2018–2019 school year in students who are “on-track” to graduate at 20 participating high schools.

The board and district have also worked together more closely, and Board President Reginald L. Streater credits that collaboration for the recent successes.

“The increased student enrollment and graduation rate reflect what is possible when the Board of Education, in partnership with the District, strategically focuses on academic achievement,” Streater said in a statement.

Watlington said these wins bode well for the future.

“This is yet another example of how when we invest more resources in our children, partner with our communities, and hold ourselves accountable for results, we absolutely can be the fastest-improving large urban school district in the country,” he said.