The Board was originally established in the Charter of the Erection of the District in 1818.

In 2001, The Governor of Pennsylvania Mark Schweiker took control of the schools and therefore established the School Reform Commission.

Governor Tom Wolf relinquished control of the district to recreate a City-run Board of Education.

The Current Board was appointed by Cherelle Parker in 2024.

[3] The Board appoints 3 Student Representatives to the Board every year to represent the 198,000 students in the District.