All students learn and thrive!
- 2 teachers in each K-2 classroom
- Loving, safe and supportive community
- Rigorous academics
- Students prepared for high school and life after graduation
- Clubs, sports & more
Still Accepting Applications for 2022-2023!
Call or text the Mastery Welcome Team: 267-854-0330
- Available 9am-3pm Monday-Friday.
- If you need to call after hours, leave a message and a member of the team will return your call within 48 hours.
Ways to Apply
Our schools are free, public charter schools serving grades K-12. There are four simple ways to apply today!
Students must be 5 years of age on or before September 1st to start Kindergarten
(i.e. For K in SY23-24, your child should be born between Sept 2, 2017 and Sept 1, 2018)
1. Online
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- You will be redirected to complete an online application.
- For more information about Apply Philly Charter click here.
- You will need an email address to apply online. If you don’t have one, you can apply in person at one of our schools.
- You will be redirected to complete an online application.
2. Over the Phone
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- Call the Apply Philly Charter helpline to submit an application by phone: 1 (800) 891-3999
3. Reach Out to Us!
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- Call or text the Mastery Welcome Team: 267-854-0330 Available 9am-3pm Monday-Friday. If you need to call after hours, leave a message and a member of the team will return your call within 48 hours.
4. In Person (Contact the school for availability)
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- Visit any campus in person to apply using our enrollment kiosks
Key Dates
9/23/22 | Application opens for school year 2023-2024.
1/23/23 | Application deadline for the lottery. For lottery schools, applications received after this date will be added to the waitlist.
2/8/23 | The lottery will be held.
2/10/23 | If you apply by the deadline of January 23, 2023 you will find out the results by February 10, 2022. Families will be notified of lottery results by phone, email and letter home.
2/24/23 | The PA common acceptance date is February 24, 2023.
Learn More About Our Schools
Admission to Mastery schools without a lottery is on a first-come, first-served basis and limited to students who live within the school’s attendance zone (catchment.) We give preference to students with siblings currently attending the school they are applying to.
Some of our schools also have neighborhood preferences. Those preferences are detailed below.
Primary
Clymer Elementary serves students in the Nicetown/Tioga area who live in the school’s attendance zone within the 19133 zip code.
Frederick Douglass Elementary serves students in North Philadelphia who live in the school’s attendance zone within the 19121 zip code.
The school cannot enroll students living outside of its attendance zone, even if they reside within the listed 19121 zip code.
Grover Cleveland Elementary serves students in the Nicetown/Tioga area who live in the school’s attendance zone within the 19140 zip code.
The school cannot enroll students living outside of its attendance zone, even if they reside within the listed 19140 zip code.
Any student living in Philadelphia is eligible to apply for the lottery at Hardy Williams Academy.
Harrity Elementary serves students in Southwest Philadelphia who live in the school’s attendance zone within the 19143 zip code.
The school cannot enroll students living outside of its attendance zone, even if they reside within the listed 19143 zip code.
Mann Elementary serves students in West Philadelphia who live in the school’s attendance zone within the 19131 zip code.
The school cannot enroll students living outside of its attendance zone, even if they reside within the listed 19131 zip code.
Pastorius-Richardson Elementary serves students in the Germantown community who live in the school’s attendance zones within the zip codes of 19144 and 19138.
The school cannot enroll students living outside of its attendance zone, even if they reside within the listed 19144 and 19138 zip codes.
Smedley Elementary serves students in the Frankford area who live in the school’s attendance zone within the 19124 zip code.
The school cannot enroll students living outside of its attendance zone, even if they reside within the listed 19124 zip code.
Any student living in Philadelphia is eligible to apply for the lottery at Thomas Elementary. First preference, however, is given to students living within the 19148 zip code, followed by students living within zip codes 19145, 19146, and 19147, followed by all other applicants.
This is so we can serve as a neighborhood school, per our charter.
John Wister Elementary serves students in the Germantown community who live in the school’s attendance zone within the 19144 zip code.
The school cannot enroll students living outside of its attendance zone, even if they reside within the listed 19144 zip code.
Secondary
Admission to Gratz Prep Middle School is first come, first served to students living in the Gratz High School attendance zone and students currently attending:
• Bethune
• Cleveland
• Clymer
• Duckrey
• Kenderton
• Steel
Students from schools not listed above and outside the Gratz attendance zone may also apply for the lottery, however they can only enroll if seats are available.
Any student living in Philadelphia is eligible to apply for the lottery at Hardy Williams Academy, however preference is given to current students at Harrity Elementary.
Any student living in Philadelphia is eligible to apply for the lottery at Lenfest Campus, however preference is given to current students at Smedley Elementary.
Any student living in Philadelphia is eligible to apply for the lottery at Pickett Campus, however preference is given to current students at John B. Kelly and Wister elementary schools, and students living in the 19144 zip code.
Any student living in Philadelphia is eligible to apply for the lottery at Shoemaker Campus, however preference is given to current students at Mann and Bluford elementary schools.
There is guaranteed enrollment at Simon Gratz High for students living in Gratz attendance zone and students attending:
• Cleveland
• Clymer
• Kenderton
• Bethune
• Duckrey
• Steel
Students from schools not listed above and outside the Gratz attendance zone may also apply for the lottery, however they can only enroll if seats are available.
Any student living in Philadelphia is eligible to apply for the lottery at Thomas Campus. First preference, however, is given to students living within the 19148 zip code, followed by students living within zip codes 19145, 19146, and 19147, followed by all other applicants. This is so we can serve as a neighborhood school, per our charter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Admission to Mastery schools without a lottery is on a first-come, first-served basis and limited to students who live within the school’s attendance zone (catchment.)
All students living in Philadelphia are eligible to enter the lottery for the following Mastery schools:
• Hardy Williams Elementary
• Hardy Williams High
• Lenfest Campus
• Mastery Prep Elementary
• Pickett Campus
• Shoemaker Campus
• Simon Gratz High
• Thomas Elementary
• Thomas Campus
Some of our schools have neighborhood preferences.
We also give preference to students with siblings currently attending the school they are applying to.
Students do not have to take an entrance exam or meet academic requirements to attend Mastery schools.
Mastery serves students in grades K-12.
There are 18 Mastery schools across Philadelphia. Click here to view the map. They are listed below in alphabetical order:
ELEMENTARY
Clymer Elementary | Grades K-6
1201 W. Rush St., Philadelphia, PA 19133 | 215-223-2243
Frederick Douglass Elementary | Grades K-8
2118 W. Norris St., Philadelphia, PA 19121 | 215-684-5063
Grover Cleveland Elementary | Grades K-8
3701 N. 19th St., Philadelphia, PA 19140 | 215-227-5042
Hardy Williams Elementary | Grades K-6
5400 Warrington Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19143 | 215-724-2343
Harrity Elementary | Grades K-8
5601 Christian St., Philadelphia, PA 19143 | 215-471-2908
John Wister Elementary | Grades K-5
67 E. Bringhurst St., Philadelphia, PA 19144 | 215-951-4003
Mann Elementary | Grades K-6
5376 W. Berks St., Philadelphia, PA 19131 | 215-581-5616
Mastery Prep Elementary | Grades K-6
1801 W. Pike St., Philadelphia, PA 19140 | 215-866-0067 Lottery school
Pastorius-Richardson Elementary | Grades K-8
5650 Sprague St., Philadelphia, PA 19138 | 215-951-5689
Smedley Elementary | Grades K-6
1790 Bridge St., Philadelphia, PA 19124 | 215-537-2523
Thomas Elementary | Grades K-6 Lottery school
814 Bigler St., Philadelphia, PA 19148 | 267-296-7000
SECONDARY
Gratz Prep Middle | Grades 7-8
1798 W. Hunting Park Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19140 | 215-227-4408
Hardy Williams High | Grades 7-12 Lottery school
5400 Warrington Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19143 | 267-499-2100
Lenfest Campus | Grades 7-12 Lottery school
35 S. 4th St., Philadelphia, PA 19106 | 215-922-1902
Pickett Campus | Grades 6-12 Lottery school
5700 Wayne Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19144 | 215-866-9000
Shoemaker Campus | Grades 7-12 Lottery school
5301 Media St., Philadelphia, PA 19131 | 267-296-7111
Simon Gratz High | Grades 9-12 *Lottery school
1798 W. Hunting Park Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19140 | 215-227-4408
Thomas Campus | Grades 7-12 Lottery school
927 Johnston St., Philadelphia, PA 19148 | 267-236-0036
* Seats are given first to students from the catchment.
Lottery is only conducted if there are still seats available.
No! All of our schools are free public schools.
There are four ways to apply to one of our schools:
1. Online here
2. In person at one of our schools
3. By phone: (800) 891-3999
4. Reach Out to Us!
- Our school teams are available to support you with the information you need to enroll
- Please call any of our schools and leave a message and a member of the team will return your call within 48 hours
For schools with a lottery, all applications will go through the lottery process to determine who receives an offer to enroll and who will be placed on the waitlist. Families admitted through the lottery will be notified and invited to complete the enrollment process.
9/23/22 | Application opens for school year 2023-2024.
1/23/23 | Application deadline for the lottery. For lottery schools, applications received after this date will be added to the waitlist.
2/8/23 | The lottery will be held.
2/10/23 | If you apply by the deadline of January 23, 2023 you will find out the results by February 10, 2022. Families will be notified of lottery results by phone, email and letter home.
2/24/23 | The PA common acceptance date is February 24, 2023.
For non-lottery schools, admission is first-come, first-served.
- Students in grades 1-6 at Prep Elementary, Hardy Williams Elementary and Mann our only elementary schools that serve children from across the entire city.
- Students with special needs, at their parent/guardian’s request.
Like all other public schools in Philadelphia, we do not provide bus transportation to kindergarten students.
Students in grades 1-12 receive free SEPTA TransPasses to commute to school if they live beyond 1.5 miles of the attending school.
All Mastery schools provide free breakfast and lunch.
This varies by school. Please contact the school that you are interested in for details.
This varies by school. Please contact the school that you are interested in for details.
Arrival and dismissal times vary by school, but all schools start between 7:30 – 8:05 a.m. the end between 3:10 – 3:15 p.m.
Combined, Mastery schools offer more than 200 extracurricular activities and enrichment programs, including basketball, cheerleading, student government and robotics. Activities vary by campus. Contact the Mastery school you are interested in for details about what they offer.
- All Mastery students are required to wear a uniform:
Polo shirt (short or long-sleeved) with school logo and color - Solid color pants, skirts, or knee-length shorts (for elementary schools only) in the school’s required color
- Belt (if necessary)
- Closed toe, flat soled shoes or sneakers
During the winter, students can wear sweaters and sweatshirts (including hoodies) with the Mastery logo.
The uniform color varies according by school choice. There are lots of opportunities for dress-down days. This varies by school.
Feel free to contact schools directly with questions.