Minersville Area School District

Minersville Area School District
Address
1 Battlin' Miner Drive, PO Box 787 Minersville, Pennsylvania, Schuylkill 17954 United States
Information
Type	Public
School board	9 elected members
Grades	K-12
Enrollment	1188 (2009-2010)
• Kindergarten	127
• Grade 1	94
• Grade 2	84
• Grade 3	93
• Grade 4	63
• Grade 5	99
• Grade 6	86
• Grade 7	89
• Grade 8	91
• Grade 9	105
• Grade 10	96
• Grade 11	97
• Grade 12	64
Website	http://www.battlinminers.com/

The Minersville Area School District is a public school district in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. It is centered on the borough of Minerville and also serves the townships of Branch, Cass, Foster, and Reilly. The district features on elementary school and a combined junior-senior high school. The district encompasses approximately 55 square miles. According to 2000 federal census data, it serves a resident population of 10,732.

Governance

The district is governed by a 9-member board that is elected to serve four-year terms, the Pennsylvania State Board of Education, the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the Pennsylvania General Assembly. The federal government controls programs it funds like Title I funding for low-income children in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and President George W. Bush's No Child Left Behind Act, which mandates the district focus 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 "F" 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.

The district is served by the Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29 which offers a variety of services, including assistance with developing K-12 curriculum that is mapped and aligned with the Pennsylvania Academic Standards, shared services, a group purchasing program and a wide variety of special education and special needs services.

Academic achievement

The Minersville Areistrict was ranked 409th out of 498 Pennsylvania school districts, in 2010, by the Pittsburgh Business Times. The ranking was based on student academic performance on four years of PSSA results in: reading, writing, mathematics and two years of science.

2009 - 388th
2008 - 351st
2007 - 348th of 501 school districts by the Pittsburgh Business Times.

In 2010, the Pittsburgh Business Times reported an Overachievers Ranking for 498 Pennsylvania school districts. Minersville Area ranked 324th. In 2009 the district was 299th. The paper describes the ranking as: "a ranking answers the question - which school districts do better than expectations based upon economics? This rank takes the Honor Roll rank and adds the percentage of students in the district eligible for free and reduced-price lunch into the formula. A district finishing high on this rank is smashing expectations, and any district above the median point is exceeding expectations."

Graduation rate

• 2010 - 84%
• 2009 - 86%
• 2008 - 91%
• 2007 - 91%

Junior/senior high school

PSSA Results
11th Grade Reading
2010 - 63% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 67% of 11th graders on grade level. (101 pupils)
2009 - 52%, State - 65% (70 pupils)
2008 - 52%, State - 65% (78 pupils)
2007 - 62%, State - 65% (94 pupils)

11th Grade Math:
2010 - 52% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 59% of 11th graders are on grade level.
2009 - 44%, State - 56%
2008 - 39%, State - 56%
2007 - 53%, State - 53%

11th Grade Science:
2010 - 30% on grade level. State - 39% of 11th graders were on grade level.
2009 - 33%, State - 40%
2008 - 30%, State - 39%

College remediation: According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 33% of Minersville Area 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. 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, 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

Minersville Area School District requires students to complete 24 credits in grades 9 through 12, 6.0 credits in Grade 12, and 20 hours of community service by the end of Grade 11. English 4 credits, History 4 credits, Math 3 credits, Science 3 credits, Physical education 1 credits, Health 0.5 credits, 8.5 credits. All students must take English, Math, Science, History, and Physical Education every year.

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.

By Pennsylvania School Board regulations, for the graduating classes of 2015 and 2016, students must demonstrate successful completion of secondary level course work in Algebra I, Biology, English Composition, and Literature for which the Keystone Exams serve as the final course exams. Students’ Keystone Exam scores shall count for at least one-third of the final course grade.

Dual enrollment

The high school does not offer the Pennsylvania dual enrollment program which permits students to earn deeply discounted college credits with the assistance of a state grant. Over 400 school districts in Pennsylvania offer their high school juniors and seniors the dual enrollment program.

Junior high school achievement

8th Grade Reading:
2010 - 84% on grade level. State - 81%
2009 - 76%, State - 80% (92 pupils)
2008 - 75%, State - 78%
2007 - 74%, State - 75% (95 pupils)

8th Grade Math:
2010 - 65% on grade level. State - 75%
2009 - 48%, State - 71%
2008 - 69%, State - 70%
2007 - 70%, State - 67%

8th Grade Science:
2010 - 66% on grade level. State: 57% of 8th graders were on grade level.
2009 - 51%, State: - 54%
2008 - 50%, State - 52%

7th Grade Reading:
2010 - 74% on grade level. State - 73% (91 pupils)
2009 - 70%, State - 71.7% (86 pupils)

7th Grade Math:
2010 - 80% on grade level. State - 77%
2009 - 75%, State - 75%

Elementary Center

6th Grade Reading:
2010 - 85% on grade level. State - 68% (73 pupils)
2009 - 95%, State - 67% (85 pupils)

6th Grade Math:
2010 - 79% on grade level. State - 78%
2009 - 85%, State - 75.9%

5th Grade Reading:
2010 - 69%, State - 64% (101 pupils)
2009 - 52%, State - 72%
2008 - 59%, State - 70%

5th Grade Math:
2010 - 76%, State - 74%
2009 - 61%, State - 82%
2008 - 69%, State - 80%

4th Grade Reading:
2010 - 64%, State - 72% (74 pupils)
2009 - 76%, State - 72%
2008 - 58%, State - 70%

4th Grade Math:
2010 - 83%, State - 84%
2009 - 87%, State - 82%
2008 - 79%, State - 80%

4th Grade Science:
2010 - 75% on grade level. State - 81% of 4th graders were on grade level
2009 - 90%, State - 83%
2008 - 80%

3rd Grade Reading:
2010 - 92%, State - 75% (100 pupils)
2009 - 83%, State - 72%
2008 - 80%, State - 70%

3rd Grade Math:
2010 - 87%, State - 84%
2009 - 85%, State - 82%
2008 - 83%, State - 80%

Early Childhood Center - The district provides all-day kindergarten and a taxpayer-funded preschool for four-year-olds.

Special education

In December 2009, the Minersville Area SD reported that 20% of the pupils received special education services. The district provides special education and related service to resident children with disabilities who are ages three through twenty-one. Examples of services the district provides are speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, nursing services, audiologist services, counseling, and family training. The district must conduct a multidisciplinary team evaluation of every child who is thought to have a disability. This may be requested by the parent or teacher.

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.

Minersville Area School District received a $672,181 supplement for special education services in 2010.

Gifted education

The District Administration reported that less than 10 its students were identified as 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.

Wellness policy

Minersville Area School Board established a district wellness policy in 2006 - Policy 246. 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.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education required the district to submit a copy of the policy for approval.

Budget

In 2007, the district employed 73 teachers. The average teacher salary in the district was $46,978 for 180 days worked. In 2009 the district employed 99 teachers and the teacher's salaries ranged between $40,000 and $64,000.

Minersville School District administrative costs per pupil in 2008 was $663 per pupil. The lowest administrative cost per pupil in Pennsylvania was $398 per pupil. In 2007, Mr Brady reported that his salary was $0 and that he had worked without a salary for the past six years.

In 2008, the district reported spending $11,927 per pupil. This ranked 283rd in the state for per pupil spending.

In August 2010, the Minersville Area School District was audited by the Pennsylvania Auditor General. The performance audit cited the district for several deficiencies.

The district is funded by a combination of taxes, including a property tax, a real estate transfer tax, coupled with substantial funding from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the federal government. Grants can provide an opportunity to supplement school funding without raising local taxes. In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, pension and Social Security income are exempted from state personal income tax and local earned income tax regardless of the individual's wealth.

The MASD received more than $6.7 million in state funding for school year 2007-08.

State basic education funding

For the 2010-11 budget year, the state gave Minersville Area a 9.69% increase in basic education funding for a total of $5,891,437. This was the highest basic education increase in Schuylkill County. The district also received additional funding for special education services and from the accountability Block Grant Program. Kennett Consolidated School District in Chester County received the highest increase in the state at 23.65% increase in funding for the 2010-11 school year.

In the 2009-2010 budget year the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provided an 8.17% increase in Basic Education funding for a total of $5,370,996. The state Basic Education funding to the district in 2008-09 was $4,965,147.49. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 442 students received free or reduced-price lunches due to low family income in the 2007-2008 school year. 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. Shenandoah Valley School District was the highest increase in Schuylkill County with a 14.50% increase in basic education funding, for the 2009-10 school year. Among the 500 school districts in Pennsylvania, Muhlenberg School District in Berks County received the highest with a 22.31% increase in funding. The amount of funding 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.

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 Mahanoy Area School District applied for and received $216,756 in addition to all other state and federal funding. The district used the funding to provide full-day kindergarten for the seventh year.

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. Mahanoy Area School District did not apply for funding in 2006-07 nor in 2007-08. For the 2008-09, school year the district received $74,691 in state funding. Of the 501 public school districts in Pennsylvania, 447 of them received Classrooms for the Future grant awards.

Federal Stimulus funding

The district received an extra $1,095,404 in ARRA - 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 applied for the Race to the Top 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 the grant. The failure of districts to agree to participate was cited as one reason that Pennsylvania was not approved.

Real estate taxes

The school board set property tax rates in 2010-2011 at 38.6700 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.

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 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.

The School District Adjusted Index for the Minersville School District 2006-2007 through 2011-2012.
2006-07 - 5.4%, Base 3.9%
2007-08 - 4.8%, Base 3.4%
2008-09 - 6.1%, Base 4.4%
2009-10 - 5.8%, Base 4.1%
2010-11 - 4.1%, Base 2.9%
2011-12 - 2.0%, 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 2009, the Homestead/Farmstead Property Tax Relief from gambling for the Minersville Area School District was $131 per approved permanent primary residence. In the district, 2,722 property owners applied for the tax relief. In Schuylkill County, the highest amount of tax relief in 2009, went to Schuylkill Haven Area School District at $195. The 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. A special report released in 2009 by the Auditor General's office reported many difficulties for applicants for tax relief. Pennsylvania awarded the highest property tax relief to residents of the Chester-Upland School District in Delaware County at $632 per homestead and farmstead in 2010. 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 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, 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%).

Enrollment

Minersville Area School District is experiencing low enrollment in K-12. The Pennsylvania Department of Education projects the district's enrollment will remain below 1300 pupils through 2018. Shifting population trends across the U.S. and Pennsylvania are affecting school enrollment and may impact the building needs of school districts in the years to come. Over the next 10 years, rural Pennsylvania school enrollment is projected to decrease 8 percent. The most significant enrollment decline is projected to be in western Pennsylvania, where rural school districts may have a 16 percent decline. More than 40 percent of elementary schools and more than 60 percent of secondary schools in western Pennsylvania are projected to experience significant enrollment decreases (15 percent or greater).

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. Less than 95 of Pennsylvania's 501 school districts have enrollment below 1250 students, in 2007.

Extracurriculars

The 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 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.

Miscellaneous

1. The Minersville Area High School Football team ranks 43rd in the state of Pennsylvania with 563 total victories.