About Us

44 Years of Dedication

Founded in 1980 by Mr. Joseph Proietta, we are proud to be in our 44th year of dedication to our city's future and our 17th full year in our state-of-the-art, 118,000+ sq. ft. facility on a 6.5-acre campus, located at 1100 E. Erie Ave (between “J” and “K” streets). In 1997, a dedicated group of Board members, politicians, and the Founder, Mr. Proietta, successfully petitioned the School District of Philadelphia, making Community Academy of Philadelphia, CS (CAPCS) the first charter school in Philadelphia and the second charter school in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Expanding the school from 4th and Somerset Streets to K and Erie Streets in Juniata Park in August 2002; To an enrollment of 1220+ students in grades K-12, CAPCS provides students with the educational tools and experiences that will allow them to achieve success long after graduation. Community Academy of Philadelphia (CAP) is accredited from nursery through 12th grade by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA) Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools (CESS) and has been continuously Middle States accredited since 1995.

CAP spans grades K-12. The non-profit corporation has a daycare designated for our young parent students and a pre-school open only to the children of our students and our staff. CAP has a total teaching faculty of 100+ representing a student-teacher ratio of 12:1. 81% of CAP teachers have Masters degrees or higher. 58% of CAP teachers have multiple certifications.

The High School Division offers numerous honors courses, a culinary course, and ten AP courses: English Literature, Statistics, Environmental Science, Spanish, Art, English Language and Composition, Computer Science Principles, Government & Politics, Psychology, and Human Geography.

CAP is a member of the PENN-JERSEY League for sports and also offers many clubs and extracurricular programs, especially those related to music, visual arts and dance, including choir, drum line, and band. Support services are provided by our Student Assistance Program (SAP) Team that includes a psychiatrist (MD), licensed therapists, school counselors, and social workers; Lisa’s Place Health Services, including our certified school nurse and certified medical assistant; the Early Childhood Center (including daycare); a comprehensive Special Education Department coordinators and teachers and contracted bilingual school psychologists; English Language Learner (EL) support services and specialists; and a team of seasoned reading and math specialists.

Providing a safe and secure environment and healthful school climate for students to learn and grow is a primary goal. To this end, CAP employs its own security personnel trained and certified by Temple University and trained in A.L.I.C.E, and ACT 57, Criminal Justice Training Programs, who monitor all aspects of on-campus behavior and access to the building. Comprehensive CCTV coverage of the campus and access control technology further assists their efforts to always be on the lookout for the safety and well-being of our students.

Proud to be Title I

As a Title 1 school, we receive federal money provided under ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) to supplement the school’s existing programs. We use the funding to ensure that all children meet the challenging state academic standards. We allocate the funds towards instructional resources, professional development, and to strengthen the development of parent and family engagement.