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Howe Julia Ward School

Q: Is Howe Julia Ward School a good school?

Howe Julia Ward School ranks in the bottom 9.5% of Pennsylvania elementary schools.

Q: How many students attend Howe Julia Ward School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 229 students attended Howe Julia Ward School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Howe Julia Ward School?

Students at Howe Julia Ward School are 79% African American, 15% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

Q: What schools do graduates of Howe Julia Ward School attend?

Students who attend Howe Julia Ward School usually go on to attend: Middle : Wagner Gen Louis Middle School High : King Martin Luther High School

Public Grades K-5

1367^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,511 Pennsylvania Elementary Schools

Better than 10% of Pennsylvania elementary schools

Summary

Howe Julia Ward School is an elementary school in the Philadelphia City School District, serving 210 students in grades K-5. The school has consistently ranked in the bottom 10-15% of Pennsylvania elementary schools over the past 10 years, with a 0-1 star rating from SchoolDigger, and serves a high-needs student population, with 100% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

Howe Julia Ward School significantly underperforms the Philadelphia City School District and Pennsylvania state averages on PSSA math and English language arts assessments across all grade levels. For example, in 2024-2025, only 16.5% of Howe Julia Ward students were proficient or better in PSSA math, compared to 25% for the district and 41.7% for the state. Despite spending significantly more per student ($26,786 in 2022-2023) than nearby schools, which range from $17,805 to $32,039 per student, Howe Julia Ward has not been able to translate this additional funding into improved academic outcomes.

Howe Julia Ward School performs significantly worse than the nearby Prince Hall School, Lowell James R School, and Marshall Thurgood, which, while still underperforming state averages, have higher proficiency rates and rankings compared to Howe Julia Ward. The school's struggles to support its high-needs student population are evident in its consistently low academic performance, and the lack of improvement over the past 10 years suggests a need for a comprehensive review of the school's instructional practices, resource allocation, and support systems.

229

Students ?

9.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$23,884

Per pupil spending ?

91.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5800 N 13th St
Philadelphia, PA 19141-4121

(215) 400-3650

District: Philadelphia City School District

Students who attend Howe Julia Ward School usually attend:

Middle:	Wagner Gen Louis Middle School
High:	King Martin Luther High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

79.0%

Hispanic:

14.8%

Two or more races:

3.5%

See top rated Pennsylvania elementary schools

Compare Howe Julia Ward School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 3rd percentile in 2015 → 10th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 7 percentile points since 2015

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Pennsylvania average (16% vs 45% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (10th percentile)

!English Language Arts scores 34 pts below the Pennsylvania average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school16%

District avg29%

Pennsylvania avg45%

1,367^th of 1,511

Pennsylvania public elementary schools ?

Bottom 10%▲ up 6 pts since 2015

From bottom 3% (2015) to bottom 10% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Pennsylvania Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

93^rd 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	9.4	1367 of 1511	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.6	1368 of 1526	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	10.9	1344 of 1534	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	6.1	1443 of 1534	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	5.2	1361 of 1433	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	6.3	1421 of 1544	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	5.9	1423 of 1530	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	2.4	1517 of 1547	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	3.6	1492 of 1554	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	3.5	1426 of 1474	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	1.9	1413 of 1467	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	2.4	1459 of 1519	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	6.4	1506 of 1599	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	8.0	1511 of 1597	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	4.0	1537 of 1579	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	4.5	1492 of 1549	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	17.3	1376 of 1551	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	24.3	1320 of 1555	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	13.4	1393 of 1545	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	29.8	1035 of 1299	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	76.3	320 of 1308	75.5%	★★★★☆
2003	53.9	691 of 1302	46.9%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	35.3	261 of 413	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.3	241 of 437	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.3	199 of 437	54.5%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	9.6	1030 of 1030	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	13.5	1261 of 1466	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	8.7	1347 of 1488	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	14.0	1225 of 1369	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.8	1275 of 1432	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.1	1218 of 1414	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	7.2	1399 of 1475	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.9	1308 of 1495	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

African American (2025)37th percentile+27 vs school

Female (2025)14th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)11th percentile~ school

Male (2025)5th percentile-4 vs school

Disabled (2025)<1st percentile-10 vs school

By subject vs Pennsylvania (2024-2025) ?

Math16%-25 vs state

English Language Arts15%-34 vs state

★

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Schools Near Howe Julia Ward School

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
Howe Julia Ward School	Public	K-5	5800 N 13th St	Philadelphia	19141	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-3650	229	23	9.7	91.7%	1 (0.4%)	181 (79.0%)	34 (14.8%)	2 (0.9%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.9%)	8 (3.5%)	9.4	1367^th of 1511 public elementary schools	9.5%		9.6	1368^th of 1526 public elementary schools	10.4%	1	10.5	12.5	29.0				16.5	13.2	17.5	12.9				14.7	$23,884	$6,629	$17,255
Pennell Joseph School	Public	PK, KG-5	1800 Nedro Ave	Philadelphia	19141	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-3680	301	26	11.6	102.3%	1 (0.3%)	264 (87.7%)	16 (5.3%)	4 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	14 (4.7%)	15.9	1265^th of 1511 public elementary schools	16.3%		7.3	1409^th of 1526 public elementary schools	7.7%	144	30.4	11.1	13.1				16.1	39.1	33.3	15.8				28.3	$20,297	$5,440	$14,858
Prince Hall School	Public	PK, KG-5	6101 North Gratz Street	Philadelphia	19141	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-3690	360	24	15.1	104.2%	1 (0.3%)	331 (91.9%)	14 (3.9%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.3%)	6.4	1438^th of 1511 public elementary schools	4.8%		10.4	1356^th of 1526 public elementary schools	11.1%	82	9.8	12.9	4.2				8.0	22.0	15.4	11.1				15.5	$19,195	$6,541	$12,654
Lowell James R School	Public	PK, KG-4	450 W Nedro Ave	Philadelphia	19120	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-3740	503	33	15.1	103.8%	6 (1.2%)	309 (61.4%)	114 (22.7%)	44 (8.7%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (5.4%)	12	1319^th of 1511 public elementary schools	12.7%		9.1	1374^th of 1526 public elementary schools	10.0%	55	25.3	21.1					23.2	23.1	23.6					23.5	$18,917	$6,286	$12,632
Lindley Academy Charter School at Birney	Public, Charter	K-8	900 West Lindley Avenue	Philadelphia	19141	Philadelphia County	Lindley Academy Charter School at Birney	Yes	No	No	Yes	(267) 669-1450	739	48	15.3	98.2%	7 (0.9%)	627 (84.8%)	52 (7.0%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.5%)	46 (6.2%)	6.2	1450^th of 1511 public elementary schools	4.0%		5.5	1451^st of 1526 public elementary schools	4.9%	1	12.3	4.5	2.8	1.3	2.6	0.0	4.1	18.8	10.3	11.4	22.4	15.8	23.5	17.1	$22,107	$2,021	$20,085
Marshall Thurgood	Public	PK, KG-8	5120 N 6th St	Philadelphia	19120	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-3770	639	50	12.7	98.3%	1 (0.2%)	372 (58.2%)	227 (35.5%)	26 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	12 (1.9%)	8	1394^th of 1511 public elementary schools	7.7%		7	1419^th of 1526 public elementary schools	7.0%	25	17.0	13.3	9.3	2.3	3.2	4.8	7.8	17.6	24.2	17.0	13.7	13.8	31.2	19.8	$17,864	$6,096	$11,768
Logan James School	Public	PK, KG-5	1700 Lindley Ave	Philadelphia	19141	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-3670	264	25	10.6	92.4%	1 (0.4%)	226 (85.6%)	30 (11.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.7%)	26.9	1117^th of 1511 public elementary schools	26.1%		13.2	1313^th of 1526 public elementary schools	14.0%	196	18.8	48.4	31.7				32.7	18.7	41.9	26.8				28.8	$21,614	$4,776	$16,838
Ellwood School	Public	PK, KG-5	6701 N 13th St	Philadelphia	19126	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-3540	292	25	11.6	101.0%	1 (0.3%)	256 (87.7%)	20 (6.8%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.5%)	15.1	1273^rd of 1511 public elementary schools	15.8%		10.6	1350^th of 1526 public elementary schools	11.5%	77	32.3	16.2	20.0				22.1	22.6	18.9	26.0				22.8	$36,840	$23,115	$13,725
Morrison Andrew J School	Public	K-8	5100 N 3rd St	Philadelphia	19120	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-3780	508	36	14.2	102.8%	6 (1.2%)	245 (48.2%)	227 (44.7%)	19 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.2%)	10.8	1340^th of 1511 public elementary schools	11.3%		8.4	1385^th of 1526 public elementary schools	9.2%	45	12.5	10.9	14.5	10.6	1.9	6.9	9.4	14.9	8.7	27.3	25.5	14.9	18.6	18.6	$19,996	$7,226	$12,770
Cooke Jay Middle School	Public	K-8	1300 W Louden St	Philadelphia	19141	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-8330	369	42	8.8	107.6%	2 (0.5%)	296 (80.2%)	56 (15.2%)	6 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.4%)	6.4	1439^th of 1511 public elementary schools	4.8%		5.1	1465^th of 1526 public elementary schools	4.0%	26	13.3	6.1	2.9	4.7	4.9	2.8	5.5	20.0	14.7	2.9	20.9	12.2	8.3	13.3	$27,430	$5,567	$21,863

Frequently Asked Questions about Howe Julia Ward School

What is the racial makeup of Howe Julia Ward School?

Students at Howe Julia Ward School are 79% African American, 15% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

How many students attend Howe Julia Ward School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 229 students attended Howe Julia Ward School.

What schools do graduates of Howe Julia Ward School attend?

Students who attend Howe Julia Ward School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Wagner Gen Louis Middle School
High : King Martin Luther High School

What district is Howe Julia Ward School in?

Philadelphia City School District

Is Howe Julia Ward School a good school?

Howe Julia Ward School ranks in the bottom 9.5% of Pennsylvania elementary schools.

Rate Howe Julia Ward 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.