William M. Meredith School

William M. Meredith School is a public K-8 school located in the Queen Village neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is a part of the School District of Philadelphia.[2]

William M. Meredith School
William M. Meredith School entrance detail, May 2010
Location725 S. 5th St.,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Coordinates39.9396°N 75.1510°W / 39.9396; -75.1510
Area1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built1930–1931
ArchitectIrwin T. Catharine
Architectural styleArt Deco
MPSPhiladelphia Public Schools TR
NRHP reference No.86003307[1]
Added to NRHPDecember 4, 1986
Entrance detail

Its historic school building was designed by Irwin T. Catharine and built in 1930–1931. It is a 16 bay, yellow, white, and brown brick building on a limestone base in the Art Deco-style. It features pronounced molded brick mullions, two Gothic arched entrances, and brick piers.[3]

History

Kristen M. Graham of the Philadelphia Inquirer wrote that Meredith had been "small and failing".[4] As a way of desegregating the school, the district opened an arts program.[4] It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.[1] Graham wrote that after the 1970s "Gradually, Meredith turned around."[4] In 2011 Graham wrote that Meredith was "small but high-achieving",[5] and the following year she stated that Meredith was one of "the district's stronger neighborhood schools".[6]

Circa 1993 Stuart Cooperstein became the principal, and he served in the position until 2008. Cooperstein stated in 2008 that the staff and teachers have a high level of devotion to students, and Graham wrote that the parent organization, which had financed the cafeteria's air conditioning system through fundraisers, was devoted. Graham added that the school had retained many of its art-related programs, including drama, music, and visual arts, despite budget cuts.[4]

In 2011 the district announced that it was cutting $30,370 ($34516.67 inflation-adjusted) from the school's budget. To prevent the elimination of support staff positions parents held a fundraiser: teachers raised about $5,000 ($5682.69 inflation-adjusted) and parents raised over $15,000 ($17048.08 inflation-adjusted) [5]

They won the National Blue Ribbon award in 2018.[7]

Student body

In 2017 the school had 517 students. Most of them originated from the surrounding area while some commuted from elsewhere. Graham described Meredith's student body as "diverse and stable with high attendance".[4] As of 2018 about 20% of the students are below the poverty line.[6]

Feeder patterns

Neighborhoods assigned to Meredith are also assigned to Furness High School.[8][9]

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References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. "William M. Meredith Elementary School Geographic Boundaries" (Archive). School District of Philadelphia. Retrieved on November 28, 2015.
  3. "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: William M. Meredith School" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-07-03.
  4. Graham, Kristen M. "A sad Meredith School moment Hugs and farewell to Mr. Cooperstein Pupils at the Queen Village school honor their beloved, retiring principal." (Archive). Philadelphia Inquirer. June 19, 2008. Retrieved on November 28, 2015.
  5. Graham, Kristen A. "Parents come to the rescue of a cherished public school" (Archive). Philadelphia Inquirer. December 8, 2011. Retrieved on November 28, 2015.
  6. Graham, Kristen A. "Organizers raise funds to offer free summer school" (Archive). Philadelphia Inquirer. July 12, 2012. Retrieved on November 28, 2015.
  7. "#TwoBlue: Greenfield, Meredith Schools Named National Blue Ribbon Schools – The School District of Philadelphia". Retrieved 2019-10-03.
  8. "A Directory of High Schools for 2009 Admissions" (Archive). School District of Philadelphia. p. 15 (PDF p/ 17/40). Accessed November 6, 2008.
  9. "Horace Furness High School Geographic Boundaries" (Archive). School District of Philadelphia. Retrieved on October 4, 2011.
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