September 01, 2026
Colleen Claggett/For PhillyVoice
The window for students in the School District of Philadelphia to apply for selective schools has been pushed back after reporting of state test results were delayed.
After an unexpected delay in receiving state test scores, the School District of Philadelphia has moved back the application window for its annual school selection process.
Students may now apply from 4 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 5, to 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 24, and they can use PSSA and Keystone results from the previous two years, the district said Monday. The previous window was scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 8, through Wednesday, Oct. 30.
Once test results are released by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, school officials will contact all applicants to assist them in submitting their scores. Results are expected to be released "later this fall," the district said.
"We know that changing the timeline may require families to adjust their plans, and we appreciate your patience and understanding," Superintendent Tony Watlington said in a statement to families. "During this extended timeline, I encourage families to continue exploring options, learning about schools and programs, and preparing for the application process."
Monique Braxton, spokesperson with the School District of Philadelphia, did not confirm whether verified scores from the state would be available by the time the application window opens and said the district is "following the lead of the PDE."
Application requirements for school selection have also been adjusted going into the 2027-2028 school year. Full details about the process can be found on the district website.
Starting this year, officials will consider students' final grades in only English Language Arts or reading, math and science. Grade requirements for social studies and writing will no longer be used to determine a student's eligibility. Report cards and transcripts are also now mandated for all criteria-based school applications. Eligibility requirements for the district's Career and Technical Education programs have expanded to prioritize students who completed the district's summer program. Pre-K students will now get priority if they are applying to remain in their same school for kindergarten.
Families whose home address is in ZIP codes 19132, 19133, 19135, 19138, 19140 or 19141 may also receive priority consideration for criteria-based schools including Masterman, Central, Carver and Palumbo. Students who are English learners or have disabilities or 504 plans will also be subject to individualized review for any criteria-based school they apply for, Chalkbeat reported.
District officials have said verified PSSA and Keystone results from the 2025-2026 school year, which usually come around early August, have been held up at the state level. Preliminary results have been shared with the district, but Watlington said he preferred to wait for state verification before sharing the results.
The district was considering administering another standardized test to students and use those results instead of last year's state exams, according to the Inquirer, but decided against that plan.
"In a district where you have a lot of kids moving about because of the transience and poverty levels between district-operated schools and charter schools, I tend to get all of the data and release it when it's verified," Watlington told PhillyVoice in an interview last week. "I'm following what the rules say, but I can assure you we have nothing to hide. As soon as the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania releases that data, we're going to immediately release it publicly and widely throughout the city."
The online application for the district's School Transition Committees opened Monday and will be active until Friday, Sept. 18. A 20-person committee will be assigned for 50 schools that will be impacted by the $3 billion, 10-year facilities plan, which includes closing 17 schools beginning next school year.
Committee members — mostly made up of parents, students and "community partners" — will help the district identify priorities for school communities, provide input and become an "ambassador" for the facilities plan, the district said.
"Interested members must be willing and able to voluntarily participate in an orientation and regular meetings throughout the School Year 2026-2027," the district website says. "It is important that those on the committee be present for the majority of all meetings."
Anyone selected to join the teams will be notified by Oct. 1, and work is expected to begin the week of Oct. 12, the Inquirer reported.
The committees will report to the district's newly formed School Transition Office, which will also be responsible for coordinating community engagement, project management and disseminating information in a timely manner.
"The purpose of these transition committees is to help shape implementation of the work that the Board of Education has approved," Watlington said last week. "And to do it in a way that we're not sticking our finger in anybody's eye."
