Andrew Jackson School (Philadelphia)

Andrew Jackson School (Federal Street School)
Andrew Jackson School, May 2010
Location School address: 1213 S. 12th St. Philadelphia, PA 19147
NRHP address: 1130-1148 Federal St., Philadelphia, Pa
Coordinates 39°56′05″N 75°09′48″W / 39.9347°N 75.1634°W / 39.9347; -75.1634Coordinates: 39°56′05″N 75°09′48″W / 39.9347°N 75.1634°W / 39.9347; -75.1634
Area 1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built 1924-1925
Built by Fennimore, B.
Architect Catharine, Irwin T.
Architectural style Late Gothic Revival, Other, Academic Gothic
MPS Philadelphia Public Schools TR
NRHP Reference # 86003294[1]
Added to NRHP December 1, 1986

Andrew Jackson School, previously Federal Street School,[2] is a public K-8 school located in the Passyunk Square neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is a part of the School District of Philadelphia.[3]

The historic school building was designed by Irwin T. Catharine and built in 1924-1925. It is a three-story, brick and limestone in the Late Gothic Revival-style. It features a projecting center two-story bay, projecting building ends with decorative brick panels, compound arched entrance, and a brick parapet.[4] The roof of the school includes a garden that is used by the local community. Melissa Wilde and Stephen Viscelli, both sociology professors (Wilde at University of Pennsylvania, Viscelli at Swarthmore College) married to one another and parents of Jackson students, gave the impetus to have the garden built by using their university connections. Mayor of Philadelphia Michael Nutter attended the garden's 2013 opening.[5]

History

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.[1]

Kristen Graham of the Piladelphia Inquirer wrote that circa 2009 the school had a "tough reputation", a previously smaller student body, and constant interaction with the police; it improved after Lisa Ciaranca Kaplan became the principal.[6]

In 2013 Albert Stumm of the Passyunk Post stated that by that year the school had "made great progress" due to actions from the principal, who was highly regarded by the parents; in addition improvement came from the efforts of the Passyunk Square Civic education committee and other neighborhood activists.[7]

In 2013 the school district passed a severe budget cut which would eliminate the nurse, security monitors, counselors, aides, and secretaries; as well as eliminating funding for the school's rock band and school supplies.[8] Stumm stated that there was still the possibility that "an 11th-hour solution" could prohibit the layoffs.[7]

Kaplan won the 2015 Escalante-Gradillas Prize for Best in Education. That year, real estate agents promoted residences within the Jackson attendance zone, using the school as a selling point.[6]

Student body

Circa 2009 Jackson had 230 students.[6] As of 2013 the school had 410 students, with almost all of them qualifying for free or reduced lunch, an indicator of poverty. As of that year the students spoke 14 languages.[8] By 2015 the student body had increased to 530, 30% of whom speak English as a second language, and 94% of whom live below the poverty line.[6]

Programs

The school's music program has a rock band, "Home," consisting of pupils.[9] As of 2013 it was known in the local area. The 2013 funding crisis caused the district to eliminate the budget for the band.[8] In 2015 the Wawa Foundation, the charity of Wawa Inc., donated $2,500 to the music program.[9]

As of 2011 the school has a summer school program that admits children from the surrounding area. Graham stated that it had "robust" attendance.[10]

Feeder patterns

Neighborhoods assigned to Jackson are also assigned to Furness High School.[11][12]

References

  1. 1 2 Staff (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. ↑ "Andrew Jackson School" (Archive). Pennsylvania Department of Transportation p. 2. Retrieved on November 28, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Andrew Jackson Elementary School Geographic Boundaries" (Archive). School District of Philadelphia. Retrieved on November 28, 2015.
  4. ↑ "National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania" (Searchable database). CRGIS: Cultural Resources Geographic Information System. Note: This includes B. Mintz (July 1986). "Pennsylvania Historic Resource Survey Form: Federal Street School" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-07-03.
  5. ↑ Chenevert, Bill. "Andrew Jackson School gets a green garden" (Archive). South Philly Review. November 27, 2013. Retrieved on November 29, 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Graham, Kristen A. "National principal of the year from Phila." (Archive). Philadelphia Inquirer. October 28, 2015. Retrieved on November 28, 2015.
  7. 1 2 Stumm, Albert. "South Philly School ends up in the N.Y. Times for all the wrong reasons" (Archive). Passyunk Post. June 18, 2013. Retrieved on November 28, 2015.
  8. 1 2 3 Trip, Gabriel. "Budget Cuts Reach Bone for Philadelphia Schools" (Archive). The New York Times. June 17, 2013. Print: p. A9. Retrieved on November 28, 2015.
  9. 1 2 Gigliotti, Gianna and Joe Tressa. "Jackson school receives welcoming donation" (Archive). South Philly Review. June 26, 2014. Retrieved on November 29, 2015.
  10. ↑ Graham, Kristen A. "Attendance uneven at district's $18 million summer school programs" (Archive). Philadelphia Inquirer. July 11, 2011. Retrieved on November 29, 2015.
  11. ↑ "A Directory of High Schools for 2009 Admissions" (Archive). School District of Philadelphia. p. 15 (PDF p/ 17/40). Accessed November 6, 2008.
  12. ↑ "Horace Furness High School Geographic Boundaries" (Archive). School District of Philadelphia. Retrieved on October 4, 2011.

External links


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