The top reported proficiency rate is 70% in Science. The lowest is 43% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Moffet John Sch
Moffet John School is a small public elementary school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia. The school enrolls a diverse student body concentrated in the lower grades, with roughly equal distribution across its six grade levels. Every single student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, and the enrollment skews heavily toward Hispanic students, with a substantial Black student population and a smaller white enrollment; a handful of Asian students and multiracial students round out the composition.
The school's academic profile shows strength in science and clear challenge in reading and math. In the most recent science assessment, proficiency was substantially above half. In contrast, in the most recently reported math and English language arts assessments, proficiency hovered just above two in five students. The science result is encouraging and suggests the school has capacity in that domain. The reading and math results are weak, and parents should understand that fewer than half the students tested are meeting grade-level standards in those core subjects.
It is worth noting that the school's tested grades are limited. Only students in grades three through five took the state assessments, so performance data does not cover kindergarten through second grade. Science testing data comes from a prior year and reflects a smaller group of tested students than math and ELA, so trend tracking is not yet available.
The Philadelphia School District recently overhauled its reading and math instruction across all schools. Beginning in 2024-25, the district adopted a science-of-reading approach through the EL Education curriculum for elementary grades, paired with a new mathematics curriculum citywide. These changes are meant to standardize instruction for the first time in years, though early results show reading proficiency declined slightly in the first year of implementation. Any gains from these new programs would likely take time to appear in test results.
The school sits in a densely populated neighborhood with row-home character typical of Philadelphia's North Philadelphia. Housing in the zip code is moderate in value relative to the city, with rents substantially below the cost of buying. The area is served by SEPTA transit and sits walkable to neighborhood commercial corridors and parks. The broader city context is one of moderate growth, concentrated heavily in Center City and its immediate surroundings, though Philadelphia as a whole remains smaller than its peak population.
The district is currently under a major facilities transformation. The Board of Education approved a plan to close schools, co-locate programs, and modernize campuses across the system beginning in 2026-27. Parents at Moffet John should confirm the school's status in that plan, as it may affect building conditions, commute patterns, or program continuity in the coming years. The district is also investing in property tax revenue for schools, and has increased the homestead exemption, which affects home-ownership costs in the city.
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