The top reported proficiency rate is 26% in Science. The lowest is 8% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Comegys Benjamin B Sch
Benjamin B. Comegys is a K-8 public school serving a small student body in southwest Philadelphia. The school draws its entire enrollment from families at or below the federal poverty line, and the student population is predominantly Black, with a small number of Hispanic and Asian students.
On the most recent state assessments, the school reports very low proficiency. In English Language Arts, roughly one in five students in grades 3-8 achieved proficiency. Math results are substantially lower, with proficiency near a single digit. Science data from an earlier year shows about one in four students proficient. These results place the school well below typical district and state performance, and a parent should understand that the daily classroom experience here reflects significant academic challenges. The school is currently implementing the district's new science-of-reading ELA curriculum that launched in 2024-25; early data across the district on this approach showed a dip in reading scores in the first year, so the school is in a period of instructional transition.
The school serves grades K through 8, so it does not have a high school component and therefore does not report a graduation rate. Special education and English learner enrollment numbers were not available in the data. The school's low test proficiency reflects its role as a neighborhood school serving a low-income community, and parents considering this school will want to ask directly about supports in place—tutoring, interventions, reading specialists, counseling—and how the school's leadership plans to improve outcomes as the new literacy materials take hold.
The Philadelphia City School District is undergoing substantial change. In 2024-25 it fully shifted to the EL Education English Language Arts curriculum for elementary and middle grades, a science-of-reading approach that represents a wholesale change from prior practice. The district also adopted Illustrative Mathematics K-12 in the prior year. These changes were intended to standardize instruction citywide, but the reading rollout resulted in a small decline in proficiency scores after year one, so the early returns are mixed. Teachers have had varied responses to the new materials, and implementation will continue to unfold.
The city also increased school funding substantially. Philadelphia raised the school district's share of property tax revenue and the 2024 property reassessment will add further revenue to schools over the next several years, though it will also raise property taxes on homeowners. The homestead exemption was increased to offset some of that burden for owner-occupants.
The district approved a major facilities transformation in April 2026, which will close schools, modernize buildings, and reconfigure enrollment boundaries. The first closures begin in 2026-27. This plan directly affects which schools remain open and which children will attend where, and families should follow the district's announcements carefully to understand how it may affect their school.
Philadelphia itself is a densely urban, walkable city with a strong neighborhood character. Housing values in the 19143 ZIP code where Comegys is located are well below both state and national medians, and rent affordability is relatively favorable compared to the national benchmark. The area is not experiencing the population and development growth concentrated in Center City; that growth is reshaping downtown Philadelphia and University City, while the neighborhoods farther south and west remain stable. The broader economy is anchored in healthcare, higher education, life sciences, and financial services, centered on Center City and University City. SEPTA provides public transit citywide.
See more original research from School Decision →