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Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School

Public, Charter, Alternative Grades K-12

1181^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,511 Pennsylvania Alternative Schools

Better than 22% of Pennsylvania alternative schools

Summary

Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School is an alternative public charter school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, serving 662 students in grades K-12. The school has a high percentage of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, with 100% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School stands out for its consistently high graduation rates, ranging from 87.5% to 100% in recent years, which are on par with or exceed the graduation rates of nearby charter schools like Maritime Academy Charter School and Universal Institute Charter School. The school also has relatively low dropout rates, ranging from 0% to 1.6% in recent years, which are lower than the dropout rates of many nearby charter schools. However, the school's test scores on the PSSA and Keystone Exams are generally lower than the state averages, particularly in mathematics, where only 16.3% of students were proficient or better in the 2024-2025 school year, compared to the state average of 41.7%. The school's performance in English Language Arts is closer to the state average, with 31.2% of students proficient or better in the 2024-2025 school year, compared to the state average of 48.5%.

Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School's high per-student spending, ranging from $14,959 to $21,312 in recent years, is higher than the spending of some nearby charter schools like First Philadelphia Preparatory Charter School and Community Academy of Philadelphia Charter School. The school's student-teacher ratio has varied in recent years, ranging from 17.1 to 20.9 students per teacher, which is generally higher than the ratios of nearby charter schools. These factors suggest that Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School may be focusing more on supporting students' overall educational attainment and social-emotional development, rather than solely on standardized test performance.

673

Students ?

21.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$22,593

Per pupil spending ?

98.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2501 Kensington Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19124-1321

(215) 288-2001

District: Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

93.3%

Hispanic:

4.0%

Two or more races:

1.9%

See top rated Pennsylvania elementary schools

Compare Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School to nearby alternative schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 24th percentile in 2022 → 21st in 2025

Strengths

✓100% graduate in 4 years — above the Pennsylvania average (89%)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Pennsylvania average (25% vs 46% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (22nd percentile)

!Biology scores 32 pts below the Pennsylvania average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school25%

Pennsylvania avg46%

Elementary school

1,181^st of 1,511

Pennsylvania public elementary schools ?

Bottom 22%▲ up 8 pts since 2015

From bottom 13% (2015) to bottom 22% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Pennsylvania Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

673^rd of 873

Pennsylvania public middle schools ?

Bottom 23%▲ up 7 pts since 2015

From bottom 16% (2015) to bottom 23% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Pennsylvania Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

540^th of 681

Pennsylvania public high schools ?

Bottom 21%▲ up 3 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Pennsylvania High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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	21.3	1181 of 1511	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.8	1224 of 1526	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.6	1183 of 1534	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.2	1239 of 1534	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	12.4	1334 of 1544	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	11.4	1337 of 1530	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	9.5	1369 of 1547	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	9.0	1384 of 1554	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	12.3	1277 of 1474	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	13.4	1422 of 1599	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	12.3	1466 of 1597	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	62.8	99 of 413	76.0%	★★★★☆
2024	62.5	118 of 437	73.0%	★★★★☆
2023	61.5	134 of 437	69.3%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	23.8	808 of 1030	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.9	841 of 1084	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.0	830 of 1043	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	19.5	1178 of 1466	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.0	1192 of 1488	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	33.2	959 of 1369	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	26.2	1110 of 1432	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	34.4	1019 of 1414	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	23.1	1134 of 1475	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.5	1193 of 1495	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	20.9	673 of 873	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.6	692 of 891	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.5	653 of 893	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.7	669 of 883	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	14.1	732 of 891	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	14.4	718 of 861	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	12.1	739 of 877	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	13.3	728 of 870	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	12.8	702 of 835	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	44.7	184 of 393	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.0	175 of 408	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.0	165 of 421	60.8%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	37.8	361 of 643	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	24.9	534 of 672	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	18.0	677 of 835	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.5	741 of 860	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	26.7	637 of 843	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.0	675 of 877	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.7	608 of 874	30.4%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	24.3	629 of 839	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.8	639 of 870	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	23.1	540 of 681	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.4	561 of 686	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.1	558 of 674	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	15.7	482 of 537	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.2	559 of 693	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	11.2	585 of 673	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	14.4	563 of 663	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	6.9	603 of 677	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	19.9	557 of 680	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	29.6	532 of 664	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	54.6	112 of 276	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.7	136 of 284	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.9	114 of 260	56.2%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	32.6	345 of 524	34.2%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	25.4	513 of 657	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	12.7	569 of 665	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	32.2	455 of 651	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	25.6	526 of 664	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.2	487 of 652	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	21.2	522 of 660	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.5	514 of 662	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆

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

African American (2025)76th percentile+54 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)30th percentile+8 vs school

Male (2025)23rd percentile~ school

Disabled (2025)22nd percentile~ school

Female (2025)20th percentile~ school

Middle school

African American (2025)53rd percentile+30 vs school

Disabled (2025)44th percentile+21 vs school

Male (2025)25th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)24th percentile~ school

Female (2025)19th percentile-4 vs school

High school

African American (2025)59th percentile+39 vs school

Disabled (2025)34th percentile+13 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)30th percentile+9 vs school

Female (2025)22nd percentile~ school

Male (2025)21st percentile~ school

By subject vs Pennsylvania (2024-2025) ?

Literature53%-9 vs state

English Language Arts31%-17 vs state

Algebra I27%-18 vs state

Biology18%-32 vs state

Math16%-25 vs state

3.0

3 ratings · 2 written reviews

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What people are saying

by a parent
Sunday, June 3, 2012

My children have been accepted to sankofa this upcoming school year, and we will appreciate if we can get parents reviews on the school before we allow them to attend. Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter is an extremely unprofessional, unorganized school. Staff members are extremely rude to parents and students. Sankofa does NOT enforce it's own policies. This school shows favoritism to students who are related to staff members. The principle, Ayesha Imani, is an unprofessional, egotistical individual who does have the students best interest in mind. Ayesha Imani's only interest is to fill the seats of Sankofa with students for the sole purpose of receiving funding from the city and state. I regret sending my child to this school and I would NOT recommend another parent to send their child to this awful so called learning institution. Close Quote

Schools Near Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter 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 ()				Ranking ()				Keystone Exams Algebra I (2025)	Keystone Exams Biology (2025)	Keystone Exams Literature (2025)	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 ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	Keystone Exams Algebra I 11th Grade	Keystone Exams Biology 11th Grade	Keystone Exams Literature 11th Grade	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
Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	2501 Kensington Avenue	Philadelphia	19124	Philadelphia County	Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(215) 288-2001	673	32	21.0	98.4%	0 (0.0%)	628 (93.3%)	27 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (1.9%)								(n/a)	26.7	17.8	53.3	28.3	22.2	16.7	14.8	9.3	7.2	16.3	39.7	27.8	26.4	38.9	20.4	34.0	31.2	$22,593	$5,315	$17,278
Community Academy of Philadelphia Charter School	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	1100 East Erie Ave	Philadelphia	19124	Philadelphia County	Community Academy of Philadelphia Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(215) 533-6700	1,237	92	13.3	100.5%	11 (0.9%)	107 (8.6%)	1,088 (88.0%)	24 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (0.6%)								(n/a)	26.4	37.1	50.5	21.7	16.3	5.0	5.0	8.0	6.9	10.5	25.0	24.7	16.7	43.3	24.1	35.6	28.2	$19,805	$6,696	$13,109
Esperanza Academy Charter School	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	301 W Hunting Park Avenue	Philadelphia	19140	Philadelphia County	Esperanza Academy Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(215) 457-3667	1,637	126	12.9	89.8%	2 (0.1%)	77 (4.7%)	1,510 (92.2%)	2 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (2.8%)								(n/a)	30.4	29.4	48.5	19.2			3.5	6.2	2.8	5.2	31.9			18.4	28.9	22.8	23.9	$24,591	$6,922	$17,669
Esperanza Cyber Charter School	Public, Virtual, Charter, Alternative	K-12	4261 N 5th Street	Philadelphia	19140	Philadelphia County	Esperanza Cyber Charter School	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	(215) 967-9703	979	81	12.0	99.7%	19 (1.9%)	112 (11.4%)	819 (83.7%)	12 (1.2%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.3%)	13 (1.3%)								(n/a)	5.7	11.8	19.1	0.0	9.5	0.0	0.0	1.8	4.9	2.6	11.1	5.0	2.8	6.1	16.7	6.5	8.5	$17,537	$5,668	$11,869
Mariana Bracetti Academy Charter School	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	1840 Torresdale Ave	Philadelphia	19124	Philadelphia County	Mariana Bracetti Academy Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(215) 291-4436	1,512	105	14.4	99.6%	45 (3.0%)	283 (18.7%)	1,155 (76.4%)	5 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (1.6%)								(n/a)	44.8	34.3	76.2	30.1	16.3	17.3	16.1	12.0	12.5	18.2	32.2	20.1	28.6	28.2	22.9	34.6	27.9	$17,407	$4,472	$12,934
The School District of Philadelphia Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual, Magnet, Alternative	K-12	440 North Broad St	Philadelphia	19130	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	(215) 400-3110	913	15	59.0	76.3%	101 (11.1%)	552 (60.5%)	185 (20.3%)	30 (3.3%)	5 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	39 (4.3%)								(n/a)	6.0	12.3	30.1	27.3			0.0	0.0	7.1	6.1	27.3			29.2	23.5	13.3	23.1	$9,841	$4,484	$5,357
First Philadelphia Preparatory Charter School	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	4300 Tacony St	Philadelphia	19124	Philadelphia County	First Philadelphia Preparatory Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(215) 743-3100	1,831	105	17.5	99.3%	104 (5.7%)	826 (45.1%)	573 (31.3%)	15 (0.8%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	310 (16.9%)								(n/a)	13.3	15.4	42.9	13.9	4.4	2.6	7.0	3.2	6.4	6.3	19.9	9.6	12.2	14.3	16.1	22.8	15.8	$21,345	$6,637	$14,708
Widener Memorial School	Public, Alternative	K-12	1450 W Olney Ave	Philadelphia	19141	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-3710	141	34	4.1	95.7%	18 (12.8%)	66 (46.8%)	25 (17.7%)	8 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (17.0%)								(n/a)																		$28,362	$6,833	$21,529
Maritime Academy Charter School	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	2275 Bridge Street	Philadelphia	19137	Philadelphia County	Maritime Academy Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(215) 535-4555	829	69	12.0	92.4%	258 (31.1%)	129 (15.6%)	371 (44.8%)	30 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (4.9%)								(n/a)	34.7	48.9	48.9	25.0	20.0	15.1	11.0	10.2	3.8	13.7	14.7	20.9	13.6	26.9	24.4	20.3	20.5	$91	$03	$88
Universal Institute Charter School	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-9	800 S 15th Street	Philadelphia	19146	Philadelphia County	Universal Institute Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(215) 732-7988	597	33	18.0	94.5%	2 (0.3%)	556 (93.1%)	28 (4.7%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.2%)								(n/a)				29.1	28.6	9.7	25.0	1.8	19.0	19.2	25.4	28.6	23.0	41.6	29.9	39.7	31.5	$19,937	$7,816	$12,122

Frequently Asked Questions about Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School

What is the racial makeup of Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School?

Students at Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School are 93% African American, 4% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

How many students attend Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 673 students attended Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School.

What district is Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School in?

Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School

Is Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School a good school?

Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School ranks in the bottom 21.8% of Pennsylvania alternative schools.

Rate Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School!

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Latest Pennsylvania data All new data »

2024–25 graduation ratesMar 29, 2026

2024–25 dropout ratesMar 27, 2026

2023–24 school spending dataJan 29, 2026

2024–25 Keystone Exams & PSSA scoresNov 13, 2025

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.