| Forest City Regional School District | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
| 100 Susquehanna Street Forest City, Pennsylvania, Susquehanna, 18421 United States |
|
| Information | |
| Superintendent | Dr. Robert Vadella |
| Grades | K-12 |
| Kindergarten | 83 |
| Grade 1 | 69 |
| Grade 2 | 48 |
| Grade 3 | 74 |
| Grade 4 | 55 |
| Grade 5 | 58 |
| Grade 6 | 61 |
| Grade 7 | 74 |
| Grade 8 | 76 |
| Grade 9 | 66 |
| Grade 10 | 65 |
| Grade 11 | 76 |
| Grade 12 | 71 |
| Other | Enrollment projected to decline to 800 in 2019 |
| Website | http://www.forestcityschool.org/ |
The Forest City Regional School District is located in the small borough of Forest City, Pennsylvania, USA in the northeastern corner of the state. It is a small, rural public school district made up of students from Susquehanna, Lackawanna and Wayne counties, including the boroughs of Forest City, Vandling and Union Dale and the townships of Mount Pleasant, Clinton and Herrick. The district covers an area of 87.82 square miles (227.5 km2). Forest City Regional had 884 students in 2004.[2] The district students are 96% white, 1% asian, 1% black and 2% Hispanic.[3] According to School District officials, in school year 2007-08, the Forest City Regional School District provided basic educational services to 972 pupils through the employment of 75 teachers, 55 full-time and part-time support personnel, and 14 administrators. Forest City Regional School District received more than $11.4 million in state funding in school year 2007-08.
The district started with three buildings, two elementary schools (William Penn Elementary, Lincoln Elementary) and Forest City High School. An addition to the high school was done in 1967. In 1971, the three schools were combined into one. In 1995, the building was again expanded. A new gymnasium, an auditorium, a computer lab, a chemistry lab and more classrooms were added. Extensive remodeling was also done at this time to the existing structure. The high school serves as the starting point for the Steamtown Marathon.
In 2011, the district operates 2 schools: an elementary school and a high school.
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Forest City Regional School District was ranked 337th out of 498 Pennsylvania school districts in 2011 by the Pittsburgh Business Times. The ranking was based on five years of student academic performance on the PSSAs for: reading, writing, math and three years of science.[4]
In 2009, the academic achievement, of the students in the Forest City Regional School District, was in the 24th percentile among all 500 Pennsylvania school districts Scale (0-99; 100 is state best) [7]
In 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a new, 4 year cohort graduation rate. Forest City Regional High School's rate was 84% for 2010.[8]
According to traditional graduation rate calculations:
The school is in School Improvement level II due to chronic low student achievement in 2009 and 2010.[12]
According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 21% of Forest City Regional 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.[18] 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.[19] 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 the Pennsylvania Dual Enrollment program. This state program permits high school students to take courses, at local higher education institutions, to earn college credits. The students continue to have full access to activities and programs 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.[20] Under the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement, many Pennsylvania colleges and universities accept these credits for students who transfer to their institutions.[21] The Pennsylvania College Credit Transfer System reported in 2009, that students saved nearly $35.4 million by having their transferred credits count towards a degree under the new system.[22]
In 2010, the district received a $9,540 state grant to be used to assist students with tuition, fees and books.
in 2009 and 2010 the attendance rate was reported as 94%.[27]
In December 2009, the district administration reported that 170 pupils or 18% of the district's pupils received Special Education services.[29]
The District engages in identification procedures to ensure that eligible students receive an appropriate educational program consisting of special education and related services, individualized to meet student needs. At no cost to the parents, these services are provided in compliance with state and federal law; and are reasonably calculated to yield meaningful educational benefit and student progress. To identify students who may be eligible for special education, various screening activities are conducted on an ongoing basis. These screening activities include: review of group-based data (cumulative records, enrollment records, health records, report cards, ability and achievement test scores); hearing, vision, motor, and speech/language screening; and review by the Instructional Support Team or Student Assistance Team. When screening results suggest that the student may be eligible, the District seeks parental consent to conduct a multidisciplinary evaluation. Parents who suspect their child is eligible may verbally request a multidisciplinary evaluation from a professional employee of the District or contact the Special Education Department.[30]
In 2010, the state of Pennsylvania provided $1,026,815,000 for Special Education services. The funds were distributed to districts based on a state policy which estimates that 16% of the district's pupils are receiving special education services. This funding is in addition to the state's basic education per pupil funding, as well as, all other state and federal funding.[31]
Forest City Regional School District received a $465,420 supplement for special education services in 2010.[32]
The District Administration reported that 1 student or 1.12% of its students were gifted in 2009.[33] By law, the district must provide mentally gifted programs at all grade levels. The primary emphasis is on enrichment and acceleration of the regular education curriculum through a push in model with the gifted instructor in the classroom with the regular instructor. This approach permits such specialized instructional strategies as tiered assignments, curriculum compacting, flexible grouping, learning stations, independent projects and independent contracts. Students identified as gifted attending the High School have access to honors and advanced placement courses, and dual enrollment with local colleges. The referral process for a gifted evaluation can be initiated by teachers or parents by contacting the student’s building principal and requesting an evaluation. All requests must be made in writing. To be eligible for mentally gifted programs in Pennsylvania, a student must have a cognitive ability of at least 130 as measured on a standardized ability test by a certified school psychologist. Other factors that indicate giftedness will also be considered for eligibility.[34]
In 2009, the district reports employing over 80 teachers with a starting salary of $40,240 for 185 days for pupil instruction. The average teacher salary was $53,085 while the maximum salary is $108,899.[35] By contract the teachers work a 7 hour 10 minute day.As of 2007, Pennsylvania ranked in the top 10 states in average teacher salaries. When adjusted for cost of living Pennsylvania ranked fourth in the nation for teacher compensation.[36] Additionally, Forest City Regional School District teachers receive a defined benefit pension, health insurance, professional development reimbursement, paid personal days, 10 sick days and other benefits. Teachers are paid $21.50 per hour if they are required to work outside of the regular school day.[37] According to State Rep. Glen Grell, a trustee of the Pennsylvania Public School Employees’ Retirement System Board, a 40-year educator can retire with a pension equal to 100 percent of their final salary. Additionally teachers receive payment for unused sick days upon retirement after 25 years. The district pays the health insurance premium for early retirees until age 65 years.[38]
In 2007, the district employed 70 teachers. The average teacher salary in the district was $49,068 for 180 school days worked.[39]
Forest City Regional School District administrative costs per pupil in 2008 was $706.27 per pupil. The district is ranked 309th out of 500 in Pennsylvania for administrative spending. The lowest administrative cost per pupil in Pennsylvania was $398 per pupil.[40]
In 2008, Forest City Regional School District reported spending $12,700 per pupil. This ranked 200th in the commonwealth.[41]
In 2009, the district reported $2,655,601 in a unreserved-undesignated fund balance. The designated fund balance was reported as zero.[42]
In July 2010, the Pennsylvania Auditor General conducted a performance audit of the district. Findings were reported to the administration and school board.[43]
The district is funded by a combination of: a local income tax, a property tax, a real estate transfer tax 0.5%, 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.[44] In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, pension and Social Security income are exempted from state personal income tax and local earned income tax regardless of the individual's wealth.[45]
For 2010-11 the Forest City Regional School District received a 2% increase in state Basic Education Funding resulting in a $3,429,209 payment.[46] Elk Lake School District received a 2.82% increase, which was the highest increase in BEF in Susquehanna County. Kennett Consolidated School District in Chester County received the highest increase in the state at 23.65% increase in funding for the 2010-11 school year. One hundred fifty school districts received the base 2% increase in 2010-11. 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.[47]
In the 2009-2010 budget year the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provided a 3.69% increase in Basic Education funding for a total of $3,361,970. The state Basic Education funding to the district in 2008-09 was $3,234,020.00. 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.[48] Montrose Area School District received a 4.88% increase, the highest increase in Susquehanna County for the 2009-10 school year. Among the 500 school districts in Pennsylvania, Muhlenberg School District in Berks County received the highest with a 22.31% increase in funding.[49]
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 427 district students received free or reduced lunches due to low family income in the 2007-2008 school year.[50]
Beginning in 2004-2005, the state launched the Accountability Block Grant school funding. This program has provided $1.5 billion to Pennsylvania’s school districts. The Accountability Block Grant program requires that its taxpayer dollars are focused on specific interventions that are most likely to increase student academic achievement. These interventions include: teacher training, All Day Kindergarten, lower class size K-3rd grade, literacy and math coaching programs that provide teachers with individualized job-embedded professional development to improve their instruction, before or after school tutoring assistance to struggling students. For 2010-11 the Forest City Regional School District applied for and received $155,720 in addition to all other state and federal funding. The district used the funding to provide full day kindergarten for the 7th year and to increase instructional time. It also used the money for before and after school tutoring for students and for teacher training.[51][52]
The state's Education Assistance Program funding provides for the continuing support of tutoring services and other programs to address the academic needs of eligible students. Funds were available to eligible school districts and full-time career and technology centers (CTC) in which one or more schools have failed to meet at least one academic performance target, as provided for in Section 1512-C of the Pennsylvania Public School Code. In 2010-11 the Forest City Regional School District received $35,172.[53]
The Classroom for the Future state program provided districts with hundreds of thousands of extra state funding to buy laptop computers for each core curriculum high school class (English, Science, History, Math) and paid for teacher training to optimize the computers use. The program was funded from 2006-2009. Forest City Regional School District did not apply for funding in 2006-07. In 2007-08 the district received $105,541. For the 2008-09, school year the district received $45,413 for a total of $150,954. Of the 501 public school districts in Pennsylvania, 447 of them received Classrooms for the Future grant awards.[54]
The district received an extra $492,226 in ARRA - Federal Stimulus money to be used in specific programs like Title 1, special education and meeting the academic needs of low income students.[55] The funding was for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years.
School district officials did not apply for the Race to the Top federal grant which would have brought the district hundreds of thousands of additional federal dollars for improving student academic achievement.[56][57] Participation required the administration, the school board and the local teachers' union to sign an agreement to prioritize improving student academic success.[58] In Pennsylvania, 120 public school districts and 56 charter schools agreed to participate.[59] Pennsylvania was not approved for the grant. The failure of districts to agree to participate was cited as one reason that Pennsylvania was not approved.[60]
The Forest City Regional School Board chose to not participate in the Pennsylvania Department of Education Common Cents program. The program called for the state to audit the district, at no cost to local taxpayers, to identify ways the district could save tax dollars.[61] After the review of the information, the district was not required to implement any of the recommended cost savings changes.
The Forest City Regional School Board set property tax rates in 2010-2011 at 35.9300 mills for properties in Susquehanna County. Property owners in Wayne County pay 14.6500 mills. Property owners in Lackawanna County pay 85.7300 mills.[62] 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. Pennsylvania school district revenues are dominated by two main sources: 1) Property tax collections, which account for the vast majority (between 75-85%) of local revenues; and 2) Act 511 tax collections (Local Tax Enabling Act), which are around 15% of revenues for school districts.[63]
The Act 1 of 2006 Index regulates the rates at which each school district can raise property taxes in Pennsylvania. Districts are not authorized 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 2011-2012 school year is 1.4 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.[66]
The School District Adjusted Index for the Forest City Regional School District 2006-2007 through 2010-2011.[67]
Forest City Regional School Board did not apply for exceptions to exceed the Act 1 index for the budgets in 2009-10 or in 2010-11.[68][69] 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.[70]
In 2009, the Homestead/Farmstead Property Tax Relief from gambling for the Forest City Regional School District was $245 per approved permanent primary residence. In the district, 1,324 property owners applied for the tax relief.[71] The tax relief was subtracted from the total annual school property on the individual's 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. The Pennsylvania Auditor General found that 48% of property owners applied for tax relief in Susquehanna County.[72] In Susquehanna County, the highest property tax relief in 2009 was awarded to the approved property owners in Blue Ridge School District. 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.[73] This was the second year Chester Upland School District was 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 more 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.[74]
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%).[75]
Forest City Regional School District is experiencing low enrollment in K-12. The Pennsylvania Department of Education projects the district's enrollment will decline to 800 pupils through 2018.[76] Shifting population trends across the U.S. and Pennsylvania are affecting school enrollment and may impact the building needs of school districts in the years to come.[77] Over the next 10 years, rural Pennsylvania school enrollment is projected to decrease 8 percent. The most significant enrollment decline is projected to be in western Pennsylvania, where rural school districts may have a 16 percent decline. More than 40 percent of elementary schools and more than 60 percent of secondary schools in western Pennsylvania are projected to experience significant enrollment decreases (15 percent or greater).[78]
A study done by Standard and Poors in 2007 (at the request of the PA General Assembly) examined whether the consolidation of small school district's administrations would yield saving where the resulting district had 3000 pupils or less.[79] Superintendent were asked about savings, if their district were to merge with another district at the administrative level only, but not close any of their schools. It found 42% of survey respondents thought consolidation could achieve cost reductions. Additionally, 63% of responding superintendents believed that consolidation with another district would help provide additional academic enrichment opportunities for the students.[80] In March 2011, the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants Fiscal Responsibility Task Force released a report which found that consolidating school district administrations with one neighboring district, would save the Commonwealth $1.2 billion dollars without forcing the consolidation of any schools.[81]
Pennsylvania has one of the highest numbers of school districts in the nation. In Pennsylvania, 80% of the school districts serve student populations under 5,000, and 40% serve less than 2,000. Less than 95 of Pennsylvania's 501 school districts have enrollment below 1250 students, in 2007.[82]
The Forest City Regional School District offers a variety of clubs, activities and sports. Eligibility to participate is set by school board policies.
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 home schooled, 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.[83]