The Scranton School District is a large, urban school district

School district

School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...

 located in Scranton, Pennsylvania

Scranton, Pennsylvania

Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...

. It serves the city of Scranton. Its current superintendent is William King. The district encompasses approximately 26 square miles. According to 2000 federal census data, it serves a resident population of 73,766. According to School District officials, in school year 2005-06, the Scranton School Districr provided basic educational services to 9,751 pupils through the employment of 747 teachers, 342 full-time and part-time support personnel, and 44 administrators. In 2006, the district students were: 72% white, 3% asian, 11% black and 14% hispanic.

Elementary

• John Adams Elementary
• Neil Armstrong Elementary
• John Audubon Elementary
• George Bancroft Elementary
• Isaac Tripp Elementary
• John F. Kennedy Elementary
• William Prescott Elementary
• Charles Sumner Elementary
• John G. Whittier Elementary
• Frances Willard Elementary
• McNichols Plaza Elementary

High

• Scranton High School
• West Scranton High School
  West Scranton High School
  West Scranton High School, is a community-based school in the "West Side" neighborhood of Scranton, Pennsylvania opened to the public in 1935, first as a junior high facility and later as a high school. One of the oldest schools in the area, it has about 32 clubs and 17 sports. It hosts grades 9...
  
  

Academic achievement

Scranton School District was ranked 306th out of 498 Pennsylvania school districts in 2011 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...

s for: reading, writing, math and three years of science.

• 2010 - 281st
• 2009 - 273rd
• 2008 - 233rd
• 2007 - 212th out of 501 Pennsylvania school districts.

In 2009, the academic achievement, of the students in the Scranton School District, was in the 33rd percentile among all 500 Pennsylvania school districts Scale (0-99; 100 is state best)

In 2008, a study was done of public schools in Lackawanna County and Luzerne County. It found that of the 10 public school districts in Lackawanna County, Scranton School District academic achievement ranked 7th in math and 9th in Reading. In 2004 the district was in School Improvement Level 1 AYP status. In 2005 the district was in School Improvement Level 1 AYP status. In 2006 and 2007, the district made AYP. In 2008 the district declined to Warning status.

Graduation rate

In 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a new, 4 year cohort graduation rate. Scranton School District's rate was 82% for 2010.

According to traditional graduation rate calculations:

• 2010 - 90%
• 2009 - 93%
• 2008 - 90%
• 2007 - 90%

College remediation:
In January 2009, 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...

 released a study on college preparation that found 22% of Scranton School District graduates required remediation in mathematics and or reading before they were prepared to take college level courses in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education

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.

Graduation requirements

The Scranton School Board has determined that students must earn 24 credits to graduate including: English 4 credits, Math 4 credits, Social Studies 4 credits, Arts Humanities 2 credits, Physical Education 1 credit, Health 0.8 credits, Safety 0.2 credits and 4 electives.

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. At Scranton School District the graduation project consists of a research paper that must be completed by the end of the first semester of the student's junior year.

By Pennsylvania School Board regulations, for the graduating classes of 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.

Dual enrollment

The high schools 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. This state program permits high school students to take courses, at local higher education institutions, to earn college credits. The students continue to have full access to activities and programs at their high school. 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. Under the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement, many Pennsylvania colleges and universities accept these credits for students who transfer to their institutions. The Pennsylvania College Credit Transfer System reported in 2009, that students saved nearly $35.4 million by having their transferred credits count towards a degree under the new system.

In 2010, the district received a $177,704 state grant to be used to assist students with tuition, fees and books.

Special Education

In December 2009, the district administration reported that 1776 pupils or 18.5% of the district's pupils received 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,...

 services.

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.

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.

Scranton School District received a $5,223,073 supplement for special education services in 2010.

Gifted Education

The District Administration reported that 167 students or 1.75% 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.

Bullying Policy

The Scranton School Administration reported one incident of bullying occurring in the schools in 2009.

The school board prohibits bullying by district students and employees. The Board directs that complaints of bullying shall be investigated promptly, and corrective action shall be taken when allegations are verified. No reprisals or retaliation shall occur as a result of good faith reports of bullying. 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. District administration are required to annually provide the following information with the district's Safe School Report: the board’s bullying policy, a report of bullying incidents in the school district, and information on the development and implementation of any bullying prevention, intervention or education programs. 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.

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.

Budget

In 2009, the district reports employing over 700 teachers with a starting salary of $34,000 for 185 days for pupil instruction. The average teacher salary was $55,011 while the maximum salary was $117,123. 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, Scranton School District teachers receive a defined benefit pension

Pension

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, 10 sick days, 5 paid bereavement days, and other benefits. Teachers are paid an additional hourly rate, if they are required to work outside of the regular school day. The school day is 6 and 1/4 hours in elementary schools and 6 and 3/4 hours in the middle schools/high schools. A retirement bonus of $10,000 a year for 7 years is paid to encourage teachers with more than 20 years service to retire. retirees also receive $100 for each unused sick day. 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 2007, the district employed 675 teachers. The average teacher salary in the district was $52,030 for 185 school days worked.

Scranton School District administrative costs per pupil in 2008 was $549.55 per pupil. The lowest administrative cost per pupil in Pennsylvania was $398 per pupil.

In 2008, Scranton School District reported spending $10,782 per pupil. This ranked 416th in the commonwealth.

Reserves
In 2009, the district reported $9,694,947 in a unreserved-undesignated fund balance. The designated fund balance was reported as zero.

In March 2009, the Pennsylvania Auditor General conducted a performance audit of the district. Multiple significant findings were reported to the administration and school board.

The district is funded by a combination of: a local earned income tax or 3.4%, 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 and Social Security income are exempted from state personal income tax and local earned income tax regardless of the individual's wealth.

State basic education funding

For 2010-11 the Scranton School District received a 3.77% increase in state Basic Education Funding resulting in a $40,471,931 payment. Dunmore School District

Dunmore School District

The Dunmore School District is a small, suburban school district which serves the Borough of Dunmore in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania. The district operates Dunmore High School, Dunmore Middle School and Dunmore Elementary Center. Dunmore School District encompasses approximately 8 square miles....

 received a 11.88% increase, which was the highest increase in BEF in Lackawanna County. 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...

 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.

In the 2009-2010 budget year the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provided a 9.46% increase in Basic Education funding for a total of $38,930,659. The state Basic Education funding to the district in 2008-09 was $35,567,428.08. 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. Scranton School District received the highest increase in Lackawanna County for the 2009-10 school year. Among the 500 school districts in Pennsylvania, 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.

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...

, 5310 district 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 Scranton School District applied for and received $1,527,244 in addition to all other state and federal funding. The district used the funding to provide full day kindergarten for the 3rd year.

Education Assistance Grant

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 were 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 Scranton School District received $495,858.

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. Scranton School District received $435,123 in 2006-07. In 2007-08 the district received $300,000. For the 2008-09, school year the district received $153,524 for a total of $888,647. Of the 501 public school districts in Pennsylvania, 447 of them received Classrooms for the Future grant awards.

Federal Stimulus Grant

The district received an extra $11,484,419 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 Title 1, special education and meeting the academic needs of low income students. The funding was for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years.

Race to the Top grant

School district officials applied 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 millions in 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 the grant. The failure of districts to agree to participate was cited as one reason that Pennsylvania was not approved.

Common Cents state initiative

The Scranton School Board chose 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 any of the recommended cost savings changes.

Real estate taxes

The Scraton School Board set property tax rates in 2010-2011 at 109.0000 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. 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.

2009-10 - 109.2400 mills.

In 2010, the high number of tax exempt properties became an issue. A Times-Tribune analysis found that 1,204 of Scranton's 27,037 properties were tax exempt and therefore paid no school property taxes.

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 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

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 Scranton School District 2006-2007 through 2010-2011.

• 2006-07 - 5.6%, Base 3.9%
• 2007-08 - 4.9%, Base 3.4%
• 2008-09 - 6.4%, Base 4.4%
• 2009-10 - 6.0%, Base 4.1%
• 2010-11 - 4.3%, Base 2.9%
• 2011-12 - 2.1%, Base 1.4%

Scranton School Board did not apply for exceptions to exceed the Act 1 index for the budgets in 2009-10 or in 2010-11. 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 2009, the Homestead/Farmstead Property Tax Relief from gambling for the Scranton School District was $334 per approved permanent primary residence. In the district, 13,037 property owners applied for the tax relief. 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. In Lackawanna County, the highest property tax relief in 2009 was awarded to the approved property owners in Scranton School District. Pennsylvania awarded the highest property tax relief to residents of the Chester-Upland School District in Delaware County

Delaware County, Pennsylvania

Delaware County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 558,979, making it Pennsylvania's fifth most populous county, behind Philadelphia, Allegheny, Montgomery, and Bucks counties....

 at $632 per homestead and farmstead in 2010. This was the second year Chester Upland School District was the top recipient.

According to Act 1 of 2006, Scranton School District could use gambling revenues for wage tax relief rather than 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, 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.

Property taxes in Pennsylvania are relatively high on a national scale. According to the Tax Foundation

Tax Foundation

The Tax Foundation is a Washington, D.C.-based think tank founded in 1937 that collects data and publishes research studies on tax policies at the federal and state levels. The organization is broken into three primary areas of research which are the Center for Federal Fiscal Policy, The and the...

, 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

Scranton School District offers a variety of clubs, activities and sports. Eligibility to participate is set by school board policies.

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 home schooled, 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.