Philadelphia’s school selection process postponed to October

Philadelphia's school selection process will commence on October 5th, 2025, and conclude on November 24th, 2025, as the district awaits state officials to finalize standardized test scores. This postponement was announced by Superintendent Tony Watlington in his back-to-school letter. The original schedule had set the process to begin on September 8th, 2025.

The delay in the admissions process is due to the lack of official, verified 2026 assessment data, which families need to make informed decisions. Preliminary PSSA score information was received in June, but the district opted not to release those scores to educators and families. Instead, they are waiting for the state to review and release official results, expected this fall.

Criteria-based schools in the city typically rely on recent PSSA exams for admissions. However, students will now use both their 2025 assessment results and the official 2026 data. The district will contact all applicants to assist them with submitting these scores once the verified 2026 PSSA and Keystone results are released.

Several other changes to the selective admissions process this year include considering only final grades in English Language Arts, math, and science for eligibility. Students who attended the district's summer career and technical education program will have priority if they apply to such a program for the 2027-28 school year. ZIP code preference remains a factor in the admissions system, with families in certain ZIP codes receiving priority consideration for specific schools.

Prekindergarten students seeking to enroll in kindergarten for the same school will receive lottery preference. Additionally, the individualized review process for English learners and students with disabilities or 504 plans has been expanded, ensuring more qualifying students are considered for admission to criteria-based middle and high schools.