Principal’s Message

Dear Parents/Families and Students:

Welcome to the Stephen Decatur Family where we believe ALL children can learn and grow. Our dedicated staff and supportive Home & School Association work together to allow each child opportunities to develop to their fullest potential. At Decatur, we believe that ALL students can succeed and it is our collective goal to make that happen.

As we open up another year at Stephen Decatur, I would like to highlight a few of the great things we have accomplished as a school community already! Our focus on attendance continued to improve our overall attendance numbers. We saw a 2.6% increase in students who attended 95% or more days in the 2023-2024 school year. The first step to improving student outcomes will always be having students consistently attending school!

While we noted a slight decrease in our PSSA scores in Reading and Math, we have some highlighted areas of growth as well. In both Reading and Math we have reduced the percentage of students scoring Below Basic on the PSSA while increasing the number of students scoring Proficient. We look forward to continuing the work this school year!

Additionally, we have continued to focus our efforts on building improvements. To date, we have completed large scale renovations in the Gym and the Lobby. We have repainted ALL common hallways, bathrooms and the Lunchroom. Custom Decatur rugs were placed in many entryways. We hope these improvements (and more upcoming projects!) continue to make Stephen Decatur a welcoming place to all who enter!

Educational success is greatly dependent upon the partnership forged between school and home. It is our hope that with students, parents, and teachers working together, the 2024-2025 school year will be our best yet! Please take the time to review the contents of the Student Handbook to help you become acclimated with our school. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. (215) 400-3050; then Dial 0.

We hope to continue moving from GOOD to GREAT!

Sincerely,

Dr. Douglas Strobel
Principal