Original Research by School Decision on The Linc
The Linc is a small, four-year high school in North Philadelphia serving grades nine through twelve. Its enrollment is compact and declining by grade, with the ninth-grade cohort substantially larger than the twelfth-grade cohort. The school's student population is predominantly Hispanic and Black, with nearly equal representation of each group, and virtually all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a student body drawn from families with very limited economic resources.
The school sits in Philadelphia's larger context as a public school operating within a district undergoing significant structural change. The Philadelphia School District has committed substantial resources to overhauling its curriculum, most recently adopting a science-of-reading English Language Arts approach beginning in 2024-25 and Illustrative Mathematics for grades K-12. These changes affect how reading and math are taught across all district schools, including The Linc, though the first year of the new ELA curriculum saw a modest dip in reading proficiency districtwide.
More broadly, the district approved a major facilities master plan in April 2026 that will close schools, consolidate programs, and modernize campuses over the coming years. This plan reshapes school catchments and may affect which students attend which schools across the city, so a parent should stay informed about whether The Linc's catchment or status might be affected as the plan unfolds.
State assessment data was not available for this school, so we cannot report on academic proficiency or how it compares to other schools in Philadelphia County. Similarly, a graduation rate was not reported, which may reflect that the school's data are not yet publicly available, or that the school is still too new to have produced a full four-year cohort. A parent interested in The Linc's academic performance should ask the school directly for recent achievement data and graduation outcomes.
Philadelphia itself is a large mixed-use city organized around its historic neighborhoods, with a dense downtown (Center City) and distributed residential communities built largely of rowhouses. The city is highly walkable, with an average Walk Score of 75 and scores of 98-99 in central neighborhoods. The local economy is anchored by healthcare, higher education, life sciences, and financial services, with major employers including the University of Pennsylvania, Comcast, and numerous hospitals. Housing in the school's immediate ZIP code is relatively modest in value compared to the state and national benchmarks, and rents are correspondingly lower than homeownership costs.
The city is in a period of moderate, uneven growth. Growth is heavily concentrated in Greater Center City, where much of the city's new housing is being built, while other neighborhoods remain relatively stable. Most of the city's civic life and job growth remains centered in or near downtown and in the University City area on the west side, which may affect commuting and neighborhood vitality in other parts of the city where The Linc is located.
A parent considering The Linc should understand it as a small, under-resourced school serving a predominantly low-income student body in a neighborhood outside the main growth corridors of the city. The lack of available academic data makes it difficult to assess the school's effectiveness. Speaking directly with school leadership about curriculum, college preparation pathways, graduation rates, and the school's role in the district's ongoing reorganization would be essential before making a decision.
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