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Dobson James School

Q: Is Dobson James School a good school?

Dobson James School ranks 567 th of 1511 Pennsylvania elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-8

567^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,511 Pennsylvania Elementary Schools

Better than 62% of Pennsylvania elementary schools

Summary

Dobson James School is an elementary school located in Philadelphia, PA, serving grades K-8 with a total enrollment of 230 students. It is part of the Philadelphia City School District, which is ranked 473 out of 606 districts in Pennsylvania and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Dobson James School has shown steady improvement in its PSSA test scores over the past few years, with the percentage of students proficient or better in Math and English Language Arts (ELA) consistently outperforming the Philadelphia City School District and the state of Pennsylvania averages. In the 2024-2025 school year, Dobson James School had 43.6% of students proficient or better in PSSA Math, compared to 25% for the district and 41.7% for Pennsylvania. In PSSA ELA, Dobson James School had 56% of students proficient or better, compared to 33.4% for the district and 48.5% for the state. The school's performance is particularly strong in the lower grades, with 68.2% of 3rd graders proficient or better in both PSSA Math and ELA.

While Dobson James School's academic performance outpaces other schools in the Philadelphia City School District, such as Henry Charles W School, Lingelbach Anna L School, and Mifflin Thomas School, it still lags behind the higher-performing schools in the neighboring Lower Merion School District, such as Penn Valley School, Belmont Hills Elementary School, and Cynwyd School, which have PSSA proficiency rates in the 80-90% range.

229

Students ?

9.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$23,803

Per pupil spending ?

100.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4667 Umbria St
Philadelphia, PA 19127-1929

(215) 400-3570

District: Philadelphia City School District

Students who attend Dobson James School usually attend:

High:

Roxborough High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

47.6%

African American:

28.8%

Two or more races:

12.7%

See top rated Pennsylvania elementary schools

Compare Dobson James School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 26th percentile in 2014 → 62nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 36 percentile points since 2014

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Philadelphia City School District

✓Above the Pennsylvania median (62nd percentile)

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school50%

District avg29%

Pennsylvania avg45%

Elementary school

567^th of 1,511

Pennsylvania public elementary schools ?

Top 38%▲ up 38 pts since 2015

From bottom 25% (2015) to top 38% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Pennsylvania Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

400^th of 873

Pennsylvania public middle schools ?

Top 46%▲ up 13 pts since 2015

From bottom 41% (2015) to top 46% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Pennsylvania Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

16^th of 148Elementary Schools in the Philadelphia City School District

473^rd of 606Philadelphia City School District among Pennsylvania districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	65.3	567 of 1511	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.8	643 of 1526	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	46.3	932 of 1534	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	47.7	931 of 1534	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.4	1090 of 1544	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.0	1164 of 1530	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	21.6	1238 of 1547	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	30.6	1175 of 1554	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	29.6	1111 of 1474	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	39.1	1080 of 1467	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	45.2	1052 of 1519	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2012	45.6	1117 of 1599	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2011	57.1	861 of 1597	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2010	44.5	1107 of 1579	29.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	45.6	1063 of 1549	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2008	38.3	1169 of 1551	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	55.0	863 of 1555	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2006	66.8	545 of 1545	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2005	67.9	461 of 1299	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2004	38.9	920 of 1308	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	21.7	1079 of 1302	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2023	83.5	47 of 437	89.2%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	63.7	554 of 1466	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.3	794 of 1488	46.6%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	39.1	860 of 1369	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.9	826 of 1432	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	40.8	911 of 1414	35.6%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	62.3	586 of 1475	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	68.3	488 of 1495	67.4%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	89.4	77 of 1201	93.6%	★★★★★
2023	32.1	929 of 1236	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	53.4	400 of 873	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	71.0	238 of 891	73.3%	★★★★☆
2023	68.7	260 of 893	70.9%	★★★★☆
2022	56.1	399 of 883	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	32.0	616 of 891	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	25.6	633 of 861	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	21.1	673 of 877	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	35.6	584 of 870	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2015	45.9	492 of 835	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2014	65.9	282 of 728	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2013	50.1	472 of 758	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2012	51.5	503 of 834	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2011	49.1	527 of 825	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2010	51.2	498 of 805	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2009	63.1	323 of 770	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2008	61.9	321 of 753	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2007	64.7	292 of 749	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2006	52.2	430 of 736	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2005	52.7	395 of 687	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2004	59.8	326 of 663	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2003	22.4	536 of 643	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	49.1	410 of 843	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	71.0	194 of 877	77.9%	★★★★☆
2023	70.8	182 of 874	79.2%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	41.8	484 of 839	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	77.1	161 of 870	81.5%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2024	97.9	8 of 673	98.8%	★★★★★

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Elementary school

White (2025)94th percentile+31 vs school

African American (2023)89th percentile+50 vs school

Female (2025)62nd percentile~ school

Male (2025)60th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)37th percentile-25 vs school

Middle school

White (2024)99th percentile+26 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)51st percentile-3 vs school

Male (2025)42nd percentile-12 vs school

By subject vs Pennsylvania (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts56%+8 vs state

Math44%~ state avg

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Dobson truly is a gem. Small and friendly with an extremely involved home and school association. I was concerned about sending my child to public school with all of the cut backs and issues going on with the district, but Dobson has by far exceeded my expectations and my child is thriving there. This is a high quality school that almost seems to fly under the radar, but is in my view comparable to Meredith, Penn Alexander, etc. This is what a small neighborhood public school is all about. Keep up the good work! Close Quote

Schools Near Dobson James School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				PSSA Math (2025)							PSSA English Language Arts (2025)							Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSSA Math 3rd Grade	PSSA Math 4th Grade	PSSA Math 5th Grade	PSSA Math 6th Grade	PSSA Math 7th Grade	PSSA Math 8th Grade	PSSA Math All Grades	PSSA English Language Arts 3rd Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 4th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 5th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 6th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 7th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Dobson James School	Public	K-8	4667 Umbria St	Philadelphia	19127	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-3570	229	23	9.8	100.4%	109 (47.6%)	66 (28.8%)	21 (9.2%)	3 (1.3%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (12.7%)	65.3	567^th of 1511 public elementary schools	62.5%		62.8	643^rd of 1526 public elementary schools	57.9%	76	68.2	53.6	53.9	22.7	40.9	21.0	43.6	68.2	64.2	46.2	54.6	61.9	31.6	56.0	$23,803	$7,293	$16,510
Belmont Hills Elementary School	Public	K-4	200 School Street	Bala Cynwyd	19004	Montgomery County	Lower Merion School District	No	No	No	Yes	(610) 645-1420	358	33	10.9	15.4%	251 (70.1%)	18 (5.0%)	18 (5.0%)	43 (12.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (7.8%)	93	63^rd of 1511 public elementary schools	95.8%		91.7	52^nd of 1526 public elementary schools	96.6%	11	83.5	88.9					86.1	74.7	83.3					78.8	$33,267	$221	$33,045
Green Woods Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	468 Domino Lane	Philadelphia	19128	Philadelphia County	Green Woods Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(215) 482-6337	699	45	15.5	39.9%	381 (54.5%)	176 (25.2%)	53 (7.6%)	14 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	75 (10.7%)	68.6	496^th of 1511 public elementary schools	67.2%		73.4	430^th of 1526 public elementary schools	71.8%	66	61.3	48.2	41.1	58.1	50.1	27.4	48.4	52.6	60.2	59.8	73.0	75.4	50.0	61.6	$16,382	$3,777	$12,605
Cook-Wissahickon School	Public	PK, KG-8	201 E Salaignac St	Philadelphia	19128	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-3430	432	31	13.9	95.4%	183 (42.4%)	127 (29.4%)	61 (14.1%)	8 (1.9%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (11.8%)	74.8	382^nd of 1511 public elementary schools	74.7%		54.7	800^th of 1526 public elementary schools	47.6%	418	82.5	54.5	67.6	31.8	58.5	23.9	51.8	75.0	54.5	64.7	65.9	65.8	58.7	63.9	$19,303	$6,022	$13,280
Shawmont School	Public	PK, KG-8	535 Shawmont Ave	Philadelphia	19128	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-3440	471	30	15.9	88.5%	121 (25.7%)	234 (49.7%)	51 (10.8%)	21 (4.5%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	40 (8.5%)	60.5	643^rd of 1511 public elementary schools	57.4%		47	906^th of 1526 public elementary schools	40.6%	263	58.1	47.2	56.7	30.8	15.0	11.1	35.9	54.7	45.7	56.8	58.9	39.0	55.5	51.9	$21,012	$6,565	$14,446
Cynwyd School	Public	K-4	101 W Levering Mill Rd	Bala Cynwyd	19004	Montgomery County	Lower Merion School District	No	No	No	No	(610) 645-1430	446	37	12.1	14.6%	270 (60.5%)	41 (9.2%)	22 (4.9%)	68 (15.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (10.1%)	90.1	122^nd of 1511 public elementary schools	91.9%		90.4	84^th of 1526 public elementary schools	94.5%	38	80.6	83.5					82.1	74.2	72.4					73.3	$28,852	$192	$28,660
Penn Valley School	Public	K-4	301 Righters Mill Rd	Narberth	19072	Montgomery County	Lower Merion School District	No	No	No	Yes	(610) 645-1460	542	45	12.0	14.9%	337 (62.2%)	45 (8.3%)	48 (8.9%)	42 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	70 (12.9%)	94.1	46^th of 1511 public elementary schools	97.0%		94	16^th of 1526 public elementary schools	99.0%	30	87.7	82.9					85.0	79.8	83.8					82.0	$31,637	$211	$31,426
Henry Charles W School	Public	K-8	601 Carpenter Ln	Philadelphia	19119	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-3480	518	33	15.6	95.8%	200 (38.6%)	232 (44.8%)	24 (4.6%)	10 (1.9%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	48 (9.3%)	74.6	386^th of 1511 public elementary schools	74.5%		64.9	588^th of 1526 public elementary schools	61.5%	202	64.8	61.8	43.1	56.3	27.0	37.8	50.6	69.0	60.0	56.2	70.9	42.1	68.8	62.2	$19,742	$6,881	$12,861
Lingelbach Anna L School	Public	K-8	6340 Wayne Ave	Philadelphia	19144	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-3630	363	27	13.6	91.5%	52 (14.3%)	273 (75.2%)	28 (7.7%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.9%)	44.8	901^st of 1511 public elementary schools	40.4%		36.3	1054^th of 1526 public elementary schools	30.9%	153	46.9	39.1	46.7	16.7	14.3	12.5	28.5	50.1	51.2	53.4	36.1	40.0	38.5	44.6	$21,290	$6,835	$14,455
Mifflin Thomas School	Public	PK, KG-8	3624 Conrad St	Philadelphia	19129	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-3830	393	27	14.3	98.5%	86 (21.9%)	217 (55.2%)	44 (11.2%)	7 (1.8%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (9.4%)	51.4	800^th of 1511 public elementary schools	47.1%		40.6	1001^st of 1526 public elementary schools	34.4%	201	68.5	47.1	27.8	34.4	16.0	16.1	36.3	57.1	50.0	34.3	48.3	44.0	29.0	44.0	$17,727	$5,465	$12,262

Frequently Asked Questions about Dobson James School

How many students attend Dobson James School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 229 students attended Dobson James School.

What is the racial makeup of Dobson James School?

Students at Dobson James School are 48% White, 29% African American, 13% Two or more races, 9% Hispanic, 1% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Dobson James School attend?

Students who attend Dobson James School usually go on to attend:

High : Roxborough High School

What district is Dobson James School in?

Philadelphia City School District

Is Dobson James School a good school?

Dobson James School ranks 567^th of 1511 Pennsylvania elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Dobson James School!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.