Freeport Area School District
Encyclopedia
Buffalo Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania
Buffalo Township is a township in Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,827 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000,...
, Butler County
Butler County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 174,083 people, 65,862 households, and 46,827 families residing in the county. The population density was 221 people per square mile . There were 69,868 housing units at an average density of 89 per square mile...
, and the Freeport Junior High School
Freeport Junior High School
Freeport Junior High School, part of Freeport Area School District, is located on at 325 Fourth Street, Freeport, Pennsylvania, USA. Access is very good with recreational fields adjacent to the school property, though parking is a minor problem during after school functions. The original two-story...
and South Buffalo Elementary are located in Freeport
Freeport, Pennsylvania
Freeport is a borough in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, United States; it is situated along the Allegheny River in the southwest corner of the county. The population was 1,962 at the 2000 Census. Freeport received its name from David Todd, who declared it to be a free-port where no man would be...
in Armstrong County
Armstrong County, Pennsylvania
Armstrong County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 68,941. It is located northeast of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. Armstrong County was added to the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area in 2003.The county seat is Kittanning...
. There is also another Elementary School formally called Freeport Elementary School, now it holds all of the Kindergarteners and is called the Kindergarten Center. In 1969, the political divisions of Freeport, Buffalo and South Buffalo merged to form the Freeport Area School District. FASD lies along the banks of the Allegheny River
Allegheny River
The Allegheny River is a principal tributary of the Ohio River; it is located in the Eastern United States. The Allegheny River joins with the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River at the "Point" of Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
and is on the mouth of Buffalo Creek. It is located about 30 miles north of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. South Buffalo Elementary was recently remodeled following the remodeling of Buffalo Elementary. They look similar but South Buffalo is smaller, while Buffalo is larger.
Academic achievement
Freeport Area School District was ranked 63rd out of the 498 ranked Pennsylvania School Districts in 2008 by the Pittsburgh Business Times. The ranking was based on student academic achievement as demonstrated by 3 years of PSSAPennsylvania System of School Assessment
The Pennsylvania System of School Assessment is a standardized test administered to public schools in the state of Pennsylvania. Students in grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 11 are assessed in reading skills and mathematics. Students in grades 5, 8, and 11 are assessed in writing skills...
results in: reading, writing, math and one year of science. In 2007, the district ranked 72nd out of 501 Pennsylvania school districts.
Graduation rate
2009 - 99%
2008 - 99%
2007 - 99%
Freeport Senior High School
In 2009, the high school was ranked 53rd out of 123 western Pennsylvania high schools, by the Pittsburgh Business Times, for academic achievement based on three years of the PSSAPennsylvania System of School Assessment
The Pennsylvania System of School Assessment is a standardized test administered to public schools in the state of Pennsylvania. Students in grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 11 are assessed in reading skills and mathematics. Students in grades 5, 8, and 11 are assessed in writing skills...
s on: reading, writing, math and one year of science.
PSSA Results
11th Grade Reading
2009 - 79% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 65% of 11th graders on grade level.
2008 - 68%, State - 65%
2007 - 78%, State - 65%
11th Grade Math:
2009 - 60% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 56% of 11th graders are on grade level.
2008 - 59%, State - 56%
2007 - 61%, State - 53%
11th Grade Science:
2009 - 40% on grade level. State: 40% of 11th graders were on grade level.
2008 - 38%, State - 39%
College remediation: According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education
Pennsylvania Department of Education
The Pennsylvania Department of Education is the executive department of the state charged with K-12 and adult educational budgeting, management and guidelines. As the state education agency, its activities are directed by Pennsylvania's Secretary of Education, Gerald L. Zahorchak...
study released in January 2009, 23% of Freeport 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
Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education
The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and a large public university system in the United States. It is the tenth-largest university system in the United States and 43rd largest in the world...
or community colleges. 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. Per the Pennsylvania Department of Education
Pennsylvania Department of Education
The Pennsylvania Department of Education is the executive department of the state charged with K-12 and adult educational budgeting, management and guidelines. As the state education agency, its activities are directed by Pennsylvania's Secretary of Education, Gerald L. Zahorchak...
, 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.
Dual Enrollment - Freeport Senior High School does not offer the Pennsylvania Dual Enrollment
Dual enrollment
In education, dual enrollment involved students being enrolled in two separate, academically related institutions. It may also refer to any individual who is participating in two related programs, but such a general form of usage is uncommon....
program which permits students to earn deeply discounted college credits while still enrolled in high school. Over 400 school districts in Pennsylvania offer this state funded program.
Graduation project
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.Vocational Education
Starting August 31, 2009, Freeport Senior High School students were offered a second vocational education option through a half day program at Northern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center (NWCTC) in New Kensington. Freeport students still preferring a full-day vocational program attend Lenape Tech in Ford City.Lenape Technical School
In 1965, Lenape Technical School was opened. It serves the Freeport Area, ArmstrongArmstrong School District (Pennsylvania)
The Armstrong School District is a large, public school district which encompasses approximately 437 square miles. In Armstrong County, Pennsylvania the district covers the Boroughs of Applewold, Atwood, Dayton, Elderton, Ford City, Ford Cliff, Kittanning, Manorville, Rural Valley, West Kittanning...
, Apollo-Ridge
Apollo-Ridge School District
The Apollo-Ridge School District spans portions of two counties. In Armstrong County it covers the Boroughs of Apollo and North Apollo and Kiskiminetas Township. In Indiana County it covers Young Township...
, and Leechburg Area
Leechburg Area School District
The Leechburg Area School District is a public school district serving K–12 students from Leechburg Borough and Gilpin Township in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, and West Leechburg Borough in Westmoreland County in the U.S...
School Districts. Students are given the choice to go to Lenape Technical School or stay at their school for eleventh
Eleventh grade
Eleventh Grade is the eleventh, and for some countries final, grade of secondary schools. Students are typically 16 or 17 years of age, depending on the country and the students' birthdays.-Brazil:...
and twelfth
Twelfth grade
Twelfth grade or Senior year, or Grade Twelve, are the North American names for the final year of secondary school. In most countries students then graduate at age 17 or 18. In some countries, there is a thirteenth grade, while other countries do not have a 12th grade/year at all...
grades.
Budget
In 2007, the Freeport Area School District employed 128 teachers. The average teacher salary in the district was $52,370 for 181 days worked. 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. Additionally, the teachers receive a defined benefit pensionPension
In general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
, health insurance
Health insurance
Health insurance is insurance against the risk of incurring medical expenses among individuals. By estimating the overall risk of health care expenses among a targeted group, an insurer can develop a routine finance structure, such as a monthly premium or payroll tax, to ensure that money is...
, professional development reimbursement, paid personal days, paid sick days, a retirement bonus and other benefits. According to Rep. Glen Grell, a trustee of the state teacher retirement fund, a 40-year educator can retire with a pension equal to 100 percent of their final salary.
Freeport Area School District administrative costs in 2008 were $803.49 per pupil. The lowest administrative cost per pupil in Pennsylvania was $398, in 2008. The district provides an extensive benefit package to all administrators. On May 9, 2007, the board hired Stan Chapp as superintendent in a five-year contract. His initial salary was set at $119,000. In 2010, Dr. Chapp revealed that he was interviewing for other positions. His FASD salary had reached $128,000. Chapp's contract includes: a 3.5% annual increase, taxpayer funded health dental insurances, taxpayers provide these insurances in retirement, 2 life insurance policies of $150,000 and $200,000, and much more. The contract expires May 9, 2012
The district is funded by a combination of: a local earned income tax, a local real property tax, a real estate transfer tax, and a per capita tax, coupled with substantial funding from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the federal government. Grants 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 income level.
State basic education funding
In the 2009-2010 budget year the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provided the Armstrong School District a 5.16% increase in Basic Education Funding for a total of $6,592,525. Two Armstrong County school districts received increases of over 5% in Basic Education Funding. South Butler County School DistrictSouth Butler County School District
South Butler County School District is a school district located in southern Butler County, Pennsylvania and teaches students from Clinton, Jefferson, Penn, Winfield Townships, and Saxonburg Borough.-The District:...
received an increase of 4.54%. Sixteen school districts in Pennsylvania received an increase of over 10% in 2009. The Muhlenberg School District
Muhlenberg School District
The Muhlenberg Area School District is a public school district serving parts of Berks County, Pennsylvania, USA. It encompasses the borough of Laureldale and the Muhlenberg Township. The district encompasses approximately 13 square miles. Per the 2000 federal census data it serves a resident...
of Berks County received an increase of 22.31% in 2009-10. The state Basic Education Funding to Freeport Area School District in 2008-09 was $6,268,794.18. The amount of increase each school district receives is determined by the Governor and the Secretary of Education through the allocation set in the budget proposal made in February each year.
Federal Stimulus Funding
The district received an extra $1,166,708 in ARRAArra
Arra is a census town in Puruliya district in the state of West Bengal, India.-Demographics: India census, Arra had a population of 19,911. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Arra has an average literacy rate of 66%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with 59% of the...
- Federal Stimulus money to be used in specific programs like special education and meeting the academic needs of low income students. The funding is for 2009-2011 school years.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education
Pennsylvania Department of Education
The Pennsylvania Department of Education is the executive department of the state charged with K-12 and adult educational budgeting, management and guidelines. As the state education agency, its activities are directed by Pennsylvania's Secretary of Education, Gerald L. Zahorchak...
, 449 students qualified for free or reduced lunch due to low family income in 2008.
Race to the Top grant
Freeport Area School District officials did not apply for the Race to the TopRace to the Top
Race to the Top, abbreviated R2T, RTTT or RTT, is a $4.35 billion United States Department of Education competition designed to spur innovation and reforms in state and local district K-12 education...
federal grant which would have brought the district up to one million additional federal dollars for improving 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. Pennsylvania was not approved in the first round of the grant. The failure of districts to agree to participate was cited as one reason that Pennsylvania was not approved. A second round of state RTTT application judging will occur in June 2010.
Real estate taxes
Property tax rates in 2009-10 are 49.0000 mills. 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.In 2009, the Homestead/Farmstead Property Tax Relief from gambling for the Freeport Area School District was $208 per approved permanent primary residence. In the district, 3,387 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 building used for agricultural purposes. The farm must be at least 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) and must be the primary residence of the owner. Farmers can qualify for both the homestead exemption and the farmstead exemption. In Armstrong County, 77% of eligible property owners applied for property tax relief in 2009.
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. This rebate 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%).
Extracurriculars
The district offers a variety of clubs, activities and sports. The Freeport Area School Board determines eligibility policies to participate in these programs.All Freeport teams are called "The Yellow Jackets" and are part of the WPIAL
Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League
The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League is an interscholastic athletic association in Western Pennsylvania. It is District 7 of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. The league is colloquially known as "WIP-ee-al"...
(PIAA District 7), as well as a hockey team
Pennsylvania high school hockey
Ice hockey is a popular and growing sport in the state of Pennsylvania. Teams from 150 high schools competed as varsity ice hockey teams in Western and Eastern Pennsylvania . Unlike every other high school sport in Pennsylvania, hockey is not run under Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic...
in the PIHL
Pennsylvania high school hockey
Ice hockey is a popular and growing sport in the state of Pennsylvania. Teams from 150 high schools competed as varsity ice hockey teams in Western and Eastern Pennsylvania . Unlike every other high school sport in Pennsylvania, hockey is not run under Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic...
. In 2007, the hockey team won the Penguins Cup
Penguins Cup
The Penguins Cup is a high school ice hockey tournament of over 70 high school ice hockey teams from western Pennsylvania. The tournament is run by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League with the finals administered by the National Hockey League's Pittsburgh Penguins franchise...
.
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.
History
The Junior High was built in 1923 and is still in use today. In the 1960s, the Cafe was added to the School. Before then the students would travel out in Freeport and eat at several restaurants.The Junior High school used to be the high school. In 1960, a new high school was built in Sarver. Some high school events, such as football games, were still at the junior high. As of 2008, scoreboards were installed at the senior high fields, and the high school sports have been moved to the senior high. The varsity
Varsity team
In the United States and Canada, varsity sports teams are the principal athletic teams representing a college, university, high school or other secondary school. Such teams compete against the principal athletic teams at other colleges/universities, or in the case of secondary schools, against...
football team, however, still plays at the junior high.