Universal Vare Charter School

Summary:

Universal Vare Charter School is a middle school located in Philadelphia, PA, serving grades 5-8 with an enrollment of 150 students. It is part of the Universal Vare Charter School District, which is ranked 532 out of 610 districts in Pennsylvania and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite the school's relatively high spending per student, ranging from $14,282 to $22,516 over the past few years, Universal Vare Charter School consistently performs well below the state averages on PSSA assessments in Math, Science, and English Language Arts across all grade levels. For example, in 2023-2024, only 2.3% of students were proficient or better in Math compared to the state average of 40.4%, and only 25.6% were proficient or better in English Language Arts compared to the state average of 53%. The school has been ranked in the bottom 20% of Pennsylvania middle schools for the past several years, consistently ranking between 668-765 out of 797-893 schools, and has maintained a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger, the lowest possible rating.

When comparing Universal Vare Charter School to nearby middle schools, such as Conwell Russell Middle School, which is 3.1 miles away, it consistently underperforms across all academic metrics, including having significantly higher proficiency rates in Math, Science, and English Language Arts. Additionally, the school has experienced relatively high dropout rates, ranging from 0.7% to 2.3% over the past few years, and has an extremely high percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 90.67% to 100% over the past few years, indicating a high-need student population.

Detail:

Public, Charter 5-8

2100 South 24th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19145

(215) 952-8611

District: Universal Vare Charter School

SchoolDigger Rank:
741^st of 891 Pennsylvania Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $22,516

Students who attend Universal Vare Charter School usually attend:

High:

Universal Audenried Charter School

Feeder schools for Universal Vare Charter School:

Elementary:

Girard Stephen School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.6

Number of students: 150

Racial breakdown:

African American:

68.0%

Asian:

17.3%

Hispanic:

10.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 90.7%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Universal Vare Charter School ranks worse than 83.2% of middle schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 14.54. (See more...)

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (68%), Asian (17.3%), Hispanic (10%). (See more...)

Compare Details 90.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Universal Vare Charter School is 13.6. (See more...)

Compare Universal Vare Charter School employs 11 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Universal Vare Charter School is $22,516.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Universal Vare Charter School:

SchoolDigger ranks Universal Vare Charter School 741^st of 891 Pennsylvania public middle schools. (See Universal Vare Charter School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Universal Vare Charter School:

SchoolDigger ranks Universal Vare Charter School 532^nd of 610 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Universal Vare Charter School

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Rank History for all students at Universal Vare Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile
2015	10.54	726^th	835	13.1%
2016	11.00	747^th	870	14.1%
2017	10.12	760^th	877	13.3%
2018	10.53	755^th	861	12.3%
2019	11.78	765^th	891	14.1%
2021	14.54	668^th	797	16.2%
2022	19.71	679^th	883	23.1%
2023	13.82	744^th	893	16.7%
2024	14.54	741^st	891	16.8%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Universal Vare Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	23.15	680^th	874	22.2%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Universal Vare Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	15.15	715^th	860	16.9%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Universal Vare Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	17.61	699^th	870	19.7%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Universal Vare Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	29.82	300^th	421	28.7%
2024	25.19	326^th	408	20.1%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for African American Students!

Data source: test scores: Pennsylvania Dept of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Pennsylvania Dept of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a student
Saturday, January 30, 2021

Terrible school and teachers. Underfunded most likely the reason Close Quote

Enrollment information for Universal Vare Charter School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2012	7	255	50	16	0	0	0	328
2013	18	286	62	22	2	2	3	395
2014	19	273	57	18	0	1	3	371
2015	10	298	61	19	0	1	5	394
2016	9	313	64	19	0	1	3	409
2017	5	298	59	24	0	0	1	387
2018	13	275	58	25	0	0	1	372
2019	10	257	61	24	0	0	0	352
2020	5	190	57	22	1	0	2	277
2021	4	136	43	17	0	0	3	203
2022	2	141	45	21	0	0	9	218
2023	1	102	26	15	0	0	6	150

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Universal Vare Charter School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	328	24.0	13.6	99.1
2013	395	22.0	17.9	99.2
2014	371	23.0	16.1	77.4
2015	394	29.0	13.5	99.2
2016	409	18.0	22.7	68.7
2017	387	16.0	24.1	n/a
2018	372	17.0	21.8	67.7
2019	352	14.0	25.1	100
2020	277	21.0	13.1	79.4
2021	203	17.0	11.9	100
2022	218	13.0	16.7	98.6
2023	150	11.0	13.6	90.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Universal Vare Charter School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	328	24.0	13.6	99.1
2013	395	22.0	17.9	99.2
2014	371	23.0	16.1	77.4
2015	394	29.0	13.5	99.2
2016	409	18.0	22.7	68.7
2017	387	16.0	24.1	n/a
2018	372	17.0	21.8	67.7
2019	352	14.0	25.1	100
2020	277	21.0	13.1	79.4
2021	203	17.0	11.9	100
2022	218	13.0	16.7	98.6
2023	150	11.0	13.6	90.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Universal Vare Charter School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,663 (11.6%)	$12,619 (88.4%)	$14,282
2020	$2,277 (12.4%)	$16,126 (87.6%)	$18,403
2021	$2,394 (16.6%)	$12,016 (83.4%)	$14,411
2022	$10,558 (46.9%)	$11,958 (53.1%)	$22,516

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Universal Vare Charter School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 765^th of 891 Middle schools	Ranks 744^th of 893 Middle schools	2.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
5th Grade Math (Universal Vare Charter School)	6.9	0	6.9%
5th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	43	42.7	0.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Universal Vare Charter School)	10.9	8.3	2.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	58.5	53.6	4.9%
6th Grade Math (Universal Vare Charter School)	14.4	6.6	7.8%
6th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	39	36.4	2.6%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Universal Vare Charter School)	32.2	32.6	0.4%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	63	55.6	7.4%
7th Grade Math (Universal Vare Charter School)	9.5	7.4	2.1%
7th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	38.2	33.2	5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Universal Vare Charter School)	20.8	21.4	0.6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	60.5	54.5	6%
8th Grade Math (Universal Vare Charter School)	9	6.4	2.6%
8th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	32.2	26	6.2%
8th Grade Science (Universal Vare Charter School)	29.3	27.6	1.7%
8th Grade Science (Pennsylvania)	58.2	57	1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Universal Vare Charter School)	27.6	28.3	0.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	57.9	52.8	5.1%
All Grades Math (Universal Vare Charter School)	10.2	6.1	4.1%
All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)	42.4	39.3	3.1%
All Grades Science (Universal Vare Charter School)	29.3	27.6	1.7%
All Grades Science (Pennsylvania)	68	65.6	2.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Universal Vare Charter School)	23.3	26.4	3.1%
All Grades English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	60.9	53.8	7.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	352	150	57.4%
African American	257	102	60.3%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	61	26	57.4%
Hispanic	24	15	37.5%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	10	1	90%
Two or More Races	0	6
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	90.7%	9.3%

Schools Near Universal Vare Charter School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				PSSA Math (2024)					PSSA Science (2024)		PSSA English Language Arts (2024)					Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
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 (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSSA Math 5th Grade	PSSA Math 6th Grade	PSSA Math 7th Grade	PSSA Math 8th Grade	PSSA Math All Grades	PSSA Science 8th Grade	PSSA Science All Grades	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
Universal Vare Charter School	Public, Charter	5-8	2100 South 24th Street	Philadelphia	19145	Philadelphia County	Universal Vare Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(215) 952-8611	150	11	13.6	90.7%	1 (0.7%)	102 (68.0%)	15 (10.0%)	26 (17.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (4.0%)	14.5	741^st of 891 public middle schools	16.8%		13.8	744^th of 893 public middle schools	16.7%	3	0.0	0.0	6.6	0.0	2.3	26.3	26.3	14.8	4.5	37.8	30.8	25.6	$22,516	$10,558	$11,958
Richard Allen Preparatory Charter School	Public, Charter	5-9	2601 S 58th St	Philadelphia	19143	Philadelphia County	Richard Allen Preparatory Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(215) 878-1544	414	30	13.8	96.9%	1 (0.2%)	385 (93.0%)	7 (1.7%)	13 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.9%)	10.9	780^th of 891 public middle schools	12.5%		10.8	784^th of 893 public middle schools	12.2%	4	12.5	6.7	3.7	2.7	5.4	21.2	21.2	31.3	22.7	21.3	28.8	25.7	$19,383	$5,450	$13,933
Science Leadership Academy Middle School	Public	5-8	3610 Warren St	Philadelphia	19104	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-8320	359	19	18.6	100.0%	82 (22.8%)	226 (63.0%)	16 (4.5%)	21 (5.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.6%)	50.2	461^st of 891 public middle schools	48.3%		43.3	526^th of 893 public middle schools	41.1%	65	33.8	32.2	16.1	18.3	25.0	41.3	41.3	50.6	65.5	60.4	50.6	56.7	$15,922	$8,876	$7,046
Tilden William T Middle School	Public	5-8	6601 Elmwood Ave	Philadelphia	19142	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-8170	332	24	13.6	99.1%	7 (2.1%)	250 (75.3%)	45 (13.6%)	23 (6.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.1%)	7.1	849^th of 891 public middle schools	4.7%		6.1	872^nd of 893 public middle schools	2.4%	23	4.5	5.3	1.4	1.2	2.5	10.8	10.8	8.4	22.0	17.4	16.5	17.3	$19,659	$9,795	$9,864
Middle Years Alternative	Public	5-8	4725 Fairmont Ave	Philadelphia	19139	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-7720	171	12	13.9	100.0%	0 (0.0%)	144 (84.2%)	18 (10.5%)	6 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.8%)	29.6	619^th of 891 public middle schools	30.5%		28.8	626^th of 893 public middle schools	29.9%	7	18.2	7.7	4.9	20.0	13.0	46.7	46.7	33.3	26.9	19.5	46.6	33.8	$21,863	$12,538	$9,325
Young Scholars Charter School	Public, Charter	5-8	900 N Marshall St	Philadelphia	19123	Philadelphia County	Young Scholars Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(215) 232-9727	267	10	26.7	99.3%	5 (1.9%)	217 (81.3%)	3 (1.1%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (15.0%)	7.9	829^th of 891 public middle schools	7.0%		13.6	747^th of 893 public middle schools	16.3%	82		1.4	0.0	3.7	1.7	17.2	17.2		20.3	20.0	19.8	20.0	$21,977	$5,322	$16,656
Penn Wood Middle School	Public	7-8	121 Summit St	Darby	19023	Delaware County	William Penn School District	No	No	No	Yes	(610) 586-1804	683	53	12.8	100.0%	24 (3.5%)	589 (86.2%)	35 (5.1%)	9 (1.3%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (3.2%)	14.1	748^th of 891 public middle schools	16.0%		13.9	743^rd of 893 public middle schools	16.8%	5			7.1	7.4	7.2	20.3	20.3			25.3	31.1	28.5	$18,766	$834	$17,932
Beverly Hills Middle School	Public	6-8	1400 Garrett Rd	Upper Darby	19082	Delaware County	Upper Darby School District	No	No	No	Yes	(610) 626-9317	1,523	96	15.8	99.9%	55 (3.6%)	778 (51.1%)	309 (20.3%)	310 (20.4%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	69 (4.5%)	13.1	757^th of 891 public middle schools	15.0%		16.5	718^th of 893 public middle schools	19.6%	39		8.5	10.3	8.7	9.2	23.1	23.1		22.1	25.2	24.8	24.0	$14,312	$2,052	$12,261
Memphis Street Academy Charter School @ JP Jones	Public, Charter	5-8	2950 Memphis Street	Philadelphia	19134	Philadelphia County	Memphis Street Academy Charter School @ JP Jones	Yes	No	No	Yes	(215) 291-4709	538	29	18.3	100.0%	35 (6.5%)	177 (32.9%)	304 (56.5%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	19 (3.5%)	6.8	856^th of 891 public middle schools	3.9%		9	809^th of 893 public middle schools	9.4%	47	0.0	3.9	5.4	2.1	3.2	7.6	7.6	15.0	17.3	17.7	12.4	15.6	$19,795	$2,975	$16,821
John B Stetson Middle School	Public	5-8	3200 B St	Philadelphia	19134	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(215) 400-4000	630	22	28.1	99.5%	12 (1.9%)	122 (19.4%)	476 (75.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (2.7%)	5.5	873^rd of 891 public middle schools	2.0%		5.7	877^th of 893 public middle schools	1.8%	4	2.4	0.8	1.4	1.4	1.4	9.4	9.4	10.7	10.5	11.2	16.5	12.4

Frequently Asked Questions about Universal Vare Charter School

What is the racial makeup of Universal Vare Charter School?

Students at Universal Vare Charter School are 68% African American, 17% Asian, 10% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of Universal Vare Charter School attend?

Students who attend Universal Vare Charter School usually go on to attend Universal Audenried Charter School

How many students attend Universal Vare Charter School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 150 students attended Universal Vare Charter School.

What district is Universal Vare Charter School in?

Universal Vare Charter School

Is Universal Vare Charter School a good school?

Universal Vare Charter School ranks in the bottom 16.8% of Pennsylvania middle schools.

Rate Universal Vare Charter 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.