| South Williamsport Area School District | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
| 515 West Central Ave. South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Lycoming County, 17702-7206 United States |
|
| Information | |
| School board | 9 elected members |
| Superintendent | Thomas C. Farr |
| Grades | K-12 |
| Kindergarten | 90 |
| Grade 1 | 120 |
| Grade 2 | 98 |
| Grade 3 | 93 |
| Grade 4 | 108 |
| Grade 5 | 99 |
| Grade 6 | 92 |
| Grade 7 | 124 |
| Grade 8 | 101 |
| Grade 9 | 107 |
| Grade 10 | 111 |
| Grade 11 | 108 |
| Grade 12 | 112 |
| Other | Enrollment projected to be 1470 by 2019 |
| Mascot | Mountaineer |
| Website | http://www.mounties.k12.pa.us/ |
The South Williamsport Area School District is a small public school district in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The school serves several suburbs of Williamsport, including South Williamsport, Duboistown, Susquehanna Township, and Armstrong Township. The district encompasses approximately 36 square miles (93 km2). According to 2000 federal census data, it serves a resident population of 9,400. According to district officials, in school year 2007-08 the South Williamsport Area School District provided basic educational services to 1,370 pupils through the employment of 103 teachers, 68 full-time and part-time support personnel, and 9 administrators.
The three district schools are Central Elementary, Rommlet Elementary, and South Williamsport Jr/Sr High Schools.
Contents |
South Williamsport Area School District was ranked 131st out of 498 Pennsylvania school districts in 2011. by the Pittsburgh Business Times. The ranking was based on student academic performance based five years of student achievement scores on the PSSAs for: reading, writing, math and three years of science.[2]
In 2009, the academic achievement, of the students in the South Williamsport Area School District, was in the 83rd percentile among all 500 Pennsylvania school districts Scale (0-99; 100 is state best) [5]
In 2011, the graduation rate declined to 87%. [6] In 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a new, 4 year cohort graduation rate. South Williamsport Area High School's rate was 79% for 2010.[7]
Former AYP graduation rate:
According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 3% of South Williamsport Senior 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 mathematics or English.
The South Williamsport Area School Board has determined that a student must earn 24 credits to graduate, including English 4 credits, Math 4 credits, Social Studies 4 credits, Science 3 credits, and Health/PE 1 credit.[20]
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.[21] The students at South Williamsport Area School Senior High School are required to complete a portfolio, a mock interview and a presentation.[22]
By Pennsylvania State 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.[23]
In 2011 and 2010 the school achieved AYP status. [29] In 2011 the attendance rate was 95%. [30] In 2010, the school reports a 96% attendance rate.
In 2010, the school reports a 96% attendance rate.[32]
In December 2009, the district administration reported that 176 pupils or 12% of the district's pupils received Special Education services.[33]
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.[34]
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.[35]
South Williamsport Area School District received a $804,884 supplement for special education services in 2010.[36] For the 2011-12 budget year the districts received the same level of funding.
The district administration reported that 19 or 1.4% of its students were gifted in 2009.[37] 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. 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.[38] 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.[39]
The South Williamsport Area School District administration reported there were no incidents of bullying in the district in 2009.[40][41]
The South Williamsport Area School Board has provided the district's antibully policy online.[42] 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.[43] 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.[44]
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.[45]
In 2009, the district reports employing over 100 teachers with a starting salary of $40,000 for 180 days for pupil instruction.[46] The average teacher salary was $54,609 while the maximum salary is $113,797.[47] 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.[48]
Additionally, South Williamsport Area 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 extra if they are required to work outside of the regular school day [49] 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.[50]
In 2007, the district employed 97 teachers. The average teacher salary in the district was $50,233 for 180 school days worked.[51]
South Williamsport Area School District administrative costs per pupil in 2008 was $845.83 per pupil. The district is ranked 142nd out of 500 in Pennsylvania for administrative spending. The lowest administrative cost per pupil in Pennsylvania was $398 per pupil.[52]
In 2008, South Williamsport Area School District reported spending $10,823 per pupil. This ranked 410th in the commonwealth.[53]
In 2009, the district reported $1,462,887 in a unreserved-undesignated fund balance. The designated fund balance was reported as $175,000.[54]
In November 2010, the Pennsylvania Auditor General conducted a performance audit of the district. Findings were reported to the administration and school board.[55]
The district is funded by a combination of a local income tax, a property tax, and a real estate transfer tax, 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. 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.[56]
In 2011-12, the School District will receive $5,672,963 in state Basic Education Funding. [57] Additionally, the district will receive $79,883 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.[58] Districts experienced a reduction in total funding, due to the state's loss of federal stimulus funding, which ended in 2011.
In 2010, the district reported that 483 pupils received a free or reduced lunch due to the family meeting the federal poverty level.
For the 2010-11 school year, the South Williamsport Area School District received a 4.10% increase in state Basic Education Funding resulting in a $6,229,088 payment.[59] Loyalsock Township School District received a 8.13% increase, which was the highest increase in Basic Education Funding in Lycoming 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.[60]
In the 2009-2010 budget year, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provided a 5.47% increase in Basic Education funding for a total of $5,983,494. The state Basic Education funding to the district in 2008-09 was $5,672,963.11. 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.[61] Loyalsock Township School District received a 5.94% increase, the highest increase in Lycoming 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. [62]
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 448 district students received free or reduced lunches due to low family income in the 2007-2008 school year.[63]
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, South Williamsport Area School District applied for and received $216,823 in addition to all other state and federal funding. The district used the funding to provide full day kindergarten for the 6th year.[64][65]
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. South Williamsport Area School District did not apply for funding. Of the 501 public school districts in Pennsylvania, 447 of them received Classrooms for the Future grant awards.[66]
The district received an extra $866,044 in ARRA - federal stimulus money to be used in specific programs like special education and meeting the academic needs of low income students.[67] The funding is 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 up to one million additional federal dollars for improving student academic achievement.[68] 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.[69] 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.[70]
The South Williamsport Area School Board chose to participate in the Pennsylvania Department of Education Common Cents program.[71] 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.[72] After the review of the information, the district was not required to implement the recommended cost savings changes. The review identified potential annual savings of over $130,000 over a variety of cost centers including: food services, transportation, purchasing and utility costs. Opportunities for savings in food services and utility costs appeared particularly promising for the district.[73]
The school board set property tax rates in 2010-2011 at 12.3000 mills.[74] 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.[75] The school district includes municipalities in three counties, each of which has different rates of property tax assessment, necessitating a state board equalization of the tax rates between the counties.
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.[76]
The School District Adjusted Index for the South Williamsport Area School District 2006-2007 through 2010-2011.[77]
For the 2011-12 school year, the South Williamsport Area School Board applied for three exceptions to exceed the Act 1 Index. They were for Maintenance of Local Tax Revenue, special education costs and for employee pension costs. Each year, the South Williamsport Area 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. [78]
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. [79]
South Williamsport Area School Board did not apply for exceptions to exceed the Act 1 index for the budgets in 2009-10 or in 2010-11.[80] 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.[81]
In 2009, the Homestead/Farmstead Property Tax Relief from gambling for the South Williamsport Area School District was $229 per approved permanent primary residence. In the district, 2,444 property owners applied for the tax relief.[82] 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 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 69% of property owners applied for tax relief in Lycoming County.[83] In Lycoming County, the highest property tax relief in 2009 was $310 awarded to the approved property owners in Williamsport Area 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.[84] 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.[85]
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%).[86]
The South Williamsport Area School District offers a variety of clubs, activities and sports.
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.[87]