The Galeton Area School District is a public school district in Potter County, Pennsylvania

Potter County, Pennsylvania

Potter County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is in the Allegheny Plateau region. As of 2010, the population was 17,457. Its county seat is Coudersport. Potter County was named after James Potter, who was a general from Pennsylvania in the Continental Army during the...

. It serves the municipalties of Galeton, Abbott Township, West Branch Township, Pike Township, and a portion of Hector Township in Potter County, plus the townships of Elk and Gaines in Tioga County, Pennsylvania

Tioga County, Pennsylvania

Tioga County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 41,981. Tioga County was created on March 26, 1804, from part of Lycoming County and named for the Tioga River. Its county seat is Wellsboro....

. The Galeton Area School District encompasses approximately 325 square miles. According to 2000 federal census data, it serves a resident population of 3,292. According to District officials, in school year 2005-06, the Galeton Area School Distirct provided basic educational services to 401 pupils through the employment of 50 teachers, 19 full-time and part-time support personnel, and 4 administrators. The district students are 94% white, 1% asian, 3% black and 1% Hispanic.

The district is governed by 9 individually elected board members (serve four year terms), the Pennsylvania State Board of Education, 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...

 and the Pennsylvania General Assembly

Pennsylvania General Assembly

The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. In colonial times , the legislature was known as the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly. Since the Constitution of 1776, written by...

. The district is part of the Seneca Highlands Intermediate Unit 9 which provides services for special education

Special education

Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials,...

 students, curriculum development and teacher training.

Academic Achievement

Class size - teacher pupil ratio is among the lowest in the Commonwealth. There are two teachers for each primary grade. (PreK through 4th grade) In the Pre Kindergarten program there are two teachers for a total of 22 pupils.

Galeton Area School District was ranked 432nd out of 498 Pennsylvania school districts in 2008 by the Pittsburgh Business Times. The ranking was based on five years of student academic performance on the PSSA

Pennsylvania 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 on: reading, writing, math and three years of science.

• 2010 - 423rd
• 2009 - 452nd
• 2008 - 452nd
• 2007 - 462nd of 500 school districts in Pennsylvania.

Graduation rate
In 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a new, 4 year cohort graduation rate. Galeton Area School District's rate was 84% for 2010.

According to traditional graduation rate calculations:

• 2010 - 91%
• 2009 - 75%
• 2008 - 87%
• 2007 - 87%

High School

PSSA Results:

11th Grade Reading

• 2010 - 57% on grade level, In Pennsylvania, 67% of 11th graders on grade level. (38 pupils)
• 2009 - 58%, State - 65%
• 2008 - 52%, State - 65%
• 2007 - 56%, State - 65%

11th Grade Math

• 2010 - 47%, In Pennsylvania, 59% of 11th graders are on grade level.
• 2009 - 66%, State - 56%
• 2008 - 40%, State - 55%
• 2007 - 43%, State - 53%

11th Grade Science:

• 2010 - 28% on grade level. State: 39% of 11th graders were on grade level.
• 2009 - 37%, State - 40%
• 2008 - 29%, State - 39%

Dual Enrollment - The 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 Pennsylvania 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 requirement

The Galeton Area School Board has determined that a student must earn 24 credits to graduate including: English 4 credits, Math 3 credits, Social Studies 4 credits, Science 3 credits, Physical Education 1 credit each year, Health 0.5 credits, Music1 credit, Technology 1 credit and electives. Students must also complete 40 hours of community service.

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.

Eighth Grade

8th Grade Reading:

• 2010 - 77% on grade level. State: 81% of 8th graders were on grade level. (27 pupils)
• 2009 - 50%, State: 80.9%
• 2008 - 81%, State - 78%

8th Grade Math:

• 2010 - 59% on grade level. State - 75% of 8th graders were on grade level
• 2009 - 43%, State - 71% of 8th graders were on grade level.
• 2008 - 57%, State -70%

8th Grade Science:

• 2010 - 38% on grade level. State: 55% of 8th graders were on grade level.
• 2009 - 38%, State: 57%
• 2008 - 38%, State - 50%

Seventh Grade

7th Grade Reading:

• 2010 - 63% on grade level. State: 73% of 7th graders were on grade level. (17 pupils)
• 2009 - 66%, State - 71%
• 2008 - 53%, State - 70%

7th Grade Math:

• 2010 - 94% on grade level. State - 77% of 7th graders were on grade level.
• 2009 - 72%, State - 75%
• 2008 - 47%, State - 70%

Sixth Grade

6th Grade Reading:

• 2010 - 94% on grade level. State: 67% of 6th graders were on grade level. (18 pupils)
• 2009 - 65%, State - 67%
• 2008 - 55%, State - 67%

6th Grade Math:

• 2010 - 100% on grade level. State - 78% of 6th graders were on grade level.
• 2009 - 90%, State - 75%
• 2008 - 62%, State - 72%

Fifth Grade

5th Grade Reading:

• 2010 - 68% on grade level. State - 64% of 5th graders were on grade level. (22 pupils)
• 2009 - 89%, State - 64%
• 2008 - 60%, State - 61%

5th Grade Math:

• 2010 -72% on grade level. State - 73% of 5th graders were on grade level.
• 2009 -100%, State - 73%
• 2008 - 85%, State - 72%

Fourth Grade

4th Grade Reading:

• 2010 - 69% on grade level. State: 72% of 4th graders were on grade level. (23 pupils)
• 2009 - 65%, State - 72%
• 2008 - 65%, State - 70%

4th Grade Math:

• 2010 - 87% on grade level. State - 84% of 4th graders were on grade level.
• 2009 - 87%, State - 81%
• 2008 - 96%, State - 79%

4th Grade Science:

• 2010 - 85% on grade level. State - 81% of 4th graders were on grade level.
• 2009 - 74%, State - 83%
• 2008 - 96%, State - 81%

Third Grade

3rd Grade Reading:

• 2010 - 75% on grade level. State - 77% of 3rd graders were on grade level. (29 pupils)
• 2009 - 75%, State - 77%
• 2008 - 88%, State - 77%

3rd Grade Math:

• 2010 - 96% on grade level. State: 81% of 3rd graders were on grade level.
• 2009 - 88%, State - 81%
• 2008 - 76%, State - 80%

Special Education

In December 2008, the district reported that 333 pupils or 13.4% were receiving special education services. Galeton Area School District provides a wide spectrum of special education services. Services and programs available within the District include learning support, speech/language support, secondary life skills support, occupational therapy, physical therapy, vision, adaptive physical education, ESL/LEP, job training, and alternative education programs at the secondary level. The district is required to conduct child find activities for children who may be eligible for services via Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

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 Department of Special Education. The IDEA 2004

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is a United States federal law that governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education, and related services to children with disabilities...

 requires each school entity to publish a notice to parents, in newspapers or other media, including the student handbook and website regarding the availablilty of screening and intervention services and how to access them.

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.

Galeton Area School District received a $261,887 supplement for special education services in 2010.

Gifted Education

The District Administration reported that 3 students or 1.90% of its students were gifted in 2009. 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. Students identified as gifted attending the High School have access to honors and advanced placement courses, and dual enrollment with local colleges. 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. 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.

Enrollment and Administration Costs

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...

, total enrollment K-12 is 362 students. There were 36 students in the Class of 2009. The senior class of 2010 has 30 students. Enrollment in Galeton Area School District is projected to continue to remain very low through 2017.

Galeton Area School District had the highest administrative costs per pupil among all the 500 school districts in Pennsylvania in 2008 at $1,668 per pupil. The lowest administrative cost per pupil in Pennsylvania was $398 per pupil.

With limited resources, opportunities for students are acutely limited. In a Pennsylvania Legislative Budget and Finance Committee study on school consolidation, 63% of the superintendents that responded expressed agreement that consolidation with another district could help them provide additional academic enrichment opportunities for their students. Consolidation with adjacent school districts would achieve substantial cost savings for people in all the impacted communities. In March 2011, the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants Fiscal Responsibility Task Force released a report which found that consolidating school district administrations with one neighboring district, would save the Commonwealth $1.2 billion dollars without forcing the consolidation of any schools.

Over the next 10 years, rural Pennsylvania school enrollment is projected to decrease 8 percent. 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. 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.

Bullying and school safety

In 2009, the administrative reported there were no incidents of bullying in the district.

Galeton Area School Board has not posted the an antibullying policy online in the district's website. 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. 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.

Budget

In 2007, the average teacher salary in the district was $48,505 for 180 days worked. Galton is ranked second in Potter County for average teacher salary in 2007. 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 pension, health insurance, professional development reimbursement, personal days, 10 paid sick days, and other benefits. 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.

In 2006 the school board awarded a four year contract to David W. Wishard to serve as superintendent from June 25, 2006 to June 30, 2010. His salary was initially set at $97,000 with raises to increase it to $103,000 in 2010. Additionally he received an extensive benefits package including: health insurance, life insurance and dues paid by taxpayers.

In 2008, per pupil spending at Galeton Area School District was the second highest in the state at $26,781 for each child.

In April 2009, the Pennsylvania Auditor General conducted a performance audit of the Galeton Area School District. Multiple findings were cited. They were reported to the school board and school administration. An audit conducted in 2005 also noted several findings.

The district is funded by a combination of: a local earned income tax, a property tax, a real estate transfer tax 0.5%, 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 income level.

State Basic Education Funding

For the 2010-11 school year, the state allocated a 2% increase in Basic Education Funding for a total of $2,100,963. Governor Rendell determined that one hundred fifty school districts received a 2% increase in Basic Education Funding for 2010-2011. In Potter County the highest increase went to Coudersport Area School District

Coudersport Area School District

The Coudersport Area School District is a small rural, public school district which covers the Borough of Coudersport and the southern and western portions of Allegany Township, Eulalia Township, Hebron Township, Homer Township, Summit Township and Sweden Township in Potter County, Pennsylvania. ...

 at 5.50% and the highest in Pennsylvania went to Kennett Consolidated School District

Kennett Consolidated School District

The Kennett Consolidated School District,or KCSD for short, is a public school district serving portions of Chester County, Pennsylvania. It is centered on the borough of Kennett Square and also incorporates Kennett Township, New Garden Township, and the southern portion of East Marlborough Twp....

 in Chester County

Chester County, Pennsylvania

-State parks:*French Creek State Park*Marsh Creek State Park*White Clay Creek Preserve-Demographics:As of the 2010 census, the county was 85.5% White, 6.1% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 3.9% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 1.8% were two or more races, and 2.4% were...

 which received a 23.65% increase in state funding.

In the 2009-2010 budget year the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provided a 2% increase in Basic Education funding for a total of $2,059,768. The majority of Potter County districts received a 2% increase. In Pennsylvania, over 15 school districts received Basic Education Funding increases in excess of 10% in 2009. 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...

 in Berks County received the highest with a 22.31% increase in funding. The state's Basic Education Funding to the Galeton Area School District in 2008-09 was $2,019,379.65 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.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 211 students received free or reduced lunches due to low family income in the 2007-2008 school year.

Accountability Block Grants

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 Galeton Area School District applied for and received $75,907 in addition to all other state and federal funding. The district used the funding to provide Pre Kindergarten classes for 7 years.

Education Assistance Grant

The state's EAP 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 Galeton Area School District received $10,805.

Environmental Education Grant

The district is participating in a collaborative environmental education program called "Project Wet". Funding is from a federal grant. It will fund teacher preparation and be used to purchase water montoring equipment for the students to use in a hands on science curriculum

Classrooms for the Future grant

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. Galeton Area School District applied to participate in 2006-07, but was denied funding. The district received $59,293 in 2007-08 and $35,635 in 2008-09 for a total of $94,928 in state funding.

Federal Stimulus Grant

The district received $391,713 in ARRA

Arra

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.

Race to the Top Grant

School district officials did not apply for the Race to the Top

Race 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 hundreds of thousands of 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 for a 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.

Common Cents state initiative

The school board elected 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. After the review of the information, the district was not required to implement the recommended cost savings changes.

Real Estate Taxes

Property tax rates in 2009 were set at 37.0486 mills for Potter County. Property owners in Tioga County were charged 14.0553 mills. Potter County property owners millage was set at 36.7758 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. On the local level, 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, which are around 15% of revenues for school districts.

• 2009-10 - 37.2680 mills Potter County. Tioga County - 13.8457 mills
• 2008-09 - 37.0486 mills Potter County. Tioga County - 14.0563 mills

Act 1 Adjusted index

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 2010-2011 school year is 1.4 percent, but it can be adjusted higher, depending on a number of factors, such as local 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, increasing rising health care 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

Bureau of Labor Statistics

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is a unit of the United States Department of Labor. It is the principal fact-finding agency for the U.S. government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics. The BLS is a governmental statistical agency that collects, processes, analyzes, and...

 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.

The School District Adjusted Index for the Galeton Area School District 2006-2007 through 2011-2012.

• 2006-07 - 5.1%, Base 3.9%
• 2007-08 - 4.3%, Base 3.4%
• 2008-09 - 5.5%, Base 4.4%
• 2009-10 - 5.0%, Base 4.1%
• 2010-11 - 3.6%, Base 2.9%
• 2011-12 - 1.7%, Base 1.4%

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.

Property Tax Relief

In 2010, the state set the district's property tax relief at $213 for 830 approved homesteads and farmsteads. In 2009, the Homestead/Farmstead Property Tax Relief from gambling for the Galeton Area School District was $235 per approved permanent primary residence. In the district, 753 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 2009, 79% of Potter County property owners applied for the property tax relief.

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%).

Extracurriculars

The district offers a variety of clubs, activities and sports. The school board determines eligibility policies to participate in these programs.

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.