Vaux HS: A Big Picture School

Summary:

Vaux HS: A Big Picture School is a public high school located in Philadelphia, PA, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 270 students. The school is part of the Philadelphia City School District, which is ranked 494 out of 610 districts in Pennsylvania and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Vaux HS consistently ranks among the lowest-performing high schools in Pennsylvania, with significantly below-average proficiency rates on Keystone Exams in Algebra I, Biology, and Literature. The school's four-year graduation rate has ranged from 68.6% to 87.5% in recent years, lower than the district and state averages, and its dropout rate has been between 1.6% and 5.9%. Vaux HS serves a student population that is predominantly African American and from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 98.89% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in 2022-2023.

Interestingly, several nearby magnet schools, such as High School of Engineering & Science, Franklin LC, Masterman Julia R Sec School, and Parkway Center City Middle College, significantly outperform Vaux HS on academic measures, graduation rates, and test scores, suggesting that the school's challenges may be related to the specific needs of its student population. Targeted interventions and the implementation of effective practices from these higher-performing schools could potentially help improve Vaux HS's academic outcomes and overall performance.

Detail:

Public 9-12

2300 W Master St
Philadelphia, PA 19121

(267) 687-1172

District: Philadelphia City School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
668^th of 686 Pennsylvania High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $22,407

Feeder schools for Vaux HS: A Big Picture School:

Elementary:	Blaine James G School
	Kelley William D School
	Meade Gen George C School
	Morris Robert School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.1

Number of students: 270

Racial breakdown:

African American:

91.9%

Hispanic:

4.1%

Two or more races:

3.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 98.9%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Vaux HS: A Big Picture School ranks worse than 97.4% of high schools in Pennsylvania. It also ranks 49^th among 54 ranked high schools in the Philadelphia City School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 2.66. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Vaux HS: A Big Picture 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: African American (91.9%), Hispanic (4.1%), two or more races (3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 98.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Philadelphia City School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Vaux HS: A Big Picture School is 13.1, which is the 20^th best among 54 high schools in the Philadelphia City School District. (See more...)

Compare Vaux HS: A Big Picture School employs 20.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Vaux HS: A Big Picture School is $22,407, which is the 6^th highest among 54 high schools in the Philadelphia City School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Vaux HS: A Big Picture School:

SchoolDigger ranks Vaux HS: A Big Picture School 668^th of 686 Pennsylvania public high schools. (See Vaux HS: A Big Picture School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

African American students:

Philadelphia City School District:

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

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Rank History for Vaux HS: A Big Picture School

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Rank History for all students at Vaux HS: A Big Picture School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile
2021	0.76	537^th	537	0.0%
2022	2.49	627^th	634	1.1%
2023	3.07	667^th	674	1.0%
2024	2.66	668^th	686	2.6%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Vaux HS: A Big Picture School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	4.02	646^th	664	2.7%

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

Rank History for Female students at Vaux HS: A Big Picture School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	4.29	633^rd	665	4.8%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Vaux HS: A Big Picture School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	13.11	494^th	502	1.6%
2024	14.18	490^th	513	4.5%

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

Rank History for Male students at Vaux HS: A Big Picture School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	1.60	658^th	662	0.6%

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

Rank History for African American students at Vaux HS: A Big Picture School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	9.29	257^th	260	1.2%
2024	12.85	260^th	284	8.5%

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

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Enrollment information for Vaux HS: A Big Picture School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Two or More Races	Total
2019	3	196	0	6	0	5	210
2020	0	294	1	7	0	8	310
2021	0	340	0	6	0	7	353
2022	0	306	1	10	2	10	329
2023	1	248	0	11	2	8	270

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 Vaux HS: A Big Picture School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2019	210	5.5	38.1	100
2020	310	9.0	34.3	100
2021	353	12.8	27.5	99.2
2022	329	14.3	22.8	99.1
2023	270	20.6	13.1	98.9

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 Vaux HS: A Big Picture School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2019	210	5.5	38.1	100
2020	310	9.0	34.3	100
2021	353	12.8	27.5	99.2
2022	329	14.3	22.8	99.1
2023	270	20.6	13.1	98.9

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 Vaux HS: A Big Picture School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,942 (16.1%)	$10,099 (83.9%)	$12,041
2020	$1,853 (15.2%)	$10,325 (84.8%)	$12,178
2021	$2,612 (13.8%)	$16,319 (86.2%)	$18,931
2022	$9,177 (41.0%)	$13,229 (59.0%)	$22,407

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Vaux HS: A Big Picture 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.

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	210	270	28.6%
African American	196	248	26.5%
American Indian	0	2
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	6	11	83.3%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	3	1	66.7%
Two or More Races	5	8	60%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	98.9%	1.1%

Schools Near Vaux HS: A Big Picture 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 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
Vaux HS: A Big Picture School	Public	9-12	2300 W Master St	Philadelphia	19121	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(267) 687-1172	270	21	13.1	98.9%	1 (0.4%)	248 (91.9%)	11 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.0%)	2.7	668^th of 686 public high schools	2.6%		3.1	667^th of 674 public high schools	1.0%	1	3.3	1.7	20.7													$22,407	$9,177	$13,229
High School of Engineering & Science	Public, Magnet	7-12	1600 W Norris St	Philadelphia	19121	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(215) 400-7380	897	52	17.3	100.0%	77 (8.6%)	521 (58.1%)	102 (11.4%)	138 (15.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	58 (6.5%)	78.4	125^th of 686 public high schools	81.8%		78.5	123^rd of 674 public high schools	81.8%	2	47.5	66.3	82.4			81.8	32.7	46.8	74.5	74.5			95.5	74.5	80.5	$16,165	$8,238	$7,927
YouthBuild Phila Charter School	Public, Charter	12	1231 N Broad St 5th floor	Philadelphia	19122	Philadelphia County	Youth Build Phila Charter School	Yes	No	No	No	(215) 627-8671	219	11	19.9	100.0%	2 (0.9%)	196 (89.5%)	14 (6.4%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.3%)								(n/a)																$61,010	$20,813	$40,198
Franklin LC	Public, Magnet	9-12	616 N 15th St	Philadelphia	19130	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(215) 400-7570	881	53	16.5	99.7%	56 (6.4%)	436 (49.5%)	254 (28.8%)	97 (11.0%)	3 (0.3%)	3 (0.3%)	32 (3.6%)	51.6	376^th of 686 public high schools	45.2%		53.6	351^st of 674 public high schools	47.9%	25	25.1	45.8	77.9													$16,434	$8,650	$7,784
Masterman Julia R Sec School	Public, Magnet	5-12	1699 Spring Garden St	Philadelphia	19130	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	Yes	No	No	(215) 400-7580	1,186	54	22.0	100.0%	485 (40.9%)	213 (18.0%)	91 (7.7%)	293 (24.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	102 (8.6%)	99.1	2^nd of 686 public high schools	99.7%		98.7	2^nd of 674 public high schools	99.7%		98.2	99.1	100.0	94.8	79.3	72.2	93.4	84.4	97.9	97.9	99.3	87.3	92.1	99.5	94.3	$15,137	$7,658	$7,480
Science Leadership Academy	Public, Magnet	9-12	1482 Green St	Philadelphia	19130	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(215) 979-5620	497	27	18.2	100.0%	186 (37.4%)	146 (29.4%)	80 (16.1%)	54 (10.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	30 (6.0%)	94.9	18^th of 686 public high schools	97.4%		93.1	22^nd of 674 public high schools	96.7%	4	81.0	74.4	95.0													$16,357	$8,617	$7,740
Franklin Benjamin High School	Public	9-12	550 N Broad St	Philadelphia	19130	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-7600	466	43	10.9	100.0%	10 (2.1%)	328 (70.4%)	93 (20.0%)	16 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.1%)	3.2	662^nd of 686 public high schools	3.5%		4.3	648^th of 674 public high schools	3.9%	14	4.8	7.9	17.6													$20,117	$10,634	$9,483
Strawberry Mansion High School	Public	9-12	3133 Ridge Ave	Philadelphia	19132	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-7500	203	20	10.0	100.0%	1 (0.5%)	190 (93.6%)	8 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.0%)	1.8	680^th of 686 public high schools	0.9%		3.3	663^rd of 674 public high schools	1.6%	17	0.0	0.0	11.1													$26,365	$12,983	$13,382
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	436	19	22.5	100.0%	10 (2.3%)	305 (70.0%)	66 (15.1%)	31 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (5.3%)	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
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	461	41	11.2		2 (0.4%)	410 (88.9%)	28 (6.1%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.5%)	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

Frequently Asked Questions about Vaux HS: A Big Picture School

What district is Vaux HS: A Big Picture School in?

Philadelphia City School District

Is Vaux HS: A Big Picture School a good school?

Vaux HS: A Big Picture School ranks in the bottom 2.6% of Pennsylvania high schools.

What schools feed into Vaux HS: A Big Picture School?

Vaux HS: A Big Picture School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Blaine James G School
Elementary : Kelley William D School
Elementary : Meade Gen George C School
Elementary : Morris Robert School

What is the racial makeup of Vaux HS: A Big Picture School?

Students at Vaux HS: A Big Picture School are 92% African American, 4% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

How many students attend Vaux HS: A Big Picture School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 270 students attended Vaux HS: A Big Picture 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.