| Pottsville Area High School | |
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| wave | |
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roll tide
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| Location | |
| 16th Street and Elk Avenue Pottsville, Pennsylvania, USA |
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| Information | |
| Type | Public school, secondary |
| Established | 1853 |
| Oversight | Pottsville Area School District |
| Dean | John Powers |
| Principal | Jacqueline Wapinsky |
| Faculty | 80 |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | 1,250 |
| Campus | 16th and Elk Avenue |
| Color(s) | Crimson and White |
| Mascot | Crimson Tide |
| Crimson tide Average | 100 |
| Newspaper | Tide Lines |
| Yearbook | Hi-S-Potts |
| Website | http://www.pottsville.k12.pa.us/pahs/ |
Pottsville Area High School is a coeducational public high school located in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Pottsville Area School District and is the largest public high school in Schuylkill County. It was founded in 1853 and has an enrollment of approximately 1,250 students in ninth through twelfth grades.[1] Students from neighboring Saint Clair Area School District attend the high school, with their district paying tuition to PASD.
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Founded in 1853, the Pottsville Area High School offers a comprehensive program for approximately 1250 ninth through twelfth grade students residing within the city limits as well as in neighboring communities and townships. It is approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. The school building, with its Italian Gothic brickwork, retains its architectural and historical integrity while housing modern facilities such as four science labs, a planetarium and observatory, four computer labs, three art and two music studios, and two gymnasiums. The library has a collection of 10,000 volumes and more than 40 magazine subscriptions and access to resources throughout the state through computer systems. A formal 1500-seat auditorium and a little theater are unique features of the building. Within the district complex are tennis courts, athletic fields, and a sports complex including a natatorium.
The high school is in School Improvement I AYP status due to persistently low graduation rate in 2010. The attendance rate was reported as 94%.
The Pottsville Area School Board has determined that students must earn 23 credits to graduate including: 4 credits of English, 4 credits of Social Studies, 4 credits of Mathematics, 3 credits of Science, 2 credits of Humanities 1 credit of Health and Electives. Additionally, proficiency on the PSSA Reading and Mathematics Examinations or successful completion of English 12 and/or Mathematics 12 is required.[11]
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.[12]
By Pennsylvania School Board regulations, for the graduating classes of 2015 and 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.[13]
Pottsville Area High School has an extensive catalogue of elective courses available to its students. The courses can range anywhere from Exploring Microsoft Office to Advanced Placement Calculus.
According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 23% of Pottsville Area 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.[14] 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.[15] 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. 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. 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.[16] In 2010 the district received $2,832.00. Under the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement, many Pennsylvania colleges and universities accept these credits for students who transfer to their institutions.[17] 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.[18]
Directors:
Professor George Seltzer-(c.1900-1927) Mr. Earl Haviland-(1928–1932) Mr. Leo Minnichbach-(1933–1952) Mr. Arthur Delpaz-(1953–1971) Mr. Rollin Miller-(1972–1977) Mr. Richard Fries-(1978–present)
Pottsville Area High School has a longstanding tradition of football dating back to the days of the Pottsville Maroons. The school is as of late known as a three time District XI championship holder, losing the title in the 2007 season. Pottsville Area High School also went to two State Championship games back-to-back, but lost. Pottsville Area High School's primary football rival is Reading High School. The two schools compete annually for a trophy known as "The Rock" (in reality a large chunk of coal) - their upcoming game on October 22, 2010 will be the 89th meeting between the two schools. The trophy is currently in the possession of Pottsville.
Pottsville's biggest rival for all sports is Blue Mountain High School, as the two schools are separated by less than five miles and are the two largest schools in Schuylkill County.
(Girls teams participate under the nickname "Lady Tide")