| Jefferson-Morgan School District | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
| 1351 Jefferson Road Jefferson, Pennsylvania, Greene, 15344 United States |
|
| Information | |
| Superintendent | Donna Furnier |
| Grades | K-12 |
| Kindergarten | 50 |
| Grade 1 | 69 |
| Grade 2 | 78 |
| Grade 3 | 54 |
| Grade 4 | 69 |
| Grade 5 | 54 |
| Grade 6 | 76 |
| Grade 7 | 73 |
| Grade 8 | 59 |
| Grade 9 | 69 |
| Grade 10 | 70 |
| Grade 11 | 45 |
| Grade 12 | 62 |
| Other | Enrollment projected to be 825 in 2019[1] |
| Mascot | Rockets |
| Website | http://www.jmsd.org/index.html |
Jefferson-Morgan School District is located in Greene County, Pennsylvania. It serves the boroughs of Jefferson, Rices Landing, and Clarksville. It also serves Jefferson and Morgan townships. The district encompasses approximately 47 square miles. According to 2000 federal census data, it serves a resident population of 6,142. According to District officials, in school year 2005-06, the JMSD provided basic educational services to 895 pupils through the employment of 80 teachers, 36 full-time and part-time support personnel, and 9 administrators.
The district has one elementary school, and one senior high school/ middle school The school is often referred to locally as "J-M" or "Jeff-Morgan."
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The school district has 825 students. Whites make up 97% of the student body, blacks make up nearly 2%. The teacher-student ratio is 13:1. Thirty-seven percent of the students qualify for free or reduced lunch prices.
Jefferson-Morgan Middle/Senior High School
Address: 1351 Jefferson Rd., Jefferson, PA 15344
Principal: Dave Bates (Sr. High), Carol Korber (Middle School)
446 students
Jefferson-Morgan Elementary School
Address: 1363 Jefferson Rd., Jefferson, PA 15344
Principal: Sam Silbaugh
450 students
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 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.[3]
Jefferson-Morgan School District was ranked 467th out of 501 Pennsylvania school districts in 2010 by the Pittsburgh Business Times. The ranking was based on four years of student academic performance on the reading, writing, math and two years of science PSSAs.[4]
2009 - 468th
2008 - 459th
2007 - 463rd out of 501 school districts.[5]
In 2009, the academic achievement of the students of Jefferson-Morgan School DIstrict was in the 9th percentile among 500 Pennsylvania School Districts. Scale - (0-99; 100 is state best)[6]
In 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a new, 4 year cohort graduation rate. Jefferson-Morgan School District's rate was 69% for 2010.[7]
According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 40% of the Jefferson-Morgan 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.[20] 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.[21] 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 school district offers a Dual Enrollment program. This state funded 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.[22] Under the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement, many Pennsylvania colleges and universities accept these credits for students who transfer to their institutions.[23] 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.[24]
For the 2009-10 funding year, the school district received a state grant of $9,406 for its Dual Enrollment program.
The Jefferson-Morgan School Board has determined that a pupil must earn 27.5 credits to graduate including: Math 4 credits, English 4 credits, English Electives 0.5 credits, Social Studies 3 credits, Science 4 credits, Physical Education 1.5 credits, Health 0.5 credits, Computers 1 credit, Family and Consumer Sciences 0.5 credits, Careers 0.5 credit, Culminating Project 1 credit and seven electives.[25]
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.[26] At Jefferson-Morgan the purpose of the culminating project is to teach students how to apply, analyze, synthesize and evaluate information and then communicate that knowledge and understanding. The Board of Education, Faculty and Administration of the Jefferson-Morgan School District believes that a well prepared project will provide students with the opportunity to engage in higher-level problem solving. It will also allow students to demonstrate initiative and involve them in authentic experiences.[27]
Beginning with the class of 2015, students must take the Keystone Exams in reading and math.[28]
Reading
2010 - 73% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 81% of 8th graders on grade level. (67 pupils enrolled)
2009 - 64%, State - 80%
2008 - %, State - 78%
Math:
2010 - 69% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 75% of 8th graders are on grade level.
2009 - 66%, State - 71%[29]
2008 - %, State - 70%
Science:
2010 - 44% on grade level. State - 57% of 8th graders were on grade level.
2009 - 43%, State - 55%.[30]
2008 - 56%, State - 52%[31]
Reading:
2010 - 75% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 73% of 7th graders are on grade level. (58 pupils enrolled)
2009 - 56%, State - 71%[32]
2008 - 54%, State - 70%
Math:
2010 - 64% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 77% of 7th graders are on grade level.
2009 - 63%, State - 75%
2008 - 54%, State - 70%
6th Grade Reading:
2010 - 64% on grade level. State: 68% of 6th graders were on grade level. (73 pupils enrolled)
2009 - 59%, State - 67%
2008 - 51%, State - 67% (72 pupils enrolled)[33]
6th Grade Math:
2010 - 49% on grade level. State - 78% of 6th graders were on grade level.
2009 - 67%, State - 75%
2008 - 72%, State -72%
5th Grade Reading:
2010 - 49% on grade level. State - 64% of 5th graders were on grade level. (71 pupils enrolled)
2009 - 60%, State - 64%
2008 - 53%, State - 61% (66 pupils enrolled)
5th Grade Math:
2010 - 50% on grade level. State - 74% of 5th graders were on grade level.
2009 - 67%, State - 73%
2008 - 62%, State - 73%
4th Grade Reading:
2010 - 57% on grade level. State - 72% of 4th graders were on grade level. (54 pupils enrolled)
2009 - 69%, State - 72%
2008 - 56%, State - 70% (59 pupils enrolled)
4th Grade Math:
2010 - 88% on grade level. State - 84% of 4th graders were on grade level.
2009 - 69%, State - 81
2008 - 69%, State - 79%
4th Grade Science:
2010 - 81% on grade level. State - 81% of 4th graders were on grade level.
2009 - 83%, State - 83%
2008 - 77%, State - 81%
3rd Grade Reading:
2010 - 68% on grade level. State - 75% of 3rd graders were on grade level. (69 pupils enrolled)
2009 - 74%, State - 77% (60 pupils enrolled)
2008 - 81%, State - 77% (69 pupils enrolled)
3rd Grade Math:
2010 - 83% on grade level. State - 84% of 3rd graders were on grade level.
2009 - 90%, State - 81%
2008 - 81%, State - 80%
In 2009 the administrative reported there were four incidents of bullying in the district.[34][35]
A district bullying policy is not posted on the school districts website. 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.[36] 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.[37]
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.[38]
In 2009, the district reported employing over 80 teachers with a salary range of $35,000 to $90,000.[39] In 2010 the district reported the average teacher salary was $48,731.[40]
In 2007, the district employed 66 teachers. The average teacher salary in the district was $46,993 for 182 days worked.[41] 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.[42] Additionally, the teachers receive a defined benefit pension, health insurance, professional development reimbursement, personal days, sick days, and other benefits. Teachers receive additional pay for extracurriculars, coaching, head teacher work, days past 182 worked and more.[43]
Jefferson-Morgan School District administrative costs per pupil in 2008 was $779.08 per pupil. The lowest administrative cost per pupil in Pennsylvania was $398 per pupil.[44] The Pennsylvania School Boards Association keeps statistics on salaries of public school district employees in Pennsylvania. According to the association's report, the average salary for a superintendent for the 2007-08 school year was $122,165. Superintendents and administrators receive a benefit package commensurate with that offered to the district's teachers' union.[45]
Reserves In 2008, the district reported a $1,580,711 in a unreserved-undesignated fund balance. The designated fund balance was reported as zero.[46]
In 2008, the district reported per pupil spending was $13,259 which ranked 155th among Pennsylvania's 501 school districts.[47]
In July 2009, the Pennsylvania Auditor General conducted a performance audit of the district. The findings were reported to the administration and the school board.[48]
The district is funded by a combination of: a local earned income tax, a property tax, a real estate transfer tax, coupled with substantial funding from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the federal government. In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, pension income and Social Security income are exempted from state personal income tax and local earned income tax, regardless the of person's wealth.[49]
For the 2010-11 budget year, the district was allotted a 2% increase in Basic Education Funding for a total of $5,476,552. The highest increase in Greene County was given to Central Greene School District which got a 4.97% increase. One hundred fifty Pennsylvania school districts received the base 2% increase. The highest increase in 2010-11 went to Kennett Consolidated School District in Chester County which received a 23.65% increase in state funding.[50]
In the 2009-2010 budget year the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provided a 2.96% increase in Basic Education Funding for a total of $5,369,169.[51] Southeastern Greene School District got a 6.92%. The state Basic Education Funding to the district in 2008-09 was $5,214,801. Ninety school districts received a 2% increase. Muhlenberg School District in Berks County received a 22.31% increase in state basic education funding in 2009.[52] The amount of increase each school district receives is set by the Governor and the Secretary of Education as a part of the state budget proposal given each February.[53]
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 $231,189 in addition to all other state and federal funding. The district uses the funding to provide full day kindergarten for 60 students.[54][55]
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 Carmichael Area School District received $63,603.[57]
The district received an extra $725,310 in ARRA - Federal Stimulus money to be used in specific programs like special education and meeting the academic needs of low income students.[58] The funding is for the 2009-10 and 2010-2011 school years.[59] The district used $89,155 to improve teaching and learning for students most at risk of failing to meet State academic achievement standards.[60]
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 338 students qualified for free or reduced lunch due to low family income in 2008.[61]
District officials did not apply for the federal Race to the Top grant which would have provided hundreds of thousands in additional federal dollars to improve student academic achievement. 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.[62] 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.[63]
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. Jefferson-Morgan School District did not apply to participate in 2006-07. In 2007-08 the district received $81,091 and in 2008-09 $45,413 for a total of $126,504.[64]
The school board elected to 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.[65] After the review of the information, the district was not required to implement the recommended cost savings changes. The plan showed the district could save hundreds of thousands of dollars each year by sharing services with other school districts through the region's Intermediate Unit. Intermediate Units in Pennsylvania are part of the governance structure of public education in the Commonwealth. They were designed primarily to provide services to local school districts that can be operated more effectively and efficiently on a regional basis. The district is served by IU#1.[66]
In 2010 a study on the possible consolidation of services between Carmichaels Area School District, Jefferson-Morgan School District and Southeastern Greene School District is being conducted.[67]
A study was done in 2004, examining consolidating Jefferson-Morgan School District with neighboring Bethlehem-Center School District located in Washington County, with Carmichaels Area School District or with Southeastern Greene School District in Greene County. It was estimated that several million dollars in savings would be achieved in these consolidations.[68] The study noted that consolidation could significantly decrease administrative costs for both communities while improving offerings to students. Consolidation of school district administrations does not require the consolidation of schools.[69]
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).[70] Statewide, there are 187 districts that are projected to have an enrollment decline of 15 percent or greater. Geographically, these districts are clustered in western Pennsylvania and in the state’s northern tier.[71]
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.[72]
Property tax rates in 2010-11 were set by the school board at 23.0909 mills.[73] 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 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.[74]
The School District Adjusted Index for the Jefferson-Morgan School District 2006-2007 through 2011-2012.[75]
2006-07 - 5.8%, Base 3.9%
2007-08 - 5.0%, Base 3.4%
2008-09 - 6.5%, Base 4.4%
2009-10 - 6.1%, Base 4.1%
2010-11 - 4.3%, Base 2.9%
2011-12 - 2.1%, Base 1.4%
The Jefferson-Morgan School Board did not apply for any exceptions to exceed the Act 1 index for the budget in 2009-10 or 2010-11.[76] 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.[77]
In 2010, the Homestead/Farmstead Property Tax Relief from gambling for the Jefferson-Morgan School District was $243 per approved permanent primary residence. In the district, 1,790 property owners applied for the tax relief.[78] 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 Greene County, 37% of eligible property owners applied for property tax relief in 2009.[79] In Greene County, the highest amount of tax relief in 2010, went to Central Greene School District at $296. The highest property tax relief in Pennsylvania went to the residents of Chester Upland School District of Delaware County who received $632 per approved homestead.[80] This was the third year they were the top recipient.
Jefferson-Morgan School Board established a district wellness program in 2006[81] 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 and physical education that are aligned with the Pennsylvania State Academic Standards for Health, Safety and Physical Education, 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.[82] The policy requires that the Superintendent or designee shall report to the Board on the district’s compliance with law and policies related to student wellness.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education required the district to submit a copy of the policy for approval.
The district offers a variety of clubs, activities and sports. Eligibility for participation is determined by school board policy.[83]
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.[84]
Jefferson-Morgan High School is a member of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) and the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL). Jefferson-Morgan is in PIAA District 7.
| Sport Name | Boys | Girls |
|---|---|---|
| Baseball | Class A | N/A |
| Basketball | Class A | Class A |
| Football | Class A | N/A |
| Golf | Class AAAA | N/A |
| Softball | N/A | Class A |
| Track and Field | Class AA | Class AA |
| Volleyball | N/A | Class A |
| Wrestling | Class AA | N/A |