What is an Education Desert?
Philadelphia, PA, December 3, 2025 – Liguori Academy
An education desert is a community where students and families have limited options or nonexistent access to high-quality education. This is especially true for the Philadelphia region, where students and families have scarce access to charter schools and the public school system is failing. These deserts form when generations of underfunded schools, chronic teacher shortages, safety concerns, and inadequate resources create an environment where students are left without real pathways to success. In cities like Philadelphia, this problem is not theoretical; it is lived every day.
Liguori Academy is the hope in the Philadelphia education desert. Our students come from neighborhoods that have been overlooked for far too long and they deserve more.
In the 19134 ZIP code, where the majority of our students live, 33.87% of residents live below the poverty line
In total in the zip codes we serve, over 40% of residents live below the poverty line
The city wide poverty rate in Philadelphia is 19.7% and the median household income (HHI) for the student body zip codes is $38,057
In the zip codes where our students live, 28% of adults did not complete high school, compared to 13% city wide.
The violent crime rate in the area is 125% higher than the national average, and overall crime is 263% higher.
Families in education deserts often face impossible choices: send their children to a failing school, travel long distances for something better if the option is available, or simply hope for change that has historically never come. These deserts also create choice deserts, where the lack of alternatives traps students in systems that don’t meet their needs. The impact is profound. Students fall behind, families lose hope, and communities suffer long-term economic and social consequences.
These challenges come at a time when the broader social and economic context in Philadelphia is deeply unsettled, compounding the disadvantages for families in under-resourced neighborhoods. According to Pew’s 2025 State of the City report, while the city has seen some positive shifts, a falling overall poverty rate (down to approximately 19.7% in 2024, the lowest in decades), lower unemployment (approximately 4.5%) and shrinking annual violent crime numbers many of the improvements mask wide disparities across neighborhoods, racial and ethnic groups, and educational attainment levels.
At Liguori Academy, we refuse to accept that geography should determine destiny. We are committed to transforming education deserts by creating a school environment built on accessibility, transformation, and outstanding education. Our students receive personalized learning plans, social-emotional support to help them thrive, internships, certifications, and 100% of Liguori students graduate with a postsecondary plan in college, trade school, career, or military pathway.
While median household income citywide has risen, the gap between affluent neighborhoods and those with limited resources remains stark and we see differences of nearly $100,000 in median income between communities. These inequality gaps often overlap with the very education deserts and choice deserts where mainstream systems fail to deliver. This means that even in a city showing signs of recovery, many families remain stuck without viable school or life-path alternatives.
Education deserts are not inevitable; they’re the result of structural neglect. And they can be changed. Through school choice advocacy, workforce preparation, and an unwavering commitment to meeting every student with Boundless Love and opportunities, Liguori Academy is proving that transformation is possible.
When you invest in a child’s education, you reshape the future of an entire community.
By speaking clearly and confidently about the needs of working families and students, Liguori is committed to being the leading voice for school choice in Philadelphia. We are building a community that advocates for choice for families, students, alumni, staff, and community partners. Together, we are shaping a future where every child has the freedom, and the power, to choose success.
The PA Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) programs are an engine of school choice in action at Liguori Academy. Because 100% of our students qualify for need based scholarships through these vital initiatives, donor contributions are directly transformed into tuition assistance. This allows us to guarantee that no qualified student is denied a transformative education due to financial barriers, ensuring every young person has the opportunity to choose the learning environment that best ignites their potential.
Learn More about the Tax Credit Program HERE.
