Philadelphia Delays School Selection Process as Test Scores Lag
PHILADELPHIA — The School District of Philadelphia has postponed its school selection process, telling families to wait for official state test scores before completing applications for next school year.
The district said the delay ensures families have verified 2026 assessment data when making school choices. Scores from the 2025-26 PSSA and Keystone exams have been delayed at the state level, leaving educators and families in limbo.
District officials received preliminary PSSA results in June but chose not to release them, opting instead to wait for the state to review and publish official scores, expected sometime this fall.
Students applying to criteria-based schools will use both their 2025 assessment results and the official 2026 data. Once verified scores are released, district staff will contact applicants to help submit them. Families do not need to take any action on 2026 scores right now, the district said.
The district also announced changes for this admissions cycle. Only final grades in English language arts, math and science will count toward eligibility. Grades in social studies, writing and other subjects will not be considered.
Students who attended the district’s summer career and technical education program will get priority when applying to career and technical programs for the 2027-28 school year.
The delay lands in the middle of school selection season, when thousands of Philadelphia students apply to selective and special-admission schools across the city.
