Philadelphia Schools Reenrolled 720 Students Just Before Funding Count

PHILADELPHIA — Just before an Oct. 1 deadline to report enrollment to the state for funding purposes, the School District of Philadelphia put about 720 students back on school rosters. Some had moved out of the country months earlier and had not attended a single class this year.

The reenrollment came as the district faced lower-than-projected enrollment citywide. District schools were 4,236 students under projected enrollment as of Sept. 17, according to internal documents obtained by the Inquirer, which first reported the story Oct. 6.

It followed an extraordinary push last month in which Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. had school and central-office staff, including assistant superintendents, knocking on doors to try to get pupils back.

Several principals told the Inquirer they received emails from the district’s office of student enrollment and placement saying students were being added back to their rolls. In many cases, families had already told the schools the children would no longer attend.

Two days after the Inquirer story, the district said the 720 students had been “inappropriately dropped” because they lacked supporting documentation, PhillyVoice reported. The district said it takes the accuracy of its enrollment data seriously.

“Dropping out of school is a life or death issue for many children,” Watlington said in a statement, adding that the district is committed to enforcing the rules and improving data accuracy.

The Office of Student Enrollment and Placement said it would continue working with principals to follow district processes and prevent withdrawal errors.

The Oct. 1 count matters because enrollment drives state funding, giving districts a financial stake in every student on the rolls when the numbers are reported to the Pennsylvania Department of Education.