The top reported proficiency rate is 51% in Science. The lowest is 23% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Fitzpatrick Aloysius L Sch
Fitzpatrick Aloysius L is a public elementary and middle school in northeast Philadelphia serving prekindergarten through eighth grade. The school enrolls a diverse student body drawn from its neighborhood, with representation across Black, white, Hispanic, and Asian students, as well as two-or-more-races students. Every student in the school qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic circumstances of the surrounding community.
The school's academic results show a pattern of uneven performance. In English language arts on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment, proficiency sits at a moderate level. Math proficiency is notably lower, with fewer than a quarter of students scoring at proficient or above. Science performance, measured most recently, was substantially higher, with about half of students proficient. This spread across subjects suggests that reading and mathematics instruction may benefit from closer attention, while science engagement or instruction appears to be working better for the student population.
The district context matters here. Philadelphia has invested heavily in curriculum reform over the past two years, rolling out a new mathematics program and a science-of-reading approach to English language arts starting in 2024-25. That new reading curriculum had a mixed first year, with scores dropping slightly even as the district aimed to raise literacy. The math adoption occurred earlier and is now in its second full year. Schools across Philadelphia are working with these newer programs, so Fitzpatrick's classroom experience reflects a district-wide shift. At the same time, the Philadelphia City School District approved a major facilities plan in 2026 that reshapes school catchments and closes some buildings; parents should confirm whether Fitzpatrick is among affected schools and what any changes mean for their child's enrollment or commute.
The immediate neighborhood sits in northeast Philadelphia along Knights Road. The city as a whole is walkable and dense, anchored by Center City downtown and distributed neighborhood schools like this one. The school building's condition and age were not provided in available data. The surrounding area's housing values fall below the state median and the national median, and the school's 100 percent free-lunch rate indicates a neighborhood where families typically have lower incomes. The city has been growing modestly in recent years, with most new housing concentrated in Center City; northeast Philadelphia is not the focus of current development activity.
A parent evaluating this school should understand that it sits in a economically stressed neighborhood, that its math scores are a soft spot worth discussing directly with the school, and that it is part of a district in active curriculum transition. The school's science results suggest it has teaching strength in that area. State testing data for special populations such as English learners and students with disabilities were not available, so a parent with a child in either category should ask the school directly about support structures and outcomes. The school serves a traditional neighborhood catchment rather than a choice or specialized program, so fit depends largely on whether the location works for your family and whether you see the instructional direction—particularly in reading and math—as aligned with what you want for your child.
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