| Berwick Area Senior High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
| 1100 Fowler Avenue Berwick, PA, Columbia County, 18603 United States |
|
| Coordinates | [1] |
| Information | |
| Status | Open |
| School district | Berwick Area School District |
| CEEB Code | 390290[2] |
| Dean | Gary Campbell |
| Principal | Jonathan J. Cleaver |
| Vice principal | Patricia Leighow |
| Staff | 9 |
| Faculty | 73 FTE[3] |
| Grades | 9 to 12 |
| Enrollment | 992 47% Male 53% Female (2008-9 School Year) |
| Grade 9 | 267 |
| Grade 10 | 258 |
| Grade 11 | 216 |
| Grade 12 | 251 |
| Student to teacher ratio | 13.8:1 |
| Color(s) | |
| Athletics conference | Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association AAA |
| Sports | Football Baseball Soccer |
| Mascot | Bulldog |
| Nickname | Dawgs |
| Team name | Bulldogs |
| Average SAT scores | 977 (493 Math / 484 Verbal) (2007[4]) |
| Budget | $11.8M |
| Feeder schools | Berwick Middle School |
| Pennsylvania School Number | 1605 |
Berwick Area Senior High School (also called Berwick Area High School, Berwick High School or BHS) is a public high school in Berwick, a borough located in Columbia County, in Northeastern Pennsylvania, USA. The school is the only public high school in the Berwick Area School District (AUN 116191103).
Contents |
With 992 students and 73 FTE teachers, the student-to-teacher ratio at Berwick Senior HIgh School is 13.5:1, as compared to the state average of 16:1.
The racial makeup of the student body is 0% Caucasian, 99.99% black, and .1% Hispanic.[5]
In 2011, the graduation rate was 88%. [6] In 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a new, 4 year cohort graduation rate. Berwick Area Senior High School's rate was 80% for 2010.[7]
In 2011, the school declined to School Improvement II status due to ongoing low student achievement. Under the federal No Child Left Behind Law, the school notified parents they could transfer their child to an achieving school within the district. The district operates on high school, meaning no transfer was possible. The administration was required to develop and submit tot the Pennsylvania Department of Education a school improvement plan. In 2010, the school remains in School Improvement I for lagging student achievement and a low graduation rate.[13] In 2009, the school was in School Improvement I status due to lagging student achievement and a low graduation rate.
College Remediation: According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 25% of Berwick Area School District graduates required remediation in mathematics and or reading before they were prepared to take college level courses in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education or community colleges. [22] Less than 66% of Pennsylvania high school graduates, who enroll in a four-year college in Pennsylvania, will earn a bachelor's degree within six years. Among Pennsylvania high school graduates pursuing an associate degree, only one in three graduate in three years. [23] Per the Pennsylvania Department of Education, one in three recent high school graduates who attend Pennsylvania's public universities and community colleges takes at least one remedial course in math, reading or English.
The high school offers a Dual Enrollment program. This state program permits high school students to take courses, at local higher education institutions, to earn college credits. Students remain enrolled at their high school. The courses count towards high school graduation requirements and towards earning a college degree. The students continue to have full access to activities at their high school. The college credits are offered at a deeply discounted rate. The state offers a small grant to assist students in costs for tuition, fees and books.[24] Under the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement, many Pennsylvania colleges and universities accept these credits for students who transfer to their institutions.[25]
For the 2009-10 funding year, the school district received a state grant of $6,779 for the program.[26]
Other students, that reside in the district, who attend a private nonpublic school, charter school or are homeschooled are eligible to participate in this program. According to a 2006 report by the Governor of Pennsylvania, Berwick Area Senior High School was recognized by Standard and Poors as reducing the achievement gap.[27] However, according to Standard and Poors SchoolMatters.com website, Reading proficiency at the school is 67.8%, while math proficiency is 44.7%, and it has been determined that this school is not making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) toward federal and state requirements, per the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) act, and is currently in "warning" status under the act.[28]
In 2011, the Berwick Area School District achieved the College Board's AP District of the Year Award. This honor roll consists of the 388 U.S. public school districts that simultaneously achieved increases in access to AP® courses for a broader number of students and also maintained or improved the rate at which their AP students earned scores of 3 or higher on an AP Exam. [29]
The total annualized budget for the Berwick Area Senior High School is $11.8M. Per-student educational costs are shown in the following table:[30]
| Category | BHS | PA average |
|---|---|---|
| Total Revenue | $11,891 | $12,273 |
| Total Expenditures | $10,633 | $12,312 |
| Operating Expenditures | $9,337 | $9,696 |
| Instructional Expenditures | $6,252 | $5,940 |
| Debt Payments | $3,726 | $1,961 |
| Capital Expenditures | $21 | $1,086 |
The district offers a wide variety of clubs, activities and sports. Eligibility to participate is determined by school board policy and the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. [31] [32]
By Pennsylvania law, all K-12 students in the district, including those who attend a private nonpublic school, cyber charter school, charter school and those homeschooled, are eligible to participate in the extracurricular programs including all athletics. They must meet the same eligibility rules as the students enrolled in the district's schools.[33] [34] [35]
Noted for Golf especially, the high school team has brought home the state championship twenty-five times. [36] Also, the Golf team was ranked number 1 nationally by USA Today three times. [37] Berwick is now the home of the 2008 PIAA AAA Lacrosse State Champions. The Bulldogs defeated Somerset 6 to 2 at Blair County Stadium and became the first Lacrosse team in the Wyoming Valley Conference to win the state title.[38] It is the school's first Lacrosse state championship in its history. Also in 2008, the Berwick Golf Team was the District 2, and District 11 Champions. This was also the first time since 2004 that the Dawgs have been to the state playoffs, losing to Selingsgrove for the second time this season with a score of 165-200.[39] The school mascot is the Bulldog, and the sports teams are called the bulldogs, or just dawgs for short. School colors and blue and white.[40]