I don't think the details of the good public schools has been discussed here. They are facing a lot of uncertainty (even pre-COVID). They're trying to fix the inequalities and prevent overcrowding at the good schools. Meredith, which is always highly rated, was planning on setting up 2 trailers outside their main building as additional classrooms this year. The entirety of South Philly schools are going too be realigned in some way in the near future. The process is the 1st phase of the
Comprehensive School Planning Review (CSPR) and will end up impacting a lot, if not all public schools in the near future. Catchment lines may be redrawn or grades redistributed into new Middle Schools. I'm sure political pressures will stop full scale catchment changes but things are being done. That said, I can see some parents looking at schools to be unnerved by the fact that the catchment they bought into (South Philly schools in particular) might not be there in a few years.
As one of those parents, I've recently moved from Point Breeze to a better quality catchment. I know the suburbs, I know the pandemic and I know that buying a house is a long term purchase and I'll be here well after the issues of the last few months dissipate. Moving to the burbs was never on the table for my family for many reasons and I'm sure I'm not alone. Are some leaving? Yes, but their houses are not sitting vacant when they go. They're appreciating like crazy and being replaced. I'm optimistic that the schools are going to improve overall and am not worried about population trends shifting the wrong way.