Kensington High School

Summary:

Kensington High School is a public high school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, serving 459 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Philadelphia City School District, which is ranked 494 out of 610 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Kensington High School has consistently ranked in the bottom 10% of Pennsylvania high schools, with a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Kensington High School significantly underperforms compared to the district and state on standardized tests, with only 7.7% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in Keystone Exams/Algebra I, compared to 25.7% for the district and 41.6% for the state. The school's 4-year graduation rate of 87.5% is on par with nearby schools, but its dropout rate of 1.6% is higher than the state average. The school's performance varies across student subgroups, ranking in the top 50% for English Language Learners but in the bottom 10% for African American, Hispanic, and low-income students.

Kensington High School is located near several other high schools, including The Linc, Kensington Creative & Performing Arts High School, and Penn Treaty School, which generally perform better than Kensington High School. Additionally, two nearby magnet schools, High School of Engineering & Science and Bodine William W High School, significantly outperform Kensington High School, suggesting that specialized programs and selective admissions can contribute to better outcomes.

Detail:

Public 9-12

2501 Coral St
Philadelphia, PA 19125

(215) 400-7700

District: Philadelphia City School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
632^nd of 686 Pennsylvania High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $22,321

Feeder schools for Kensington High School:

Elementary:	Brown Henry A School
	Hartranft John F School
	Hunter William High School
	McKinley William School
	More...
	Richmond School
	Sheridan School
	Webster School
	Welsh John School
	Willard Frances E School
Middle:	Memphis Street Academy Charter School @ JP Jones

Student/teacher ratio: 10.6

Number of students: 460

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

53.0%

African American:

31.1%

White:

8.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100.2%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Kensington High School ranks worse than 92.1% of high schools in Pennsylvania. It also ranks 34^th among 54 ranked high schools in the Philadelphia City School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 5.91. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Kensington High School 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 Racial makeup is: Hispanic (53%), African American (31.1%), White (8.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 100.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Kensington High School is 10.6, which is the 9^th best among 54 high schools in the Philadelphia City School District. (See more...)

Compare Kensington High School employs 43 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Kensington High School is $22,321, which is the 7^th highest among 54 high schools in the Philadelphia City School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Kensington High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Kensington High School 632^nd of 686 Pennsylvania public high schools. (See Kensington High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

Philadelphia City School District:

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

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Kensington High School

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Rank History for all students at Kensington High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile
2019	1.20	674^th	693	2.7%
2022	4.06	606^th	634	4.4%
2023	8.07	613^th	674	9.1%
2024	5.91	632^nd	686	7.9%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania High School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Kensington High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	19.96	85^th	85	0.0%
2024	44.80	42^nd	84	50.0%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Kensington High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	13.35	577^th	652	11.5%
2024	7.84	619^th	664	6.8%

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

Rank History for Female students at Kensington High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	3.64	642^nd	665	3.5%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Kensington High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	15.27	474^th	502	5.6%
2024	34.07	317^th	513	38.2%

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

Rank History for Male students at Kensington High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	8.77	598^th	662	9.7%

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

Rank History for African American students at Kensington High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	23.93	204^th	260	21.5%
2024	16.15	246^th	284	13.4%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Kensington High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	16.03	216^th	252	14.3%
2024	15.99	239^th	274	12.8%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Hispanic 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:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Kensington High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2017	52	181	10	352	0	0	21	616
2018	48	155	10	330	0	0	15	558
2019	41	164	9	317	0	0	12	543
2020	41	129	10	294	0	0	20	494
2021	41	136	8	272	1	0	17	475
2022	40	137	7	269	2	0	19	474
2023	36	135	6	254	1	0	27	459
2024	39	143	6	244	1	2	25	460

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 Kensington High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	616	46.2	13.3	99.8
2018	558	39.8	14.0	99.6
2019	543	38.8	13.9	100
2020	494	44.6	11.0	100
2021	475	43.7	10.8	99.4
2022	474	41.2	11.4	99.4
2023	459	45.0	10.2	100
2024	460	43.0	10.6	100.2

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 Kensington High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	616	46.2	13.3	99.8
2018	558	39.8	14.0	99.6
2019	543	38.8	13.9	100
2020	494	44.6	11.0	100
2021	475	43.7	10.8	99.4
2022	474	41.2	11.4	99.4
2023	459	45.0	10.2	100
2024	460	43.0	10.6	100.2

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 Kensington High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$2,787 (16.8%)	$13,789 (83.2%)	$16,576
2020	$3,838 (20.2%)	$15,188 (79.8%)	$19,026
2021	$5,300 (26.5%)	$14,664 (73.5%)	$19,963
2022	$11,883 (53.2%)	$10,438 (46.8%)	$22,321

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Kensington High 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 674^th of 693 High schools	Ranks 613^th of 674 High schools	6.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade Algebra I (Kensington High School)	11	4.7	6.3%
11th Grade Algebra I (Pennsylvania)	63.3	34.1	29.2%
11th Grade Biology (Kensington High School)	4.3	11.9	7.6%
11th Grade Biology (Pennsylvania)	63.2	50.7	12.5%
11th Grade Literature (Kensington High School)	9.3	36.5	27.2%
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	543	459	15.5%
African American	164	135	17.7%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	9	6	33.3%
Hispanic	317	254	19.9%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	41	36	12.2%
Two or More Races	12	27	125%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	100%

Schools Near Kensington High School

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 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 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
Kensington High School	Public	9-12	2501 Coral St	Philadelphia	19125	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-7700	460	43	10.6	100.2%	39 (8.5%)	143 (31.1%)	244 (53.0%)	6 (1.3%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	25 (5.4%)	5.9	632^nd of 686 public high schools	7.9%		8.1	613^th of 674 public high schools	9.1%	19	7.7	13.0	29.9											$22,321	$11,883	$10,438
Kensington Health Sciences	Public	9-12	2463 Emerald St	Philadelphia	19125	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-3609	449	39	11.5	100.0%	33 (7.3%)	77 (17.1%)	320 (71.3%)	7 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.7%)	14.8	580^th of 686 public high schools	15.5%		8.4	611^th of 674 public high schools	9.3%	31	6.3	17.2	50.5											$18,177	$10,429	$7,748
Kensington Creative & Performing Arts High School	Public	9-12	1901 N. Front St	Philadelphia	19122	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-7400	499	39	12.9	100.0%	27 (5.4%)	170 (34.1%)	274 (54.9%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.8%)	5.9	630^th of 686 public high schools	8.2%		6.4	619^th of 674 public high schools	8.2%	11	1.1	1.2	38.6											$18,712	$10,101	$8,611
Penn Treaty School	Public	6-12	600 E Thompson St	Philadelphia	19125	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-3800	426	45	9.4	100.0%	98 (23.0%)	158 (37.1%)	140 (32.9%)	4 (0.9%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.6%)	3.6	658^th of 686 public high schools	4.1%		4.9	644^th of 674 public high schools	4.5%	14	6.5	7.5	16.7	6.9	0.0	3.3	3.1	9.7	9.7	32.3	25.0	18.7	25.5	$22,939	$11,693	$11,247
Mastbaum Jules E Area Vocational-Technical School	Public	9-12	3116 Frankford Avenue	Philadelphia	19134	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-7220	588	49	12.0	100.0%	27 (4.6%)	254 (43.2%)	265 (45.1%)	10 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (5.4%)	7.2	626^th of 686 public high schools	8.7%		8.8	608^th of 674 public high schools	9.8%	18	6.0	21.1	28.6											$11,562	$6,455	$5,107
The U School: Innovative Lab	Public	9-12	2000 N 7th St	Philadelphia	19122	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-7450	203	18	11.2	100.0%	4 (2.0%)	154 (75.9%)	36 (17.7%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.4%)	9	608^th of 686 public high schools	11.4%		7.2	618^th of 674 public high schools	8.3%	10	1.9	16.3	41.2											$21,952	$11,334	$10,618
Bodine William W High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	1101 N 4th St	Philadelphia	19123	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(215) 400-7630	464	30	15.4	100.0%	57 (12.3%)	185 (39.9%)	113 (24.4%)	74 (15.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	34 (7.3%)	82.5	95^th of 686 public high schools	86.2%		48.9	389^th of 674 public high schools	42.3%	294	52.9	63.3	91.6											$16,694	$8,688	$8,006
Philadelphia Military Academy at Elverson	Public, Magnet	9-12	2118-2160 N 13th Street	Philadelphia	19122	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(215) 400-7420	316	23	13.7	100.3%	9 (2.8%)	201 (63.6%)	90 (28.5%)	4 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.8%)	5.9	631^st of 686 public high schools	8.0%		5.9	630^th of 674 public high schools	6.5%	1	1.6	7.4	36.7											$17,363	$9,005	$8,357
Technical Freire Charter School	Public, Charter	9-12	2221 North Broad Street	Philadelphia	19132	Philadelphia County	Technical Freire Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(267) 507-1111	489	41	11.9	99.4%	1 (0.2%)	441 (90.2%)	27 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.7%)	17.1	570^th of 686 public high schools	16.9%		12.1	587^th of 674 public high schools	12.9%	17	15.6	22.9	47.7											$20,101	$4,478	$15,623
The Linc	Public	9-12	122 W Erie Ave	Philadelphia	19140	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-3940	226	17	13.2	100.0%	9 (4.0%)	83 (36.7%)	121 (53.5%)	4 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.0%)	4.3	646^th of 686 public high schools	5.8%		4.6	646^th of 674 public high schools	4.2%		8.1	8.8	22.2											$22,593	$13,600	$8,994

Frequently Asked Questions about Kensington High School

What is the racial makeup of Kensington High School?

Students at Kensington High School are 53% Hispanic, 31% African American, 8% White, 5% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

How many students attend Kensington High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 460 students attended Kensington High School.

What district is Kensington High School in?

Philadelphia City School District

What schools feed into Kensington High School?

Kensington High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Brown Henry A School
Elementary : Hartranft John F School
Elementary : Hunter William High School
Elementary : McKinley William School
Elementary : Richmond School
Elementary : Sheridan School
Elementary : Webster School
Elementary : Welsh John School
Elementary : Willard Frances E School
Middle : Memphis Street Academy Charter School @ JP Jones

Is Kensington High School a good school?

Kensington High School ranks in the bottom 7.9% of Pennsylvania high schools.

Rate Kensington High 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.