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Honest take: what's the hardest part about being a student at Dobbins AVT HS?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
581
High
DISTRICT 689 · STATE 738
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·PHILADELPHIA CITY SD·NCES 421899003841
Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School
2150 West Lehigh Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19132 · (215) 400-7050 · Philadelphia County
GRADES 09–12HIGH11-CITYTITLE ICAREER AND TECHNICAL SCHOOL581 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
13.8:1
42 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 18.7:1 · STATE 12.8:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
132%
769 students
DISTRICT 99% · STATE 75%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade
Student demographics
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
PSSA + Keystone 2024-25 . % Proficient or AdvancedEnglish Language Arts
12.9%
PA avg 51.1% . -2.4pp since 2023
Math
3.7%
PA avg 43.0% . +3.1pp since 2023
What this means: On the PSSA + Keystone, Pennsylvania's statewide test, about 13 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 4 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Pennsylvania schools, those numbers are about 51 and 43. Reading and writing scores are down about 2 points since 2023, while math scores are up about 3 points.
Source: PSSA + Keystone. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
7-year change
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
581
-16 (-3%) vs 2017
Student : Teacher
13.8:1
was 20.3:1
% White
1%
was 1%
% Hispanic
8%
was 7%
% Black
89%
was 90%
% Asian
0%
was 0%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
About Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School
Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School, a close-knit senior high in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, one of the schools within Philadelphia City SD, educates 581 students, covering grades 9 through 12. Enrollment runs roughly 21% leaner than the state mean of about 738.
Philadelphia City SD runs 220 schools in total, collectively educating 116,230 students. Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School is one of those campuses.
On demographics, Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School logs that nearly all students (89%) are Black; the rest reads as 8% Hispanic, 2% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 39% Black, putting the school's mix visibly more Black than the area baseline.
In terms of school funding signals, The school currently runs with 42 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 13.8:1. That figure is higher than the state norm's 12.8:1 average. About 132% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. That share is above Philadelphia County's rate of about 95%.
Zooming out to the county, Philadelphia County reports that median household earnings sit near $61,953, roughly 35% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 17% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Philadelphia County runs 309 public schools (combined enrollment of about 182,005 students), of which Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School is one.
Nearest neighbor: Peirce Thomas M Sch, around 0.3 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools.
The school occupies a downtown site.
Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count fell 3%: 597 students in 2018 compared to 581 in 2025. Class-load math has pulled in: from 20.3:1 in 2018 to 13.8:1 in 2025.
On the community side, posts here usually surface around science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.
Philadelphia County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
1,579,706
Census ACS
Median income
$61,953
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
35%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
17%
Below federal line
Schools in county
309
182,005 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Philadelphia City SD
- Northeast HSHigh · 3,463 students
- Lincoln HSHigh · 2,472 students
- Central HSHigh · 2,329 students
- Northeast Community Propel AcademyElementary · 1,783 students
- Mayfair SchElementary · 1,763 students
- Washington George HSHigh · 1,755 students
Other schools in Philadelphia
- Northeast HSHigh · 3,463 students
- Philadelphia Performing Arts CSCombined · 2,572 students
- Lincoln HSHigh · 2,472 students
- Central HSHigh · 2,329 students
- MaST Community CS IICombined · 1,875 students
- First Philadelphia Preparatory CSCombined · 1,831 students
Nearby schools
- Peirce Thomas M Sch0.3 mi · 270
- KIPP Philadelphia CS0.5 mi · 861
- KIPP North Philadelphia CS0.5 mi · 683
- Wright Richard R Sch0.7 mi · 242
- Dick William Sch0.7 mi · 343
- Frederick Douglass Mastery CS0.7 mi · 528
Frequently asked questions
About Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High SchoolHow many students attend Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School?
Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School enrolls approximately 581 students in grades 09-12.
Is Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School an elementary, middle, or high school?
Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School is a high school covering grades 09-12.
How many teachers does Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School have?
Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School employs 42 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 13.8:1.
What is the student diversity at Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School?
Student demographics at Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School are roughly 1% White, 8% Hispanic, 89% Black, 0% Asian, 2% Two or more.
What district is Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School in?
Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical High School is part of Philadelphia City SD.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.