Fels Samuel HS

Fels Samuel HS is one of the big secondary schools in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, overseen by Philadelphia City SD, with 1,255 students on its rolls from grades 9 through 12. That puts it 70% bigger than the typical public school in Pennsylvania, which averages around 738 students.

Across the 220 schools in Philadelphia City SD (116,230 students total), Fels Samuel HS accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Demographically, Fels Samuel HS lists that 42% of students identify as Black, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. The remainder consists of 41% Hispanic, 7% Asian, 4% multiracial, 3% White. That mix tracks the wider county fairly closely.

In terms of school funding signals, Fels Samuel HS lists 79 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 16.0:1. The state averages around 12.8:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. Around 98% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, often used as a Title I proxy.

After controlling for student poverty, Fels Samuel HS is in the bottom 10% of Pennsylvania public schools. The BeatsExpectations model predicts schools with this FRL share to land around 35.4%; Fels Samuel HS posts 15.4%, -20.0 points below that line.

Across the wider county, ACS estimates for Philadelphia County put the typical household earns roughly $61,953 per year, 35% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 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 Fels Samuel HS is one.

The closest other public school is Carnell Laura H Sch, roughly 0.5 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Fels Samuel HS ranks 6th on composite proficiency, below the local average of 23.1%.

The school occupies a downtown site.

Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Fels Samuel HS has rose 32%, going from 948 students in 2018 to 1,255 in 2025. The Black share of enrollment edged down from 61% to 42% over that span. Class-load math has narrowed: from 17.0:1 in 2018 to 16.0:1 in 2025.

On the community side, recent activity here tends to focus on science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.