Wallenpaupack Area School District


Wallenpaupack Area is a third-class school district in Pike and Wayne Counties in Pennsylvania. The district's population was 24,729 at the time of the 2010 United States Census.
The district encompasses approximately. According to federal census data, its population has increased by 3,991 residents from 20,738 residents in 2000. In 2009, the district residents’ per capita income was $19,073, while the median family income was $42,955. In the Commonwealth, the median family income was $49,501 and the United States median family income was $49,445, in 2010. According to Wallenpaupack Area School District administrative officials, during the 2005-06 school year, the district provided basic educational services to 4,084 pupils, employed 13 administrators, 331 teachers, and 174 full-time and part-time support personnel.
;The school district operates six schools:
Unlike many school districts in Pennsylvania, Wallenpaupack Area is not subdivided into regions. However, it does contain the following municipalities :
Wallenpaupack Area School District is governed by 9 individually elected board members, 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 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. Football Team- Wallenpaupack Buckhorns School Colors- Purple and White

Academic achievement

Wallenpaupack Area School District was ranked 166th out of 498 Pennsylvania school districts by the Pittsburgh Business Times in 2012. The ranking was based on student academic achievement as demonstrated on five years of the PSSAs for: reading, writing, math, and three years of science.
In 2012, the Pittsburgh Business Times reported an Overachievers Ranking for 498 Pennsylvania school districts. Wallenpaupack Area School District ranked 9th. In 2011, the district was 11th. The editor 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."
In 2009, the academic achievement of the students of the Wallenpaupack Area School District was in the 70th percentile among 500 Pennsylvania school districts. Scale -

Graduation rate

In 2011, Wallenpaupack Area School District's graduation rate was 93%. In 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a new, 4-year cohort graduation rate. Wallenpaupack High School's rate was 91% for 2010.
;According to traditional graduation rate calculations:
Wallenpaupack Area High School is located at 2552 Route 6, Hawley. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2010, the school has 1,416 pupils enrolled in grades 9th through 12th, with 585 pupils receiving a federal free or reduced-price lunch due to family poverty. The school employed 77 teachers, yielding a student–teacher ratio of 18:1.
In 2011, the school was in Warning status due to lagging student achievement. In 2010, the school was in AYP status due to low student achievement. In 2011, the district administration reported to the PDE that it had 7 Non‐Highly Qualified teachers who were teaching core academic courses.
;PSSA results:
11th Grade Reading
11th Grade Math:
11th Grade Science:
According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 18% of the Wallenpaupack 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.

Dual enrollment

Wallenpaupack Area High School offers a dual enrollment program. This state program 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 and programs at their high school. The college credits are offered at a deeply discounted rate. The state offered 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. For the 2009-10 funding year, the school district received a state grant of $9,388 for the program.

SAT scores

From January to June 2011, 219 Wallenpaupack Area School District students took the SAT exams. The district's Verbal Average Score was 496. The Math average score was 517. The Writing average score was 474. Pennsylvania ranked 40th among states with SAT scores: Verbal - 493, Math - 501, Writing - 479. In the United States 1.65 million students took the exam in 2011. They averaged 497 verbal, 514 math and 489 in writing.

Middle school

Wallenpaupack Area Middle School is located at 139 Atlantic Ave, Hawley. In 2010, the school had 849 pupils enrolled in grades 6th through 8th, with 412 pupils receiving a federal free or reduced-price lunch due to family poverty. The school employed 55 teachers, yielding a student–teacher ratio of 15:1.
In 2010 and 2011 Wallenpaupack Area Middle School achieved AYP status.
PSSA Results:
8th Grade Reading
8th Grade Math:
8th Grade Science:
7th Grade Reading
7th Grade Math:
6th Grade Reading:
6th Grade Math:
Wallenpaupack North Intermediate School is located at 187 Atlantic Ave, Hawley. In 2010, the school had 604 pupils enrolled in grades 3rd through 5th, with 303 pupils receiving a federal free or reduced-price lunch due to family poverty. The school employed 40 teachers, yielding a student–teacher ratio of 15:1. In 2010 and 2011, Wallenpaupack North Intermediate School achieved AYP status. Additionally, the administration reports that all of the teachers are Highly Qualified under No Child Left Behind.
5th Grade Reading:
5th Grade Math:
;4th Grade Reading:
;4th Grade Math:
;4th Grade Science:
;3rd Grade Reading:
;3rd Grade Math:
Wallenpaupack Primary School is located at 158 Atlantic Ave, Hawley. In 2010, the school had 518 pupils enrolled in preschool through second grade, with 254 pupils receiving a federal free or reduced-price lunch due to family poverty. The school employed 30 teachers, yielding a student–teacher ratio of 17:1.
Wallenpaupack South Elementary School is located at 989 Main Street, Newfoundland. In 2010, the school had 392 pupils enrolled in grades kindergarten through 6th, with 199 pupils receiving a federal free or reduced-price lunch due to family poverty. The school employed 24 teachers, yielding a student–teacher ratio of 16:1. In 2010 and 2011, Wallenpaupack South Elementary School achieved AYP status.
6th Grade Reading:
6th Grade Math:
5th Grade Reading:
5th Grade Math:
;4th Grade Reading:
;4th Grade Math:
;4th Grade Science:
;3rd Grade Reading:
;3rd Grade Math:
In December 2010, the district administration reported that 653 pupils or 17% of the district's pupils received Special Education services.
In order to comply with state and federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act rules and regulations, the school 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 services, various screening activities are conducted on an ongoing basis. These screening activities include: review of group-based data ; hearing, vision, motor, and speech/language screening; and review by the Special Education administration. 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 district's Special Education Department.
In 2010, the state of Pennsylvania provided $1,026,815,000 for 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. The Pennsylvania Special Education funding system assumes that 16% of the district's students receive special education services. It also assumes that each student's needs accrue the same level of costs. The state requires each district to have a three-year special education plan to meet the unique needs of its special education students. Overidentification of students, in order to increase state funding, has been an issue in the Commonwealth. Some districts have more than 20% of its students receiving special education services while others have 10% supported through special education.
The Wallenpaupack Area School District received a $1,630,663 supplement for special education services in 2010. For the 2011-12 school year, all Pennsylvania public school districts received the same level of funding for special education that they received in 2010-11. This level funding is provided regardless of changes in the number of pupils who need special education services and regardless of the level of services the respective students required.

Gifted education

The District Administration reported that 73 or 1.73% of its students were gifted in 2009. By law, the district must provide mentally gifted programs at all grade levels. 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.

Budget

In 2009, the district reported employing 763 teachers and administrators with a salary range of $42,562 to $164,000. The average salary was $62.029. Teachers work 187 days per year with 180 pupil days. The teacher's work day is limited to 7 hours per day, including a 30-minute, duty-free lunch period and a daily preparation period. Teachers appointed as grade level coordinator or department chairman are paid an additional $7,032 per year in 2012. Additionally, the teachers receive a defined benefit pension, health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, life insurance, professional development reimbursement, paid personal days, 10 paid sick days, and other benefits. The teachers union is granted 12 days per year to conduct union business without loss of pay. The base starting salary will be $45,013 in 2013. Nationwide, the average wage for high school teachers was $55,990, for middle school teachers, $54,880, and for elementary school teachers, $54,330.
In 2007, the district employed 303 teachers. The average teacher salary in the district was $55,884 for 180 days worked. As of 2007, Pennsylvania ranked in the top 10 states in average teacher salaries. When adjusted for cost of living Pennsylvania ranked fourth in the nation for teacher compensation.
Wallenpaupack Area School District administrative costs per pupil in 2008 was $675.57 per pupil. This ranked 353rd in Pennsylvania. The lowest administrative cost per pupil in Pennsylvania was $398 per pupil. The Pennsylvania School Boards Association keeps statistics on salaries of public school district employees in Pennsylvania. According to the association's report, the average salary for a superintendent, for the 2007-08 school year, was $122,165. Superintendents and administrators receive a benefit package commensurate with that offered to the district's teachers' union.
In 2008, the district administration reported that per pupil spending was $13,783 which ranked 118th among Pennsylvania's 501 school districts. In 2010, Wallenpaupack's per pupil spending increased to $15,362.09 which ranked 93rd in Pennsylvania. Among the states, Pennsylvania's total per pupil revenue ranked 11th at $15,023 per student, in 2008-09. In 2007, the Pennsylvania per pupil total expenditures was $12,759.
Reserves In 2008, the district reported a balance of $4,932,092 in an unreserved-designated fund. The unreserved-undesignated fund balance was reported as $5,145,945. In 2010, Wallenpaupack Area Administration reported $4,165,422 in the district's unreserved-undesignated fund and the unreserved-designated fund balance was $5,991,641. Pennsylvania school district reserve funds are divided into two categories – designated and undesignated. The undesignated funds are not committed to any planned project. Designated funds and any other funds, such as capital reserves, are allocated to specific projects. School districts are required by state law to keep 5 percent of their annual spending in the undesignated reserve funds to preserve bond ratings. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, from 2003 to 2010, as a whole, Pennsylvania school districts amassed nearly $3 billion in reserved funds.
In February 2008, the Pennsylvania Auditor General conducted a performance audit of the district. The findings were reported to the school board and administration. The report noted serious Ethics Act and hiring violations of a former school board member.
The district is funded by a combination of: a local 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. 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 level of the individual's personal wealth.

State basic education funding

In 2011-12, the district received a $4,519,675, allocation, of state Basic Education Funding. Additionally, the School District received $117,244 in Accountability Block Grant funding. The enacted Pennsylvania state Education budget included $5,354,629,000 for the 2011-2012 Basic Education Funding appropriation. This amount is a $233,290,000 increase over the enacted State appropriation for 2010-2011. The highest increase in state basic education funding was awarded to Duquesne City School District, which got a 49% increase in state funding for 2011-12. In 2010, the district reported that 1,914 students received federal free or reduced-price lunches, due to the family meeting the federal poverty level.
In the 2010-2011 budget year, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provided a 6.94% increase in Basic Education Funding for a total of $4,605,932.59. Among the districts in Pike County, the highest increase went to Delaware Valley School District which got a 7.03% increase. One hundred fifty Pennsylvania school districts received the base 2% increase. 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 state's hold harmless policy regarding state basic education funding continued where a district received at least the same amount as the year before, even where enrollment had significantly declined. The amount of increase each school district receives was set by Governor Edward Rendell and then Secretary of Education Gerald Zahorchak, as a part of the state budget proposal given each February. This was the second year of the Governor Rendell's policy to fund some districts at a far greater rate than others.
In the 2009-2010 budget year, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provided a 4.16% increase in Basic Education Funding for a total of $4,329,535. Among the districts in Wayne County, Wallenpaupack Area School District received the highest increase. The state Basic Education Funding to the district in 2008-09 was $4,156,507.35. Ninety Pennsylvania school districts received a 2% increase. Muhlenberg School District in Berks County received a 22.31% increase in state basic education funding in 2009. The amount of increase each school district receives was set by Governor Edward Rendell and the Secretary of Education Gerald Zahorchak, as a part of the state budget proposal. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 1,560 district students received free or reduced-price 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 district applied for and received $318,229 in addition to all other state and federal funding. The district uses the funding to provide full-day kindergarten.

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 and paid for teacher training to optimize the computers use. The program was funded from 2006-2009. Wallenpaupack Area School District applied to participate in 2006, but was denied funding by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. In 2007-08, the district received $384,360. The district received $69,568 in 2008-09, for a total funding of $453,928. In County the highest award was given to area School District. The highest funding statewide was awarded to Philadelphia City School District in Philadelphia County - $9,409,073. In 2010, Classrooms for the Future funding was curtailed statewide due to a massive state financial crisis.

Federal Stimulus grant

The district received an extra $1.5 million in ARRA - Federal Stimulus money to be used in specific programs like special education and meeting the academic needs of low-income students. The funding was limited to the 2009–10 and 2010-2011 school years. Due to the temporary nature of the funding, schools were repeatedly advised to use the funds for one-time expenditures like acquiring equipment, making repairs to buildings, training teachers to provide more effective instruction or purchasing books and software.

Race to the Top grant

Wallenpaupack Area School District officials did not apply for the federal Race to the Top grant which would have provided over one million dollars in additional federal funding to improve 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

Wallenpaupack Area School Board did not participate in the Pennsylvania Department of Education's 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 2011-12 were set by the school board at 12.7792 mills in Wayne County and 63.4774 mills in Pike County. 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. Property taxes, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, apply only to real estate - land and buildings. The property tax is not levied on cars, business inventory, or other personal property. Certain types of property are exempt from property taxes, including: places of worship, places of burial, private social clubs, charitable and educational institutions and government property. Additionally, service related, disabled US military veterans may seek an exemption from paying property taxes. Pennsylvania school district revenues are dominated by two main sources: 1) Property tax collections, which account for the vast majority Act 511 tax collections, which are around 15% of revenues for school districts. The school district includes municipalities in two counties, each of which has different rates of property tax assessment, necessitating a state board equalization of the tax rates between the counties. In 2010, miscalculations by the board were widespread in the Commonwealth and adversely impacted funding for many school districts.
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 costs to pay interest and principal on indebtedness incurred prior to September 4, 2004 for Act 72 schools and prior to June 27, 2006 for non-Act 72 schools; 2) costs to pay interest and principal on electoral debt; 3) costs incurred in providing special education programs and services costs due to increases of more than the Index in the school's share of payments to PSERS taking into account the state mandated PSERS contribution rate.
The School District Adjusted Index for the Wallenpaupack Area School District 2006-2007 through 2011-2012.
For the 2012-13 budget year, Wallenpaupack Area School Board applied for two exceptions to exceed the Act 1 Index: special education costs and pension costs. For 2012-2013, 274 school districts adopted a resolution certifying that tax rates would not be increased above their index; 223 school districts adopted a preliminary budget leaving open the option of exceeded the Index limit. For the exception for pension costs, 194 school districts received approval to exceed the Index. For special education costs, 129 districts received approval to exceed the tax limit. For the exception for pension costs, 194 school districts received approval to exceed the Index. For special education costs, 129 districts received approval to exceed the tax limit.
For the 2011-12 school year, Wallenpaupack Area School Board applied for an exception to exceed the Act 1 Index due to pension costs. Each year, Wallenpaupack Area School Board has the option of adopting either 1) a resolution in January certifying they will not increase taxes above their index or 2) a preliminary budget in February. A school district adopting the resolution may not apply for referendum exceptions or ask voters for a tax increase above the inflation index. A specific timeline for these decisions is published annually, by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
According to a state report, for the 2011-2012 school year budgets, 247 school districts adopted a resolution certifying that tax rates would not be increased above their index; 250 school districts adopted a preliminary budget. Of the 250 school districts that adopted a preliminary budget, 231 adopted real estate tax rates that exceeded their index. Tax rate increases in the other 19 school districts that adopted a preliminary budget did not exceed the school district's index. Of the districts who sought exceptions: 221 used the pension costs exemption and 171 sought a Special Education costs exemption. Only 1 school district sought an exemption for Nonacademic School Construction Project, while 1 sought an exception for Electoral debt for school construction.

Extracurriculars

The district offers a variety of clubs, activities and sports. Eligibility for participation is determined by school board policy and PIAA eligibility requirements.
By Pennsylvania law, all K-12 students residing 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.

Gun controversy

In early 2018, Hyung Jin Moon, co-founder of the World Peace and Unification Sanctuary Church and Southern Poverty Law Center-labeled "Anti-LGBT cult leader", announced an upcoming church event with guns. The event, a marriage vows renewal ceremony that asked participants to bring their AR-15 rifles, was to be held on February 28 in Newfoundland, Pennsylvania. Neighbors of the church came out to protest the insensitivity of having the AR-15 rifles at the event so soon after the Parkland, Florida shooting that killed 17 people. Due to the increased gun threat caused by Moon's ceremony, the students of Wallenpaupack Area South Elementary were relocated on February 28.