Original Research by School Decision on Eugenio Maria De Hostos Cs
Eugenio Maria De Hostos is a kindergarten-through-eighth-grade charter school operated by Aspira in Philadelphia. It serves nearly all students from Hispanic backgrounds, with a small share of Black and Asian students and a very small number of other students. The school operates as a single-campus entity under the Aspira charter network.
The school is small to mid-sized for its grade band, with roughly equal cohorts across its nine grades. The composition is heavily concentrated in one demographic group, which reflects both the school's location and the families it draws. Data on free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility and English learner counts were not available from the state.
Academic performance data from state assessments were not provided, so a parent cannot see how the school's students perform on standardized measures or how that performance has moved over time. The state does not report proficiency rates for this entity in the available records. This gap is not explained by the school's grade band; other early-through-eighth schools do report results. A parent seeking to understand the school's academic standing should ask the school and district directly for recent proficiency data and student growth measures.
Chronic absenteeism at the school sits above the midpoint of rates across Philadelphia County's districts. This is tracked because attendance is a foundational predictor of learning gains and engagement. Per-pupil spending is in the upper range among county districts, reflecting Pennsylvania's charter funding model and the school's operational costs.
In September 2023, publicly reported accounts indicate the school resolved a multi-year dispute with the Philadelphia School District by signing a new charter agreement running through 2028. The settlement included an enrollment cap and a repayment obligation to the district for over-enrollment during prior years when the school operated without an active charter. This resolution stabilizes the school's authorization status after years of operating in limbo, though it also locks in enrollment limits that will affect the number of available seats going forward.
The school's small absolute enrollment means families have limited slots. The narrow grade progression within each cohort suggests no significant growth or contraction over the years shown, though without enrollment history before these snapshots a parent cannot see longer-term trends. The sustained Hispanic concentration indicates stable community draw rather than shifting demographics.
A parent considering this school should request recent test results and academic trend data from the school and the district, confirm the current enrollment cap and wait-list status, and speak with families currently enrolled about daily operations and instructional focus. The school's location within Philadelphia's charter landscape, its cost per student, and its resolution of charter authorization questions are all relevant context, but they do not substitute for direct knowledge of curriculum, teacher quality, and school culture.
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