Is Academy at Palumbo a good school?

Yes! Academy at Palumbo is one of the best high schools in the state. It ranks 20 th of 686 Pennsylvania high schools.

How many students attend Academy at Palumbo?

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,188 students attended Academy at Palumbo.

What is the racial makeup of Academy at Palumbo?

Students at Academy at Palumbo are 36% Asian, 25% African American, 17% Hispanic, 16% White, 5% Two or more races.

Academy at Palumbo

Summary:

Academy at Palumbo is a public magnet high school located in Philadelphia, PA, serving 1,179 students in grades 9-12. This exceptional school consistently outperforms the Philadelphia City School District and the state of Pennsylvania on academic measures, ranking as high as 20th out of 686 Pennsylvania high schools in the 2023-2024 school year.

Academy at Palumbo's academic performance is truly impressive. In 2023-2024, 76.2% of 11th graders were proficient or better in Algebra I, compared to just 25.7% for the district and 41.6% for the state. In Literature, an astounding 94.7% of 11th graders were proficient or better, far exceeding the district's 51.9% and the state's 63.2%. The school's strong performance extends across various student subgroups, including ranking 1st out of 84 Pennsylvania high schools for English Language Learners and 5th out of 664 for low socioeconomic status students in 2023-2024.

While the Masterman Julia R Sec School, another high-performing magnet school, ranks 2nd out of 686 Pennsylvania high schools, Academy at Palumbo still outperforms it in several key metrics. The nearby Preparatory Charter School of Mathematics Science Technical and Careers and Mastery Charter High School-Lenfest Campus generally perform worse than Academy at Palumbo on academic measures, demonstrating the school's exceptional quality.

Detail:

Public, Magnet 9-12

1100 Catharine St
Philadelphia, PA 19147-2622

(215) 400-8130

District: Philadelphia City School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
20^th of 686 Pennsylvania High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,747

Student/teacher ratio: 18.8

Number of students: 1,188

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

36.1%

African American:

24.9%

Hispanic:

17.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 99.7%

See top rated Pennsylvania high schools

Compare Academy at Palumbo to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Academy at Palumbo ranks better than 97.1% of high schools in Pennsylvania. It also ranks 4^th among 54 ranked high schools in the Philadelphia City School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 94.58. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Academy at Palumbo who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

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

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Academy at Palumbo is diverse. Racial makeup is: Asian (36.1%), African American (24.9%), Hispanic (17.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 99.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Academy at Palumbo is 18.8. 51 high schools in the Philadelphia City School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Academy at Palumbo employs 63.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Academy at Palumbo is $14,747. 47 high schools in the Philadelphia City School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Academy at Palumbo:

SchoolDigger ranks Academy at Palumbo 20^th of 686 Pennsylvania public high schools. (See Academy at Palumbo in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

English Language Learner students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

Asian students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Philadelphia City School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Philadelphia City School District 494^th of 610 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Academy at Palumbo.

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Your rating for Academy at Palumbo?

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Rank History for Academy at Palumbo

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Rank History for all students at Academy at Palumbo

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile
2009	79.23	98^th	632	84.5%
2010	74.98	135^th	649	79.2%
2011	72.24	180^th	660	72.7%
2012	66.63	249^th	664	62.5%
2013	63.11	228^th	591	61.4%
2014	66.87	194^th	580	66.6%
2015	70.28	223^rd	680	67.2%
2016	85.11	45^th	677	93.4%
2017	81.87	89^th	663	86.6%
2018	81.97	87^th	673	87.1%
2019	87.54	41^st	693	94.1%
2021	44.46	379^th	537	29.4%
2022	81.89	92^nd	634	85.5%
2023	89.22	44^th	674	93.5%
2024	94.58	20^th	686	97.1%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Academy at Palumbo

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	83.11	26^th	150	82.7%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Academy at Palumbo

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	100.00	1^st	85	98.8%
2024	99.99	1^st	84	98.8%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Academy at Palumbo

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	96.25	11^th	652	98.3%
2024	99.06	5^th	664	99.2%

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

Rank History for Female students at Academy at Palumbo

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	91.07	33^rd	665	95.0%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Academy at Palumbo

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	93.49	33^rd	513	93.6%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Academy at Palumbo

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	96.68	8^th	662	98.8%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Academy at Palumbo

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	73.00	39^th	112	65.2%
2024	78.90	20^th	121	83.5%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Academy at Palumbo

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	92.55	15^th	260	94.2%
2024	98.01	7^th	284	97.5%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Academy at Palumbo

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	98.22	3^rd	252	98.8%
2024	96.97	10^th	274	96.4%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Academy at Palumbo

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	76.03	122^nd	577	78.9%
2024	96.07	13^th	595	97.8%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Pennsylvania Department 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 Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Contrary to it being touted as an academically high achieving school and the various rankings, when you look at the actual PA testing, academic performance, and standards, IT IS ONE OF THE MOST OVER-RATED AND UNDER-PERFORMING SCHOOLS n the Philly School District. In fact, the Pa. Department of Education, gives it a score of 67.8/100 in terms of meeting PA academic performance standards. Specifically, the school in 2013-2014, had a dismal academic performance rating of 27.32, in terms of science/biology and a extremely weak rating of 60.55, in terms of the SAT/ACT College Ready benchmark. The school also performs significantly below average in terms of advanced achievement across all PSSA/Keystone advanced standards. More recently, the PSD budget cuts have and continue to pose a problem for this school in terms of consistent teachers, and even having basic school needs such as counselors and a librarian. The school does NOT deserve the accolades, recognition, or other rankings as a top-performing school in Philly, especially where the actual Pa. Dept. of Education data, suggests otherwise. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Academy at Palumbo

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2007	23	76	8	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	116
2008	47	138	31	18	0	n/a	n/a	2	236
2009	72	189	56	31	0	n/a	n/a	3	351
2010	97	265	85	41	0	n/a	n/a	6	494
2011	112	277	112	55	1	0	10	0	567
2012	108	325	138	60	1	0	10	0	642
2013	113	367	153	61	4	0	18	0	716
2014	137	402	197	57	3	0	18	0	814
2015	129	407	219	71	3	0	28	0	857
2016	113	410	231	80	3	0	46	0	883
2017	113	414	242	82	4	0	45	0	900
2018	118	392	258	98	4	0	46	0	916
2019	128	462	301	112	5	0	53	0	1061
2020	149	429	330	101	5	0	47	0	1061
2021	167	410	375	114	2	0	33	0	1101
2022	169	377	402	126	3	0	40	0	1117
2023	196	338	433	156	3	0	53	0	1179
2024	193	296	429	205	4	0	61	0	1188

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 Academy at Palumbo

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	116	10.0	11.6	n/a
2008	236	12.3	19.2	n/a
2009	351	18.3	19.2	n/a
2010	494	24.1	20.4	51
2011	567	29.5	19.2	49.4
2012	642	28.0	22.8	48.3
2013	716	35.1	20.3	57.5
2014	814	37.0	22.0	61.5
2015	857	39.0	21.9	60.3
2016	883	13.0	67.9	100
2017	900	41.1	21.8	99.9
2018	916	21.4	42.8	100
2019	1061	29.4	36.0	100
2020	1061	26.8	39.4	99.8
2021	1101	29.4	37.3	99.7
2022	1117	27.3	40.8	99.7
2023	1179	52.4	22.5	99.7
2024	1188	63.1	18.8	99.7

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 Academy at Palumbo

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	116	10.0	11.6	n/a
2008	236	12.3	19.2	n/a
2009	351	18.3	19.2	n/a
2010	494	24.1	20.4	51
2011	567	29.5	19.2	49.4
2012	642	28.0	22.8	48.3
2013	716	35.1	20.3	57.5
2014	814	37.0	22.0	61.5
2015	857	39.0	21.9	60.3
2016	883	13.0	67.9	100
2017	900	41.1	21.8	99.9
2018	916	21.4	42.8	100
2019	1061	29.4	36.0	100
2020	1061	26.8	39.4	99.8
2021	1101	29.4	37.3	99.7
2022	1117	27.3	40.8	99.7
2023	1179	52.4	22.5	99.7
2024	1188	63.1	18.8	99.7

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 Academy at Palumbo

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,078 (9.5%)	$10,222 (90.5%)	$11,299
2020	$1,053 (9.0%)	$10,612 (91.0%)	$11,665
2021	$2,542 (20.4%)	$9,907 (79.6%)	$12,449
2022	$7,460 (50.6%)	$7,286 (49.4%)	$14,747

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Academy at Palumbo

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 41^st of 693 High schools	Ranks 44^th of 674 High schools	0.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade Algebra I (Academy at Palumbo)	82.6	72.7	9.9%
11th Grade Algebra I (Pennsylvania)	63.3	34.1	29.2%
11th Grade Biology (Academy at Palumbo)	84.7	61	23.7%
11th Grade Biology (Pennsylvania)	63.2	50.7	12.5%
11th Grade Literature (Academy at Palumbo)	96.3	92.7	3.6%
11th Grade Literature (Pennsylvania)	71.5	65.3	6.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1061	1179	11.1%
African American	462	338	26.8%
American Indian	5	3	40%
Asian	301	433	43.9%
Hispanic	112	156	39.3%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	128	196	53.1%
Two or More Races	53	53
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	99.7%	0.3%

Schools Near Academy at Palumbo

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Keystone Exams Algebra I (2024)	Keystone Exams Biology (2024)	Keystone Exams Literature (2024)	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	Keystone Exams Algebra I 11th Grade	Keystone Exams Biology 11th Grade	Keystone Exams Literature 11th Grade	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
Academy at Palumbo	Public, Magnet	9-12	1100 Catharine St	Philadelphia	19147	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(215) 400-8130	1,188	63	18.8	99.7%	193 (16.2%)	296 (24.9%)	205 (17.3%)	429 (36.1%)	4 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (5.1%)	94.6	20^th of 686 public high schools	97.1%		89.2	44^th of 674 public high schools	93.5%	24	76.2	75.4	94.7													$14,747	$7,461	$7,286
Creative and Performing Arts	Public, Magnet	9-12	901 S Broad St	Philadelphia	19147	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(215) 400-8140	654	37	17.8	100.0%	187 (28.6%)	312 (47.7%)	82 (12.5%)	35 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	37 (5.7%)	59.6	298^th of 686 public high schools	56.6%		69.8	208^th of 674 public high schools	69.1%	90	35.8	44.0	85.5													$15,352	$7,761	$7,591
National Constitution Center High School	Public	9-12	18 S 7th St	Philadelphia	19106	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-7850	398	26	15.3	100.3%	20 (5.0%)	254 (63.8%)	77 (19.3%)	22 (5.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (6.0%)	42.1	455^th of 686 public high schools	33.7%		30.2	508^th of 674 public high schools	24.6%	53	31.9	35.1	65.6													$15,899	$8,791	$7,108
Mastery Charter High School-Lenfest Campus	Public, Charter	7-12	35 S. 4th Street	Philadelphia	19106	Philadelphia County	Mastery Charter High School-Lenfest Campus	Yes	No	No	Yes	(215) 922-1902	634	40	15.9	100.0%	5 (0.8%)	480 (75.7%)	121 (19.1%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	24 (3.8%)	12.4	585^th of 686 public high schools	14.7%		6.1	627^th of 674 public high schools	7.0%	42	18.2	16.0	39.7			18.4	21.5	19.8	34.9	34.9			47.3	49.4	48.2	$21,565	$4,523	$17,042
Freire Charter School	Public, Charter	5-12	2027 Chestnut Street	Philadelphia	19103	Philadelphia County	Freire Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(215) 557-8555	953	83	11.4	99.7%	9 (0.9%)	857 (89.9%)	40 (4.2%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (4.4%)	26.2	526^th of 686 public high schools	23.3%		33.6	492^nd of 674 public high schools	27.0%	34	29.0	25.6	51.2	3.7	2.0	4.4	9.5	5.4	27.4	27.4	14.8	29.6	36.5	50.0	36.5	$18,243	$3,895	$14,348
Philadelphia Electrical & Technology Charter High School	Public, Charter	9-12	1709 Benjamin Franklin Parkway	Philadelphia	19103	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia Electrical & Technology Charter High School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(267) 514-1824	615	36	16.9	99.5%	26 (4.2%)	527 (85.7%)	32 (5.2%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (4.2%)	10.5	594^th of 686 public high schools	13.4%		11.2	595^th of 674 public high schools	11.7%	1	7.7	17.1	41.9													$3,089	$3,089	$00
South Philadelphia High School	Public	9-12	2101 S Broad St	Philadelphia	19148	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-8400	656	61	10.7	100.2%	51 (7.8%)	244 (37.2%)	250 (38.1%)	64 (9.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (7.2%)	7.4	624^th of 686 public high schools	9.0%		5.7	634^th of 674 public high schools	5.9%	10	8.0	14.7	34.7													$18,161	$9,563	$8,598
Furness Horace High School	Public	9-12	1900 S 3rd St	Philadelphia	19148	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-8300	822	59	14.0	100.0%	53 (6.4%)	146 (17.8%)	334 (40.6%)	258 (31.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	29 (3.5%)	11.6	590^th of 686 public high schools	14.0%		15	576^th of 674 public high schools	14.5%	14	17.5	20.4	34.6													$19,034	$10,341	$8,693
Preparatory Charter School of Mathematics Science Technical and Careers	Public, Charter	9-12	1928 Point Breeze Avenue	Philadelphia	19145	Philadelphia County	Preparatory Charter School of Mathematics Science Technical	Yes	No	No	Yes	(215) 334-6144	559	40	13.8		41 (7.3%)	390 (69.8%)	61 (10.9%)	39 (7.0%)	4 (0.7%)	18 (3.2%)	6 (1.1%)	24	542^nd of 686 public high schools	21.0%		26.7	524^th of 674 public high schools	22.3%	18	19.0	28.5	53.5													$2,673	$2,673	$00
Parkway Center City Middle College	Public, Magnet	9-12	540 N 13th Street	Philadelphia	19123	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(215) 400-7620	426	20	20.8	100.0%	13 (3.1%)	283 (66.4%)	73 (17.1%)	34 (8.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (5.2%)	77.8	134^th of 686 public high schools	80.5%		65.4	253^rd of 674 public high schools	62.5%	119	41.8	65.8	95.1													$21,009	$8,697	$12,312

Academy at Palumbo

Academy at Palumbo:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Philadelphia City School District:

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Academy at Palumbo

Rank History for all students at Academy at Palumbo

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Academy at Palumbo

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Academy at Palumbo

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Academy at Palumbo

Rank History for Female students at Academy at Palumbo

Rank History for Disabled students at Academy at Palumbo

Rank History for Male students at Academy at Palumbo

Rank History for Asian students at Academy at Palumbo

Rank History for African American students at Academy at Palumbo

Rank History for Hispanic students at Academy at Palumbo

Rank History for White students at Academy at Palumbo

Review counts

Enrollment information for Academy at Palumbo

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Academy at Palumbo

Student/Teacher Ratio Academy at Palumbo

Per Pupil Expenditures for Academy at Palumbo

Impact of COVID-19 on Academy at Palumbo

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Academy at Palumbo

Frequently Asked Questions about Academy at Palumbo

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