| Smethport Area School District | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| McKean County, Pennsylvania United States |
|
| Information | |
| Type | public school district |
| Superintendent | Andrew McCormick |
| Principal | Mr. Colton Horning, ES |
| Principal | Mr. Bryce Henry, HS |
| Grades | K to 12 |
| Enrollment | 896 (2009–2010) |
| Kindergarten | 60 |
| Grade 1 | 62 |
| Grade 2 | 57 |
| Grade 3 | 75 |
| Grade 4 | 61 |
| Grade 5 | 64 |
| Grade 6 | 70 |
| Grade 7 | 66 |
| Grade 8 | 84 |
| Grade 9 | 78 |
| Grade 10 | 69 |
| Grade 11 | 85 |
| Grade 12 | 75 |
| Website | www.smethporthubbers.net
A Bird's eye view of Smethport Area Schools. The high school is on the left. The elementary school is on the right. Click for a larger view. |
Smethport Area School District is a public school district located in McKean County, Pennsylvania, United States. Situated in the north central part of the state, it overlooks the borough of Smethport, which serves as the county seat. The district has its entire complex in the borough of Smethport. The district has one elementary school for grades K–6. It is connected by tunnel to the high school, which houses grades 7–12. The superintendent's offices are in the elementary school.
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Smethport Area School District was ranked 415th out of 500 Pennsylvania school districts for student academic achievement by the Pittsburgh Business Times in 2008.
Graduation rate
2009 – 92%[1]
2008 – 96%
PSSA Results
11th Grade Reading
2009 – 58% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 65% of 11th graders on grade level.[2]
2008 – 51%, State – 65% on grade level
11th Grade Math:
2009 – 57% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 56% of 11th graders are on grade level.
2008 – 39%, State – 56% on grade level
11th Grade Science:
2009 – 28% on grade level. State: 40% of 11th graders were on grade level.
2008 – 32%, State – 39%
College remediation: According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 15% of the Smethport Area School District 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.[3]
8th Grade Reading:
2009 – 66% on grade level. State: 80.9% of 8th graders were on grade level.[4]
2008 – 70%, State – 78%
8th Grade Math:
2009 – 70% on grade level. State: 71% of 8th graders were on grade level.
2008 – 49%, State – 70%
8th Grade Science:
2009 – 54% on grade level. State: 55% of 8th graders were on grade level.
2008 – 56%, State – 50%
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, there are 869 students enrolled in K-12 in 2010. In the 2008–2009 school year there were 957 students. The Class of 2009 had 95 students. The senior class of 2010 has 83 students. Enrollment in Smethport Area School District is projected to continue to remain below 950 through 2018. The administrative infrastructure and mandate costs per pupil are high. The district's administrative costs per pupil in 2008 was $822 per pupil. The lowest administrative cost per pupil in Pennsylvania was $398 per pupil.[5] With limited resources, opportunities for students are limited. Consolidation of the administration, with adjacent school districts, would achieve substantial administrative cost savings.[6] These excessive administrative overhead dollars could be redirected to improve the students' poor academic achievement, to enrich the academic programs or to substantially reduce local property taxes.[7] Consolidation of central administrations into one would not necessitate the closing of any schools.
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).[8]
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. This results in excessive school administration bureaucracy and not enough course diversity.[9] In a survey of 88 superintendents of small districts, 42% of the 49 respondents stated that they thought consolidation would save money without closing any schools.[10]
In 2007, the average teacher salary in the district was $51,866 for 180 days worked. The district ranked first in McKean County for average teacher salary in 2007.[11]
In the 2009–2010 budget year the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provided a 2.33% increase in state Basic Education funding for a total of $6,308,383. This was the lowest funding increase received by a McKean County school district in 2009. For comparison, Governor Rendell gave a 7.46% increase in funding to Bradford Area School District and Kane Area School District received a 5.32% increase in state funding. The commonwealth's Basic Education funding to Smethport Area School District in 2008–09 was $6,164,881.96.
The district also received $1,006,284 in ARRA – Federal Stimulus money to be used in specific programs like special education and meeting the academic needs of low income students.[12]
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. Grants provide an opportunity to supplement school funding without raising taxes.
School district officials did not apply for the Race to the Top federal grant which would have brought the district millions of additional federal dollars for improving student academic achievement.[13] The administration, school board and teachers' union prioritized local control over free resources to improve student success. A substantial property tax increase will be needed to make up for the rejected funding.
Property tax rates in 2009 were set at 15.8500 mills.[14] 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 a region.
In 2009, the Homestead/Farmstead Property Tax Relief from gambling for the Smethport Area School District was $187 per approved permanent primary residence. In the district, 1687 property owners applied for the tax relief. 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 buildings used for agricultural purposes. The farm must be at least 10 contiguous acres and must include the primary residence of the owner. Farmers can qualify for both the homestead exemption and the farmstead exemption. In 2009, 68% of McKean County property owners applied for the property tax relief.[15]
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, so people who make 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%).[16]
The school mascot is a wagon wheel, and they go by the name of "The Hubbers." The word "hubber" is symbolic of a wheel's hub—or center. The reason this is their name is because Smethport is the county seat—or the "hub" (center) of McKean County.
High school athletics include baseball, basketball (boys and girls), cheerleading, cross country, football, golf, soccer, softball (girls), track, volleyball (girls), wrestling
Other activities students may participate in are band, choir, French and German clubs, Spanish and student council[17]
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.[18]