Original Research by School Decision on Washington George Hs
George Washington High School sits in Northeast Philadelphia's Bustleton neighborhood, serving students across the four high school grades. The enrollment is mid-sized for a traditional public high school in the district, with roughly equal cohorts moving through the grades. Students come from a moderately diverse background: a plurality are Asian, followed by substantial populations of Black, White, and Hispanic students, with smaller counts of multiracial and other groups.
A striking fact about the school's enrollment is the free or reduced-price lunch rate, which is reported at effectively 100 percent, meaning that essentially the entire student body qualifies for the federal meals program. This is consistent with the economic context of the Philadelphia neighborhood and the broader city. Home values in the 19116 ZIP code are below the state average and roughly in line with national medians, while rental costs are moderate at around 1800 dollars per month. Mortgage costs on a median-priced home in the area run about 1,383 dollars monthly with a standard down payment, and rent-to-income ratio sits at 23 percent, suggesting housing is accessible to working families but not cheap.
State assessment data for Washington George High School was not available, so the school's academic performance cannot be characterized relative to district or county benchmarks. The school operates under Philadelphia City School District's new literacy and mathematics curriculum frameworks that rolled out during 2023-24 and 2024-25, meaning instruction in reading, writing, and math follows the district's standardized "science of reading" approach and Illustrative Mathematics sequence, respectively. A parent may want to look into the school's specific program offerings, course availability in college prep and career pathways, and how the building has implemented these new instructional materials with its own staff.
Graduation rate data was not reported and therefore cannot be assessed. Similarly, chronic absenteeism, school discipline, and staffing information were not in the available records, so a prospective parent should reach out directly to the school or district to understand attendance trends, school climate, and student support infrastructure. Information on special populations, including the count of students with IEPs or English learners, was also not provided.
The school's location in Northeast Philadelphia places it in a neighborhood context away from Center City and University City. The district as a whole is undergoing significant change: a major facilities plan approved in April 2026 will close schools, co-locate programs, and modernize buildings over the next decade, and the district has committed to standardized reading and math instruction that is still settling in after initial adoption. Property tax funding for schools increased substantially in the city's recent budget cycle and will grow further following property reassessment. A family considering Washington George should ask the school directly about its program breadth, staffing stability during the district transition period, and how it is supporting students through the curriculum changes now in motion across all Philadelphia schools.
See more original research from School Decision →