Northwest Area School District

Northwest Area School District
Location
Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
Information
Superintendent	Ms. Elizabeth Ellis, Acting Superintendent
Grades	K-12
Mascot	Ranger
Website	http://www.northwest.k12.pa.us/

The Northwest Area School District (NASD) is a public school district in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, USA. The Northwest Rangers, named after their mascot, the Ranger, are comprised from the boroughs of New Columbus and Shickshinny, as well as the townships of Hunlock, Union, Huntington and Fairmount. A map of the district The student body is separated into a primary, intermediate and junior/senior high school. The NASD encompasses approximately 117 square miles. According to 2000 federal census data, it serves a resident population of 9,172. In 2009, the residents' per capita income was $16,665 while the median family income was $42,524.

The Northwest Area School District formerly contained three elementary schools that contributed to the student body of the Northwest Area High School. These schools were Huntington Mills Elementary School, Hunlock Township Elementary School and F.L. Garrison Memorial Elementary School. At the end of the 2009–2010 school year, the Garrison Elementary School was closed and the remaining two elementary schools were renamed and the students re-distributed between them. The new school names are the Northwest Area Primary School and Northwest Area Intermediate School. The high school retained its former name, The Northwest Area Junior/Senior High School.

The district had approximately 1,312 students in grades K-12 in 2010. Enrollment has been projected, by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, to decline by over 300 by 2020

Academic achievement

Northwest Area School District was ranked 379th out of 498 Pennsylvania school districts in 2011 by the Pittsburgh Business Times. This ranking was based on student academic performance based on the PSSAs for reading, writing, mathematics and two years of science.

• 2010 – 347th
• 2009 – 293rd
• 2008 – 266th
• 2007 – 236th out of 501 Pennsylvania school districts.

In 2009, the academic achievement of the pupils in the district was in the 11th percentile among Pennsylvanian's 500 school districts. Scale (0–99; 100 is state best)

Graduation rate

• 2010 – 95%
• 2009 – 92%
• 2008 – 96%
• 2007 – 95%

PSSA results

Northwest Area Junior Senior High School
Address
243 Thorne Hill Rd Shickshinny , Pennsylvania 18655-9201 United States
Information
School number	2958
Principal	Mr. J. Ryan Miner

In 2010, the high school is in "Making Progress: in School Improvement I" status due to chronically low-performing student achievement. In 2009, the high school declined "Did Not Make AYP School Improvement I" status due to ongoing low student achievement.

11th grade reading

• 2010 – 63% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 67% of 11th graders are on grade level. (100 pupils enrolled)
• 2009 – 63%, State – 65%
• 2008 – 65%, State – 65%
• 2007 – 66%, State – 65%

11th grade math:

• 2010 – 38%, on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 59% of 11th graders are on grade level.
• 2009 – 35%, State – 56%.
• 2008 – 41%, State – 56%
• 2007 – 49%, State – 53%

11th grade science:

• 2010 – 43% on grade level. State – 39% of 11th graders were on grade level.
• 2009 – 45%, State – 40%
• 2008 – 36%, State – 35.5%

Graduation requirements

By law, all Pennsylvania secondary school students must complete a graduation 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.

Beginning with the class of 2016, students must take the Keystone Exams in literature, biology 1 and algebra 1.

College remediation

According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, "28% of Northwest 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. According to 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 mathematics, reading or English.

Dual enrollment

The high school offers a state-funded dual enrollment program. This permits high school students to take courses at local higher education institutions to earn college credits. Students remain enrolled at their high school. The courses count towards high school graduation requirements and towards earning a college degree. The students continue to have full access to activities at their high school. The college credits are offered at a heavily discounted rate. The state offers a small grant to assist students in costs of 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 200, that students saved nearly $35.4 million by having their transferred credits count towards a degree under the new system.

For the 2009–10 funding year, the school district received a state grant of $9,847 for its dual enrollment program.

Junior high school

8th grade reading
2010 – 69% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 81% of 8th graders on grade level. (124 pupils enrolled) 2009 – 79%, State – 80% (117 pupils enrolled)

• 2008 – 84%, State – 78%
• 2007 – 85%, State – 75%

8th grade math:

• 2010 – 68% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 75% of 8th graders are on grade level.
• 2009 – 66%, State – 71%
• 2008 – 71%, State – 70%
• 2007 – 74%, State – 68%

8th grade science:

• 2010 – 54% on grade level. State – 57% of 8th graders were on grade level.
• 2009 – 62%, State – 55%
• 2008 – 56%, State – 52%

7th grade reading

• 2010 – 67% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 73% of 7th graders on grade level. (98 pupils enrolled)
• 2009 – 62%, State – 71% (126 pupils enrolled)
• 2008 – 68%, State – 70%
• 2007 – 70%, State – 67%

7th grade math:

• 2010 – 77% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 77% of 7th graders are on grade level.
• 2009 – 66%, State – 75%
• 2008 – 65%, State – 71%
• 2007 – 69%, State – 67%

Northwest Area Primary School

Northwest Area Primary School
Address
417 Shickshinny Lake Rd. Shickshinny , Pennsylvania 18655
Information
Principal	Mr. Joseph Rasmus

Formerly the Huntington Mills School, the school is located in Huntington Mills, Pennsylvania. It houses grades kindergarten through 2nd grade.

Northwest Area Intermediate School

Northwest Area Intermediate School
Address
21 Sunset Lake Rd Shickshinny , Pennsylvania 18655
Information
Principal	Mr. Joseph Rasmus

Formerly the Hunlock Creek Elementary School. The school is located in Hunlock Township. It houses grades 3 through 6.

Special education

The district administration reported that 257 students or 19% were receiving special education services in 2009.

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 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, moto, and speech/language screening and review by the Instructional Support Team or Student Assistance Team. When screening results suggest that a 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 Supervisor of Special Education.

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 a 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.

Northwest Area School District received a $824,454 supplement for special education services in 2010.

Gifted education

The District Administration reported that 37 or 2.26% 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. High School students identified as gifted 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 school district administration reported there was one incident of bullying in the district in 2009.

The Northwest Area School Board has not provided the district's anti-bully policy online. 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 their 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 and Delinquency and the Pennsylvania Department of Education to assist schools and communities as they research, select and implement bullying prevention programs and initiatives. Schools have programs that allows students to anonymously place requests about being bullied. Guidance councillors within the school will help students with any issue they are having.

Education standards relating to student safety and anti-harassment programs are described in the 10.3. Safety and Injury Prevention in the Pennsylvania Academic Standards for Health, Safety and Physical Education.

Budget

In 2008, the district reported $623,610 in an unreserved-undesignated fund balance. The designated fund balance was reported as $1,146,110.

In 2007, the district employed over 94 teachers. The average teacher salary in the district was $51,723 for 180 days worked.

In 2009 the district reported employing over 90 teachers with a salary range of $33,426 to $67,356 Additionally, teachers receive a benefits package that includes health insurance, life insurance, paid sick and personal days, reimbursement for college courses and a retirement bonus based on length of service. Teachers receive extra compensation for additional duties and for extracurricular and sports coaching.

The Northwest Area School District administrative costs per pupil in 2008 was $688.61. The lowest administrative cost per pupil in Pennsylvania was $398 per pupil.

According to District officials, in school year 2007–08 the NASD provided basic educational services to 1,348 pupils through the employment of 104 teachers, 67 full-time and part-time support personnel and 10 administrators.

In July 2010, the Pennsylvania Auditor General conducted a performance audit of the district. The findings were reported to the school board and administration.

In 2009, the district reported having $22,982 in outstanding debt.

The district is funded by a combination of a local income tax, 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 income and social security income are exempted from state personal income tax and local earned income tax regardless of the individual's level of wealth.

State basic education funding

For the 2010–11 school year, the state basic education funding was 2.81% for $7,326,925. The highest increase in Luzerne County was awarded to Hazleton Area School District at 12.61%. Sixteen Pennsylvania school districts received an increase over 10%. 150 Pennsylvania school districts received the base 2% increase. Among Pennsylvania school districts, the highest increase in 2010–11 went to Kennett Consolidated School District in Chester County which received a 23.65% increase in state funding. 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.

For the 2009–2010 budget year, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provided a 3.32% increase in Basic Education funding for Northwest Area School District, a total of $7,125,260. The state Basic Education Funding to the district in 2008–09 was $6.896,624. The highest increase in BEF for the school districts in Luzerne County was awarded to Hazleton Area School District at a 13.36% increase. The highest increase in Pennsylvania went to Muhlenberg School District of Berks County which received an increase of 22.31 percent. Sixteen school districts received an increase in funding of over 10 percent in 2009.

In 2009, the district reported that 513 students were eligible for a federal free or reduced-price lunch due to low family income.

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 mathematics coaching programs that provide teachers with individualized job-embedded professional development to improve their instruction and before- or after-school tutoring assistance to struggling students. For 2010–11, the Northwest Area School District applied for and received $241,215 in addition to all other state and federal funding. The district used the funding to provide full-day kindergarten to 92 pupils, to reduce class size K-3rd grade, to develop new curricula, to improve instruction by using teacher coaches in classrooms and to increase instructional time for struggling students through before- and after-school tutoring and more.

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, mathematics) and paid for teacher training to optimize the computers' use. The program was funded from 2006 to 2009. Northwest Area School District received $67,933 in funding in 2006–07. In 2007–08 it received $75,000. The district received $45,413 in 2008–09 for a total funding of $188,346.

Federal Stimulus grant

Northwest Area School District received an extra $119,410 in ARRA – Federal Stimulus money to be used only 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 federal grant which would have brought the district hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional federal funds 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 Northwest Area School Board decided not to 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. After the review of the information, the district was not required to implement the recommended cost savings changes.

Real estate taxes

The school board levied a real estate tax of 9.1966 mills in 2010–11. A mill is $1 of tax for every $1,000 of a property's assessed value. Irregular property reassessments have become a serious issue in the Commonwealth as it creates a significant disparity in taxation within a community and across a region. On the local level, Pennsylvania district revenues are dominated by two main sources, property tax collections, which account for the vast majority (between 75–85%) of local revenues, and Act 511 tax collections, which are around 15% of revenues for school districts.

• 2009–10 – 8.012 mills

In 2008, Luzerne county conducted a property value reassessment.

• 2008–09 – 224.5000 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 2011–2012 school year was 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 ten 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 Northwest Area School District from 2006–2007 to 2011–2012.

• 2006–07 – 5.5%, Base 3.9%
• 2007–08 – 4.9%, Base 3.4%
• 2008–09 – 6.3%, Base 4.4%
• 2009–10 – 5.9%, Base 4.1%
• 2010–11 – 4.2%, Base 2.9%
• 2011–12 – 2.0%, Base 1.4%

The Northwest Area School Board applied for exceptions to exceed the Act 1 index for the budget in 2011, including the district's spending on special education, to maintain local effort in taxation, to maintain revenues and for pension costs. In spring 2010, 135 of 500 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 Homestead/Farmstead Property Tax Relief from gambling for the Northwest Area School District was $169 per approved permanent primary residence. In the district, 2,869 property owners applied for the tax relief. In 2010 within Luzerne County, the highest reported amount went to Wilkes-Barre Area School District set at $210 per approved homestead. The property tax relief was subtracted from the total annual school property tax bill. Property owners apply for the relief through the county Treasurer's office. Farmers can qualify for a farmstead exemption on building used for agricultural purposes. The farm must be at least 10 contiguous acres and must be the primary residence of the owner. Farmers can qualify for both the homestead exemption and the farmstead exemption. Pennsylvania awarded the highest property tax relief to residents of the Chester-Upland School District in Delaware County at $641 per homestead and farmstead in 2010. CUSD was given $632 in 2009. This was the second year they were the top recipient.

Additionally, the Pennsylvania Property Tax/Rent Rebate program is provided for low income Pennsylvanians aged 65 and older, widows and widowers aged 50 and older and people with disabilities age 18 and older. The income limit is $35,000 for homeowners. The maximum rebate for both homeowners and renters is $650. Applicants can exclude one-half of their social security income; consequently individuals who have income substantially greater than $35,000 may still qualify for a rebate. Individuals must apply annually for the rebate. This can be taken in addition to Homestead/Farmstead Property Tax Relief.

Property taxes in Pennsylvania are relatively high on a national scale. According to the Tax Foundation, Pennsylvania ranked 11th in the U.S. in 2008 in terms of property taxes paid as a percentage of home value (1.34%) and 12th in the country in terms of property taxes as a percentage of income (3.55%).

Extracurricular activities

The district's students have access to a variety of clubs, activities and sports. Eligibility for participation is determined by the school board policy.

By Pennsylvania law, all K-12 students in the district, including those who attend a private non-public school, cyber charter school, charter school and those home-schooled, are eligible to participate in the extracurricular programs, including all sports. They must meet the same eligibility rules as students enrolled in the district's schools.

Sports

Edward "Ed" Gayeski was a long-time coach of the Northwest Rangers basketball team. In his career, he had the most wins among all coaches in Pennsylvania, totaling 744 wins and 195 losses (.792 PCT). Gayeski lead the team to become two-time back-to-back PIAA State Class A basketball champions in 1982–83 and 1983–84, going 65–1 in the two years. He also brought the team to 20 wins in 24 of 34 seasons, 13 league titles and 14 District Championships. Gayeski died in summer 1985.

Governance

The school district is governed by nine individually elected board members serving 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 the No Child Left Behind Act, which mandate the district to focus resources on student success in acquiring reading and mathematical skills.

The Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives Sunshine Review gave the school board and district administration an "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.

Former school buildings

Garrison Memorial School

Garrison Elementary School, pictured in the background

The school is located in Shickshinny on West Vine Street.

On May 11, 2010, in a 6–2 vote, the Northwest Area School Board voted to close the Garrison School. Students attending this school were reassigned to the Huntington Mills and Hunlock Creek elementary schools. According to a Times Leader article, the "Garrison was one of the first schools in the district and a high school at one time. Closure of the school will also mean eliminating the Head Start program, which operates from that building."