| Greenwood School District | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
| 405 East Sunbury Street Millerstown, Pennsylvania, Perry, 17062 United States |
|
| Information | |
| School board | 9 elected members |
| Superintendent | Ed Burns |
| Principal | Elementary - Mr. Jeffrey Kuhns |
| Principal | Middle/High School - Nicholas Guarente |
| Vice principal | Middle/High School - Adam Sheaffer |
| Grades | K-12 |
| Kindergarten | 62 |
| Grade 1 | 72 |
| Grade 2 | 53 |
| Grade 3 | 63 |
| Grade 4 | 60 |
| Grade 5 | 64 |
| Grade 6 | 78 |
| Grade 7 | 59 |
| Grade 8 | 59 |
| Grade 9 | 66 |
| Grade 10 | 58 |
| Grade 11 | 75 |
| Grade 12 | 61 |
| Other | Enrollment projected to decline to 790 in 2019. [1] |
| Team name | Wildcats |
| Website | http://www.greenwoodsd.org/greenwoodsd/site/default.asp |
The Greenwood School District is the smallest and northernmost lying, public school district in Perry County, Pennsylvania. The district serves students residing in Millerstown Borough, Liverpool Borough, Greenwood Township (Perry County), Greenwood Township (Juniata County), Liverpool Township (Perry County), and Tuscarora Township (Perry County). The total population of the district in 2007 was 5235 per the US Census Bureau. In 2009, the district residents' per capita income was $18,424 a year, while the median family income was $46,932. [2] Greenwood School District encompasses approximately 99 square miles. According to a 2009 local census, it serves a resident population of 5,400. Per district officials, in school year 2007-08 the Greenwood School District provided basic educational services to 880 pupils through the employment of 71 teachers, 38 full-time and part-time support personnel, and 7 administrators
The Greenwood School District consists of two schools, the Greenwood Middle/High School and Greenwood Elementary School, which are both located in the borough of Millerstown, Pennsylvania on Pennsylvania Route 17. The elementary school has a population of approximately 450 students in grades K-6. The middle school/high school has a population of approximately 400 students in 2007.[3]
Greenwood is bordered to the north by the Juniata County School District and to the west by the West Perry School District. It is bordered to the south by the Newport School District and to the east by the Susquehanna River.
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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.[4] 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 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 "F" 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.[5]
The district is served by the Capital Area Intermediate Unit 15 which offers a variety of services including: a completely developed K-12 curriculum that is mapped and aligned with the Pennsylvania Academic Standards (available online), shared services, a group purchasing program and a wide variety of special education and special needs services.
In 2011, Greenwood School District was ranked 247th out of 498 Pennsylvania school districts, by the Pittsburgh Business Times. The ranking was based on student academic achievement on five years of the PSSAs for: reading, writing, math and three years of science.[6]
In 2010, the Pittsburgh Business Times reported an Overachievers Ranking for 498 Pennsylvania school districts. Greenwood School District ranked 448th. The paper describes the ranking as: "the 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."[9]
A 2010 study by The 21st Century Partnership for STEM Education found that students in the Greenwood School District were among the most improved from 2004-2010. The district's Advanced reading score rose 33.7 points on the PSSAs. Over the same time period, the percentage of the district's students achieving advanced level in math rose 31.1 points.[10]
In 2011, the graduation rate was 96%. [11] In 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a new, 4 year cohort graduation rate. Greenwood School District's rate was 98% for 2010.[12]
In 2011 and 2010 the high school achieved AYP status. [16]
The high school does not offer the Pennsylvania Dual Enrollment program which permits students to earn deeply discounted college credits with the assistance of a state grant. Over 400 school districts in Pennsylvania offer their high school juniors and seniors the Dual Enrollment program.
According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 20% of Greenwood 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.[24] 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.[25] 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 Greenwood School Board has determined that 26 credits must be earned for graduation including: English 4 credits, Social Studies 4 credits, Math 3 credits, Science 3 credits, Humanities 2 credits, Health 0.5 credits, Physical Education class each year, Project credit 1, electives 7.17 credits.[26][27]
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.[28] Greenwood School District’s graduation project provides students with the opportunity to explore career choices, to consider these choices in terms of their abilities and interests, and to make changes as they learn more about their skills and the importance of career planning.[29]
By Pennsylvania State School Board regulations, for the graduating classes of 2016, students must demonstrate successful completion of secondary level course work in Algebra I, Biology, English Composition, and Literature for which the Keystone Exams serve as the final course exams. Students’ Keystone Exam scores shall count for at least one-third of the final course grade.[30][31]
In 2011, the middle school achieved AYP status. The attendance rate was 95% in 2010 and 2011.[32] In 2010 and 2009, the school achieved AYP under No Child Left Behind.[33] The middle school's combined 7th and 8th grades ranked 304th out of 829 Pennsylvania middle schools for student academic achievement in 2008-2009.[34]
In 2011, the elementary school achieved AYP status. The attendance rate was 95% in 2010 and 2011.[37] In 2010 and 2009, the school achieved AYP under No Child Left Behind. [38]
In December 2009, the district administration reported that 134 pupils or 16% of the district's pupils received Special Education services.[40]
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 believe their child is eligible for services may verbally request a multidisciplinary evaluation from a professional employee of the District or contact the district's Special Education Coordinator.[41]
The IDEA 2004 requires each school entity to publish a notice to parents, in newspapers or other media, including the student handbook and website regarding the availablilty of screening and intervention services and how to access them.
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.[42]
Greenwood School District received a $423,236 supplement for special education services in 2010.[43] In 2011-12, the state provided the same allocation.
The District Administration reported that less than 10 of its students were gifted in 2009. [44] 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. Students identified as gifted attending the High School have access to 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. [45]
In 2009, the administrative reported there was 1 incident of bullying in the district.[46][47]
All Pennsylvania schools are required to have an anti-bullying policy incorporated into their Code of Student Conduct. The policy must identify disciplinary actions for bullying and designate a school staff person to receive complaints of bullying. The policy must be available on the school's website and posted in every classroom. All Pennsylvania public schools must provide a copy of its anti-bullying policy to the Office for Safe Schools every year, and shall review their policy every three years. Additionally, the district must conduct an annual review of that policy with students.[48] The Center for Schools and Communities works in partnership with the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime & Delinquency and the Pennsylvania Department of Education to assist schools and communities as they research, select and implement bullying prevention programs and initiatives.[49]
Education standards relating to student safety and antiharassment programs are described in the 10.3. Safety and Injury Prevention in the Pennsylvania Academic Standards for Health, Safety and Physical Education.[50]
In 2009 the district reports employing over 70 teachers with a starting salary of $38,000 ranging to $84,000.[51]
In 2007, the district employed 62 teachers who earned an average teacher salary of $44,676 for 180 days worked.[52] In December 2007, the school board and teachers' union agreed on a five year contract which included teachers receiving an average salary increase of 5 percent in the first year and 4 percent in each of the four subsequent years. The teachers will pay 12 percent of their health insurance premiums.[53] 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.[54] Additionally, the teachers receive a defined benefit pension, health insurance, professional development reimbursement, paid personal days, paid sick days, a retirement bonus and other benefits.[55] According to 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.[56]
The district administrative costs per pupil in 2008 were $778.87 per pupil. The lowest administrative cost per pupil in Pennsylvania was $398 per pupil.[57] In 2005 the school board awarded a five year contract to Edward Burns as superintendent. The contract includes an extensive benefits package.[58] In 2007, his salary was reported as $98,324.[59] The Pennsylvania School Board Association tracks salaries for Pennsylvania public school employees. It reports that in 2008 the average superintendent salary in Pennsylvania was $122,165.[60]
In 2008, the district reported spending $11,608 per pupil which ranked 325th in the commonwealth.[61]
Reserves - In 2008, district officials reported an unreserved-undesignated fund balance of $841,153.00.[62]
The Greenwood School District was audited by the Pennsylvania Auditor General in 2008. Two findings were reported to the school board and the administration.[63]
The district is funded by a combination of: a local earned income tax, a local real property tax, a real estate transfer tax, and a per capita tax, coupled with substantial funding from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the federal government.[64] Grants 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.[65]
For the 2011-12 school year, the district received $3,279,833 in state Basic Education Funding. [66] [67] Additionally, the district will receive $41,819 in Accountability Block Grant funding. The enacted Pennsylvania state Education budget includes $5,354,629,000 for the 2011-2012 Basic Education Funding appropriation. This amount is a $233,290,000 increase (4.6%) over the enacted State appropriation for 2010-2011. The highest increase in state basic education funding was awarded to [[Duquesne City School District which got a 49% increase in state funding for 2011-12.[68] Districts experienced a reduction in funding due to the loss of federal stimulus funding which ended in 2011.
In 2010, the district reported that 206 pupils received a free or reduced lunch due to the family meeting the federal poverty level.
For the 2010-11 school year, the state provided Greenwood School District with a 2.59% increase in Basic Education Funding for a total of $3,423,000.18. Among Perry County school districts the highest funding increase went to West Perry School District at 5.14%. One hundred fifty school districts in Pennsylvania received a base 2% increase in state basic education funding. The highest increase of state funding in 2010-11 was 23.65% which went to Kennett Consolidated School District of Chester County.[69] 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.[70][71]
In the 2009-2010 budget year the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provided a 4.73% increase in Basic Education Funding, to the Greenwood School District, for a total of $3,423,000. The state Basic Education Funding to the district in 2008-09 was $3,279,833.34. The district also received supplemental funding for: Title I (federal funding for low income students), for district size, a poverty supplement from the Commonwealth and more. In Perry County, the highest state funding increase was 6.39% to Susquenita School District. In Dauphin County, the highest state funding increase was 10.66% to Susquehanna Township School District. The highest increase in the state went to Muhlenberg School District of Berks County which received a 22.31% increase.[72]
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 165 students received free or reduced lunches due to low family income in the 2007-2008 school year.[73]
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 district applied for and received $113,506 in addition to all other state and federal funding. The Greenwood School District uses the funding to provide full day Kindergarten.[74][75][76]
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), along with other specialized equipment and provided funding for teacher training to optimize the use of the computers. The program was funded from 2006-2009. Greenwood School District did not apply for funding in 2006-07 and 2007-08. The district received $74,691 in 2008-09.[77]
The state's EAP funding provides for the continuing support of tutoring services and other programs to address the academic needs of eligible students. Funds are 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 Greenwood School District received $22,628.[78]
The district received an extra $631,129 in ARRA - Federal Stimulus money to be used in specific programs like special education and meeting the academic needs of low income students for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years.[79] This funding is for the 2009-2011 school years.
School district officials chose to 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.[80] 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.[81] 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.[82]
The Greenwood School Board elected 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.[83] After the review of the information, the district was not required to implement the recommended cost savings changes.
Property tax rates in 2010-2011 were set at 14.7500 mills for Perry County. For district residents living in Juniata County it was set at 84.94 mills.[84][85] School districts located in more than one county are required to apportion the tax levy based on the market value in each county as determined by the State Tax Equalization Board pursuant to section 672.1 of the School Code. As a result, the tax rate increases are not the same for each county in a multi-county school district.[86] 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 2011-2012 school year is 1.4 percent, but it 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, increasing rising health care 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.[89]
The School District Adjusted Index for the Greenwood School District 2006-2007 through 2011-2012.[90]
For the 2011-12 school year budget, the Greenwood School Board did not apply for exceptions to exceed the Act 1 Index. [91] Each year, the Greenwood School Board has the option of adopting either 1) a resolution in January certifying they will not increase taxes above their index or 2) a preliminary budget in February. A school district adopting the resolution may not apply for referendum exceptions or ask voters for a tax increase above the inflation index. A specific timeline for these decisions is publisher each year by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. [92]
According to a state report, for the 2011-2012 school year budgets, 247 school districts adopted a resolution certifying that tax rates would not be increased above their index; 250 school districts adopted a preliminary budget. Of the 250 school districts that adopted a preliminary budget, 231 adopted real estate tax rates that exceeded their index. Tax rate increases in the other 19 school districts that adopted a preliminary budget did not exceed the school district’s index. Of the districts who sought exceptions 221 used the pension costs exemption and 171 sought a Special Education costs exemption. Only 1 school district sought an exemption for Nonacademic School Construction Project, while 1 sought an exception for Electoral debt for school construction. [93]
The Greenwood School Board did not seek any exceptions to exceed the index for the 2010-11 school budget year.[94] 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.[95]
In 2010, the Greenwood School District property tax relief was set at $124 for 1,655 approved homesteads.[96] In 2009, the Homestead/Farmstead Property Tax Relief from gambling for the Greenwood School District was $131 per approved permanent primary residence. In Perry County, the highest tax relief was $194 for residents of Newport School District. In Greenwood School District, the tax relief was set at $131 for the 1574 property owners who applied for the tax relief in 2009.[97] The 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. In Perry County, 88% of eligible property owners applied for property tax relief in 2009.[98] The highest property tax relief was given to Chester Upland School District at $632 in 2010 and in 2009.[99]
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, people with income substantially more than $35,000 may still qualify for a rebate. Individuals must apply annually for the rebate.
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%).[100]
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, there are fewer than 840 students enrolled in K-12 in the district. There were 59 students in the Class of 2009. The senior class of 2010 has 61 students. Enrollment in Greenwood School District is projected to continue to remain low for the foreseeable future. The administrative infrastructure costs per pupil are high. With limited local taxation resources, opportunities for students are limited. Consolidation of the administrations with adjacent school districts would achieve substantial administrative cost savings for people in each community. These excessive administrative overhead dollars could be redirected to improve lagging mathematics and science achievement, to enrich the academic programs or to substantially reduce property taxes. Consolidation of the central administrations would not require the closing of any schools.[101] A new district composed of Greenwood School District and Newport School District would have a student population of 2000 with stable enrollment projected for the next two decades.
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).[102]
The district had a boy's basketball team that made it to the "State A Semi-Finals" in 2006 and 2010. Greenwood School District currently has an athletic partnership with Newport High School for football, track, soccer, and wrestling.
The district provides a wide variety of clubs, activities and sports. The school board has policies that establish eligibility for participation.[103]
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.[104]