| Eastern York School District | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
| P.O. Box 150 Wrightsville School Campus Wrightsville, Pennsylvania, York, 17368-0150 United States |
|
| Information | |
| Superintendent | Dr. Terry Walker |
| Grades | K-12 |
| Kindergarten | 189 |
| Grade 1 | 223 |
| Grade 2 | 190 |
| Grade 3 | 183 |
| Grade 4 | 208 |
| Grade 5 | 186 |
| Grade 6 | 199 |
| Grade 7 | 202 |
| Grade 8 | 212 |
| Grade 9 | 177 |
| Grade 10 | 201 |
| Grade 11 | 171 |
| Grade 12 | 171 |
| Campus type | Suburban/Rural |
| Website | http://www.easternyork.com/ |
The Eastern York School District of Pennsylvania covers almost 54 miles of east, central York County in the South Central region of Pennsylvania. The district overlooks the Susquehanna River and is made up of six municipalities which include East Prospect Borough, Hallam Borough, Hellam Township, Lower Windsor Township, Yorkana Borough, and Wrightsville Borough.
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The school district is governed by 9 individually elected board members (serve four year terms), the Pennsylvania State Board of Education, the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the Pennsylvania General Assembly.[2] The federal government controls programs it funds like Title I funding for low income children in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the No Child Left Behind Act which mandates the district focus its resources on student success in acquiring reading and math skills.
The Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives Sunshine Review gave the school board and district administration a "D-" for transparency based on a review of "What information can people find on their school district's website". It examined the school district's website for information regarding; taxes, the current budget, meetings, school board members names and terms, contracts, audits, public records information and more.[3]
Eastern York School District was ranked 329th out of 498 Pennsylvania school districts in 2010 by the Pittsburgh Business Times. The ranking was based on three years of student academic achievement on the PSSA results on: reading, writing, math and two years of science.[4]
2009 - 364th
2008 - 401st
2007 - 436th of 500 school districts in Pennsylvania.[5]
In 2010, the Pittsburgh Business Times reported an Overachievers Ranking for 498 Pennsylvania school districts. Eastern York ranked 462nd. In 2009 the district was 484th. The paper describes the ranking as: "a ranking answers the question - which school districts do better than expectations based upon economics? This rank takes the Honor Roll rank and adds the percentage of students in the district eligible for free and reduced lunch into the formula. A district finishing high on this rank is smashing expectations, and any district above the median point is exceeding expectations."[6]
Graduation Rate
2009 - 92%[7]
2008 - 91%
2007 - 91%[8]
PSSA Results:
11th Grade Reading
2009 - 63% on grade level, In Pennsylvania, 65% of 11th graders on grade level.
2008 - 61%, State - 65%[9]
2007 - 65%, State - 65%
11th Grade Math
2009 - 56%, In Pennsylvania, 56% of 11th graders are on grade level.
2008 - 51%, State - 55%
2007 - 52%, State 53%
11th Grade Science:
2009 - 36% on grade level. State: 40% of 11th graders were on grade level.
2008 - 35%, State - 39%[10]
College remediation - According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 37% of Eastern York Senior High School 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.[11] 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.[12] 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 and programs at their high school, including the graduation ceremony. 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.[13] Under the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement, many Pennsylvania colleges and universities accept these credits for students who transfer to their institutions.[14]
For the 2009-10 funding year, the school district received a state grant of $6,159 for the program.[15]
By law, all Pennsylvania secondary school students must complete a project as a part of their eligibility to graduate from high school. The type of project, its rigor and its expectations are set by the individual school district.[16]
8th Grade Reading:
2009 - 84% on grade level. State: 80% of 8th graders were on grade level.[17]
2008 - 86%, State - 78% on grade level
8th Grade Math:
2009 - 77% on grade level. State: 71% of 8th graders were on grade level.[18]
2008 - 69%, State - 70% on grade level
8th Grade Science:
2009 - 65% on grade level. State: 55% of 8th graders were on grade level.
2008 - 61%, State - 52% on grade level[19]
7th Grade Reading:
2009 - 68% on grade level. State: 71% of 7th graders were on grade level.[17]
2008 - 70%, State - 70% on grade level
7th Grade Math:
2009 - 64% on grade level. State: 75% of 7th graders were on grade level.[18]
2008 - 77%, State - 70% on grade level
In 2009 - 61% of males and 69% of females in 7th grade are on grade level in math. Both are a significant decline of the 2008 math achievement levels.
6th Grade Reading:
2009 - 63% on grade level. State: 67% of 6th graders were on grade level.[17]
2008 - 67%, State - 67% on grade level
In 2009 - 58% of males and 68% of females in 6th grade are reading on grade level. Both are a significant decline of the 2008 levels.
6th Grade Math:
2009 - 74% on grade level. State: 75% of 6th graders were on grade level.[18]
2008 - 67%, State - 72% on grade level
The Eastern York School Board established a district wellness policy in 2006 - Policy 246.[20] The policy deals with nutritious meals served at school, the control of access to some foods and beverages during school hours, age appropriate nutrition education for all students, and physical education for students K-12. The policy is in response to state mandates and federal legislation (P.L. 108 - 265). The law dictates that each school district participating in a program authorized by the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq) or the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq) "shall establish a local school wellness policy by School Year 2006."
The legislation placed the responsibility of developing a wellness policy at the local level so the individual needs of each district can be addressed. According to the requirements for the Local Wellness Policy, school districts must set goals for nutrition education, physical activity, campus food provision, and other school-based activities designed to promote student wellness. Additionally, districts were required to involve a broad group of individuals in policy development and to have a plan for measuring policy implementation. Districts were offered a choice of levels of implementation for limiting or prohibiting low nutrition foods on the school campus. In final implementation these regulations prohibit some foods and beverages on the school campus.[21]
The Pennsylvania Department of Education required the district to submit a copy of the policy for approval.
In 2007, Eastern York School District employed 204 teachers. The average teacher salary in the district was $51,567 for 188 days worked.[22] In 2007, the district's starting salary was $37,400 and the top teacher salary was $68,805.[23]
Eastern York School District administrative costs was $690.78 per pupil in 2008. The lowest administrative cost per pupil in Pennsylvania was $398 in 2008.[24] In 2007, the Average District Administrator salary in Eastern York School District was $75,749. The Average School Administrator salary in Eastern York School District was $71,805 which ranked sixth in York County.[25] In February 2010, the Eastern York School Board awarded a five year contract effective July 1, 2010 to Darla Pianowski, as Superintendent. In 2009, Dr Pianowski earned $141,240. In July 2010, her salary will increase 8 percent to $160,000 a year. For the remaining four years of the contract she will receive a five percent increase that will take her salary to over $194,000 by the 2014-2015 school year.[26] She was also awarded an extensive benefits package which includes: health insurance, life insurance, annual dues, paid travel, 20 days paid vacation, defined benefit pension and more.[27]
Reserves - In 2008, the district reported a $2,797,662.00 in a unreserved-undesignated fund balance. The designated fund balance was reported as $1,880,000.00.[28]
According to an extensive study of York County school districts conducted by APA Associates in 2008, Eastern York School District achieved a +2 rating based on Performance and Relative Efficiency. Central York School District and Northeastern York School District both achieved a ranking of +10. Eleven out of 16 York County district achieved a positive rating.[29]
The district is funded by a combination of: a local income tax, a property tax, a real estate transfer tax, coupled with substantial funding from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the federal government. Grants can provide an opportunity to supplement school funding without raising local taxes. In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, pension income and Social Security income are exempted from state personal income tax and local earned income tax, regardless of the income level.[30]
In the 2009-2010 budget year the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provided a 5.81% increase in Basic Education Funding for a total of $7,412,691. The state Basic Education funding to the district in 2008-09 was $7,005,876.24.[31] The district also received supplemental funding for English language learners, Title 1 federal funding for low income students, for district size, a poverty supplement from the commonwealth and more.[32] Central York School District was allotted the highest Basic Education Funding increase in York County for the 2009-10 school year. In York County, 12 school districts received less than 6% increase in state basic education funding in 2010 and three districts received the base 2% increase. Ninety school district in the Commonwealth received the base 2% funding increase. Among the 500 school districts in Pennsylvania, Muhlenberg School District in Berks County received the highest with a 22.31% increase in funding.[33] The amount of increase each school district receives is determined by the Governor and the Secretary of Education through the allocation set in the state budget proposal made in February each year.[34]
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 642 students received free or reduced lunches due to low family income in the 2007-2008 school year.[35]
The district received an extra $1,684,221 in ARRA - Federal Stimulus money to be used in specific programs like special education and meeting the academic needs of low income students.[36] The funding is for the 2009-2011 school years.
Eastern York School District officials did not apply for the Race to the Top federal grant which would have brought the district up to hundreds of thousands of additional federal dollars for improving student academic achievement.[37] Participation required the administration, the school board and the local teachers' union to sign an agreement to prioritize improving student academic success. In Pennsylvania, 120 public school districts and 56 charter schools agreed to participate. Central Yorkg was one of six York County school districts that applied to participate.[38] Pennsylvania was not approved in the first round of the grant. The failure of districts to agree to participate was cited as one reason that Pennsylvania was not approved. A second round of state RTTT application judging will occur in June 2010.[39]
The school board levied a real estate tax of 18.3400 mills in 2008-09.[40] A mill is $1 of tax for every $1,000 of a property's assessed value. Irregular property reassessments have become a serious issue in the commonwealth as it creates a significant disparity in taxation within a community and across a region.
The Act 1 of 2006 Index regulates the rates at which each school district can raise property taxes in Pennsylvania. Districts are not allowed to raise taxes above that index unless they allow voters to vote by referendum, or they seek an exception from the state Department of Education. The base index for the 2010-2011 school year is 2.9 percent, but the Act 1 Index can be adjusted higher, depending on a number of factors, such as property values and the personal income of district residents. Act 1 included 10 exceptions including: increasing pension costs, increases in special education costs, a catastrophe like a fire or flood, increase in health insurance costs for contracts in effect in 2006 or dwindling tax bases. The base index is the average of the percentage increase in the statewide average weekly wage, as determined by the PA Department of Labor and Industry, for the preceding calendar year and the percentage increase in the Employment Cost Index for Elementary and Secondary Schools, as determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in the U.S. Department of Labor, for the previous 12-month period ending June 30. For a school district with a market value/personal income aid ratio (MV/PI AR) greater than 0.4000, its index equals the base index multiplied by the sum of .75 and its MV/PI AR for the current year.[41]
The School District Adjusted Index for the Eastern York School District 2006-2007 through 2010-2011.[42]
2006-07 - 5.0%, Base 3.9%
2007-08 - 4.4%, Base 3.4%
2008-09 - 5.6%, Base 4.4%
2009-10 - 5.3%, Base 4.1%
2010-11 - 3.7%, Base 2.9%
In the Spring of 2010, 135 Pennsylvania school boards asked to exceed their adjusted index. Approval was granted to 133 of them and 128 sought an exception for pension costs increases.[43]
In 2010, the Homestead/Farmstead Property Tax Relief from gambling for the Eastern York School District was $131 per approved permanent primary residence. In the district, 4,262 property owners applied for the tax relief.[44] In 2009, the district's property tax relief amount was set at $133 to 5,444 approved homestead owners. In 2010 within York County, the highest amount went to York City School District set at $495 per approved homestead. The property tax relief was subtracted from the total annual school property tax bill. Property owners apply for the relief through the county Treasurer's office. Farmers can qualify for a farmstead exemption on building used for agricultural purposes. The farm must be at least 10 contiguous acres (40,000 m2) and must be the primary residence of the owner. Farmers can qualify for both the homestead exemption and the farmstead exemption. Pennsylvania awarded the highest property tax relief to residents of the Chester-Upland School District in Delaware County at $632 per homestead and farmstead in 2010.[45] This was the second year they were the top recipient.
Additionally, the Pennsylvania Property Tax/Rent Rebate program is provided for low income Pennsylvanians aged 65 and older; widows and widowers aged 50 and older; and people with disabilities age 18 and older. The income limit is $35,000 for homeowners. The maximum rebate for both homeowners and renters is $650. Applicants can exclude one-half (1/2) of their Social Security income, consequently individuals who have income substantially greater than $35,000, may still qualify for a rebate. Individuals must apply annually for the rebate. This can be taken in addition to Homestead/Farmstead Property Tax Relief.
Property taxes in Pennsylvania are relatively high on a national scale. According to the Tax Foundation, Pennsylvania ranked 11th in the U.S. in 2008 in terms of property taxes paid as a percentage of home value (1.34%) and 12th in the country in terms of property taxes as a percentage of income (3.55%).[46]
The district offers a variety of clubs, activities and sports. Eligibility for participation is determined by the school board.[47]
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.[48]
Sponsored by Hake's Sporting Goods
Lincoln Intermediate Unit (IU#12) region includes: Adams County, Franklin County and York County. The agency provides Eastern York Schools, district home schooled students and area private schools many services including: Special education services, combined purchasing, and instructional technology services. It runs Summer Academy which offers both art and academic strands designed to meet the individual needs of gifted, talented and high achieving students. Additional services include: Curriculum Mapping, Professional Development for school employees, Adult Education, Nonpublic School Services, Business Services, Migrant & ESL (English as a Second Language), Instructional Services, Special Education, Management Services, and Technology Services. It also provides a GED program to adults who want to earn a high school diploma and literacy programs. The Lincoln Intermediate Unit is governed by a 13 member Board of Directors, each a member of a local school board from the 25 school districts. Board members are elected by school directors of all 25 school districts for three-year terms that begin July 1.[49] There are 29 intermediate units in Pennsylvania. They are funded by school districts, state and federal program specific funding and grants. IUs do not have the power to tax. References: