| School District of York City | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
| 101 W College Avenue York, Pennsylvania, York, 03909 United States |
|
| Information | |
| Grades | Pre K-12 |
| Campus type | Urban |
| Website | http://www.ycs.k12.pa.us/ |
The School District of York City is a public school district serving the City of York, Pennsylvania in York County. The district encompasses approximately 5 square miles. According to 2000 federal census data, it serves a resident population of 40,968. According to District officials, in school year 2005–06 the SDCY provided basic educational services to 7,375 pupils through the employment of 440 teachers, 252 full-time and part-time support personnel, and 43 administrators. In 2010, Dr. Eric Holmes is the Acting Superintendent of Schools for the district.
The School District of York City is in Corrective Action II 3rd Year status due to its chronically low student achievement.[2]
The School District of York City was ranked 492nd out of 498 Pennsylvania school districts in 2011 by the Pittsburgh Business Times. The ranking was based on five years of student academic achievement on the PSSA results on: reading, writing, math and three years of science.[3]
In 2009, the academic achievement of the students of School DIstrict of York City was in the 1st 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. York City School District's rate was 70% for 2010.[7]
According to traditional graduation rate calculations:
The school is in Corrective Action II 5th Year status due to chronically poor student achievement.[12]
In 2009, William Penn Senior High School ranked 604th out of 666 Pennsylvania high schools for the reading and mathematics achievement of its students.[13]
According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 54% of William Penn 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.[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 Board has determined that each student must: complete a course of study to include 22 credits including: English 4 credits, Math 4 credits, Science 3 credits, Social Studies 3 credits, Health/PE 1 credit, Wellness 1 credit, and electives 5 credits. Students must also complete a graduation culminating project which provides 1 credit towards graduation. Students can earn one Wellness credit by participating in: JROTC, Varsity Sports, or Marching Band during the school year. You may earn a maximum of .5 credits per academic year.[22][23]
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.[24] The district's project focuses on career development.[25]
Beginning with the class of 2015, students must take the Keystone Exams in reading and math.[26]
The high school offers a 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, including the graduation ceremony. 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.[27] Under the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement, many Pennsylvania colleges and universities accept these credits for students who transfer to their institutions.[28]
For the 2010–11 funding year, the school district received a state grant of $37,919 for the program.[29]
8th Grade Reading
8th Grade Math
8th Grade Science
7th Grade Reading
7th Grade Math
6th Grade Reading
6th Grade Math on grade level
8th Grade Reading
8th Grade Math
8th Grade Science
7th Grade Reading
7th Grade Math
6th Grade Reading
6th Grade Math on grade level
The district provides an alternative education program to disruptive students at Lindbergh Education Center. The district spent approximately $4.8 million dollars to renovate the building for this purpose. The School District of York City reported spending $2.5 million in 2008, on alternative education outside of its own program for about 150–160 students.[32]
In December 2009, the district administration reported that 1568 pupils or 26% 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 believe their child is eligible for services may verbally request a multidisciplinary evaluation from a professional employee of the District or contact the Department of Special Education.[34]
ConsultLine is a toll-free parent helpline for special education questions and concerns of district residents. Advisors answer questions and provide information about the special education process and the laws governing such programs for parents of children with disabilities and educational agencies that serve them. 1-800-879-2301.
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.[35] 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 its 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 "C-" 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.[36]
The district has experienced a steady decline in enrollment, in the middle schools and high school, over the past five years. District officials reported a 26% decrease in enrollment in the district.[37]
Enrollment in 2010 is 5900 pupils. In 2005 there were 6617 pupils district wide. Some of the decline in enrollment is attributed to charter school enrollments in the district.
The school district administration reported there was 1 incident of bullying in the district in 2009.[38][39]
The York City School Board has provided the district's antibully policy online.[40] 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.[41] 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.[42]
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.[43]
In 2009 the district reported employing over 250 teachers with a salary range of $39,869 to $95,000.[44]
In 2007, the York City School District employed 379 teachers. The average teacher salary in the district was $58,823 for 180 days worked.[45]
According to an extensive study of York County school districts conducted by APA Associates in 2008, the School District of York City achieved a +7 rating based on Performance and Relative Efficiency. Central York School District and Northeastern York School District ranked +10 and 11 of 16 York County districts achieved a positive rating.[46]
The School District administrative costs was $917.59 per pupil in 2008. It ranked 96th among Pennsylvania's 500 school districts for administrative spending. The lowest administrative cost per pupil in Pennsylvania was $398 in 2008.[47]
In 2008 the district reported spending $12,698 per pupil which ranked 201st among Pennsylvania's 500 school districts.[48]
In January 2010, the Pennsylvania Auditor General conducted a performance audit of the district. Multiple significant findings were reported to the school board and administration.[49]
The district is funded by a combination of: a local earned income tax 1%, a property tax, a real estate transfer tax 0.50%, 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 income and Social Security income are exempted from state personal income tax and local earned income tax, regardless of the individual's level of wealth.[50]
For the 2010–11 budget year, the York City School District received a 2% increase in Basic Education Funding for a total of $46,739,875. One hundred fifty Pennsylvania school districts received the base 2% increase. The highest increase in York County was awarded to Hanover Public School District at 8.39%. Among Pennsylvania school districts, the highest increase in 2010–11 went to Kennett Consolidated School District in Chester County which received a 23.65% increase in state funding.[51] 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.[52]
In the 2009–2010 budget year, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provided a 9.62% increase in Basic Education funding for a total of $45,819,402. Four school districts in York County received increases of over 6% in Basic Education Funding in 2009 the highest of which was 12.54% to Central York School District. The state Basic Education funding to the district in 2008–09 was $41,799,672. In York County, 12 school districts received less than 6% increase in state basic education funding in 2010 and three districts received the base 2% increase. Ninety school districts in the commonwealth were given the base 2% increase. Among the 500 school districts in Pennsylvania, Muhlenberg School District in Berks County received the highest with a 22.31% increase in funding.[53]
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 5,996 students received free or reduced lunches in the 2007–2008 school year.[54]
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 York City School District applied for and received $2,037,957 in addition to all other state and federal funding. The district used the funding to provide Full Day Kindergarten.[55][56]
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. York City School District did not apply to participate in 2006–07. In 2007–08 the district received $310,138. The district received $53,664 in 2008–09 for a total of $363,802.[57]
The state's Education Assistance Program 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 York City School District received $630,235.[58]
The district received an extra $9,015,339 in ARRA – Federal Stimulus money to be used in specific programs like special education and meeting the academic needs of low income students.[59]
In 2010, Pennsylvania received $141 million from the federal department of education, to turn around its worst-performing schools. The funds were dispersed via a competitive grant program.[60] The Pennsylvania Department of Education has identified 200 Pennsylvania schools as "persistently lowest achieving," making them eligible for this special funding.[61] Pennsylvania required low performing schools to apply or provide documentation about why they had not applied. The funds must be used, by the district, to turn around schools in one of four ways: school closure, restart – close the school and reopen it as a charter school. The other two options involve firing the principal. One would require at least half the faculty in a chronically poor performing school be dismissed. The second involves intensive teacher training coupled with strong curriculum revision or a longer school day.[62] York City School District applied for the grant. Its application was denied by the Pennsylvania Department of Education for various reasons.[63]
School district officials applied for the Race to the Top federal grant. When approved for the grant, the district would have received millions in additional federal dollars for improving student academic achievement.[64] Due to the districts long term low student achievement tit was identified as a turnaround district. This meant the district would receive an additional $750 per pupil above the base granted amount. 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. Six York County school districts applied to participate. Pennsylvania was not approved for the grant. The failure of most districts to agree to participate was cited as one reason that Pennsylvania was not approved.[65]
The York City School Board decided 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.[66] After the review of the information, the district was not required to implement the recommended cost savings changes.
The school board levied a real estate tax of 29.5400 mills in 2010–11.[67] 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. On the local level, Pennsylvania 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, which are around 15% of revenues for school districts.[68]
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.[69]
The School District Adjusted Index for the York City School District 2006–2007 through 2011–2012.[70]
The School Board did not apply for any exceptions to exceed the Act 1 index for the budget in 2011.[71] 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.[72]
In 2010, the Homestead/Farmstead Property Tax Relief from gambling for the York City School District was $495 per approved permanent primary residence. In the district, 5,861 property owners applied for the tax relief.[73] In 2009, the district's property tax relief amount was set at $175 to 7,307 approved homestead owners. In 2010 within York County, the highest amount went to York City School District set at $495 per approved homestead. The property tax 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 and must be the primary residence of the owner. Farmers can qualify for both the homestead exemption and the farmstead exemption. Pennsylvania awarded the highest property tax relief to residents of the Chester-Upland School District in Delaware County at $641 per homestead and farmstead in 2010.[74] CUSD was given $632 in 2009. This was the second year they were 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 greater 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.
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%).[75]
The York City School Board established a district wellness policy in 2006 – Policy 246.[76] 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, physical activity, 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.[77]
The Pennsylvania Department of Education required the district to submit a copy of the policy for approval.
The district's students have access to a variety of clubs, activities and sports. Eligibility for participation is determined by the school board policy.[78]
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.[79][80]