Easton Area School District
Encyclopedia
Easton Area School District is an urban, suburban, and rural public school district
located in Northampton County
and Bucks County, Pennsylvania
, USA. In Northampton County it serves the city of Easton
, as well as Forks
, Palmer
, and portions of Lower Mount Bethel
Townships. In Bucks County, it serves just the borough
of Riegelsville
. Easton Area School District encompasses approximately 28 square miles. In 2009 the per capita income was $20,875, while the
median family income was $53,545. According to 2005 local census data, it served a resident population of 63,195. Per school District officials, in school year 2007-08 the EASD provided basic educational services to 9,047 pupils through the employment of 767 teachers, 408 full-time and part-time support personnel, and 36 administrators.
The current superintendent of the Easton Area School District is Susan McGinley.
Grade Configuration within the EASD:
K-4 (Elementary School)
5-6 (Lower Middle School)
7-8 (Upper Middle School)
9-12 (High School)
F.A March Elementary School and Shawnee Elementary School (formerly Paxinosa Elementary) have now been completely renovated. To renovate both F.A. March Elementary School and Shawnee Elementary School, both school buildings moved to the former Easton Area Middle School 5/6 building in the 2008-2009 school year. Shawnee Elementary School was opened in the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year, adding an additional elementary school in the EASD. Paxinosa Elementary School remains at the former location of the Easton Area Middle School 5/6 building, creating a neighborhood elementary school within the West Ward of Easton. In the 2009- 2010 school year, F.A. March School's students and staff members returned to their former location on College Hill after renovations were completed, thus departing from the former EAMS 5/6 building.
At the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year, the Easton Area Middle School (EAMS) Campus was completed for grades five through eight. The EAMS Campus is separated into a fifth and sixth grade portion (EAMS 5/6) and a seventh and eighth grade portion (EAMS 7/8). Both EAMS 5/6 and EAMS 7/8 share separate facilities and have their own addresses. The EAMS Campus is located at the former site of Shawnee Middle School. Shawnee Middle School was renamed Easton Area Middle School Campus Grades 7/8 (EAMS 7/8) in 2008-2009.
s for: reading, writing, math and three years of science.
In 2009, the academic achievement, of the students in the Easton Area School District, was in the 32nd percentile among all 500 Pennsylvania school districts Scale (0-99; 100 is state best)
According to traditional graduation rate calculations:
study released in January 2009, 25% of Easton 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.
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 State 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.
PSSA Results
11th Grade Reading
11th Grade Math:
11th Grade Science:
8th Grade Reading:
8th Grade Math:
8th Grade Science:
7th Grade Reading:
7th Grade Math:
6th Grade Reading:
6th Grade Math:
5th Grade Reading;
5th Grade Math;
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.
Easton Area School District received a $3,838,430 supplement for special education services in 2010.
The Easton Area School Board has provided the district's antibully 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 its anti-bullying policy to the Office for Safe Schools every year, and shall review their policy every three years. Additionally, the district must conduct an annual review of that policy with students. The Center for Schools and Communities works in partnership with the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime & Delinquency and the Pennsylvania Department of Education to assist schools and communities as they research, select and implement bullying prevention programs and initiatives.
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.
, health insurance
, professional development reimbursement, paid personal days, 10 sick days and other benefits. Teachers are paid extra when they are required to work outside of the regular school 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 May 2011, the district school board and the teachers' union revised the employment contract. Under the new agreement, there is a one year freeze in wages in exchange for no teacher layoffs. Additionally, the contract was extended by two years, making it in effect until August 2015. The new agreement is reported to save $28.7 million over the next four years
In 2007, the district employed 587 teachers. The average teacher salary in the district was $49,442 for 180 school days worked.
Easton Area School District administrative costs per pupil in 2008 was $727.68 per pupil. The district is ranked 276th out of 500 in Pennsylvania for administrative spending. The lowest administrative cost per pupil in Pennsylvania was $398 per pupil.
In 2008, Easton Area School District reported spending $13,262 per pupil. This ranked 153rd in the commonwealth.
Reserves
In 2009, the district reported $9,759,829 in a unreserved-undesignated fund balance. The designated fund balance was reported as $16,121,366.
In December 2009, the Pennsylvania Auditor General conducted a performance audit of the district. Findings were reported to the administration and school board.
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 and Social Security income are exempted from state personal income tax and local earned income tax regardless of the individual's wealth.
received a 13.44% increase, which was the highest increase in BEF in Northampton County. 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. 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 5.46% increase in Basic Education funding for a total of $19,502,235. The state Basic Education funding to the district in 2008-09 was $18,493,048.01. 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. Bethlehem Area School District received a 8.98% increase, the highest increase in Northampton County 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 while ninety school districts received a base 2% increase.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education
, 2998 district students received free or reduced lunches due to low family income in the 2007-2008 school year.
- Federal Stimulus money to be used in specific programs like special education and meeting the academic needs of low income students. The funding is for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years.
federal grant which would have brought the district over one million 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. The Easton Area School District teachers' union refused to sign the agreement. 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.
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 Easton Area School District 2006-2007 through 2010-2011.
Easton Area 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.
. 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 Chester Upland School District was 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%).
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.
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 Northampton County
Northampton County, Pennsylvania
As of the 2010 census, the county was 86.3% White, 5.0% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 2.4% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 2.2% were two or more races, and 3.8% were some other race. 10.5% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.As of the census of...
and Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, USA. In Northampton County it serves the city of Easton
Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton is a city in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 26,800 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Northampton County....
, as well as Forks
Forks Township, Pennsylvania
Forks Township is the name of some places in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania:*Forks Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania*Forks Township, Sullivan County, Pennsylvania...
, Palmer
Palmer Township, Pennsylvania
Palmer Township is a township in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. Palmer Township is located in the Lehigh Valley region of the state....
, and portions of Lower Mount Bethel
Lower Mount Bethel Township, Pennsylvania
Lower Mount Bethel Township is a township in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Lower Mount Bethel Township is located in the Lehigh Valley region of the state...
Townships. In Bucks County, it serves just the borough
Borough (Pennsylvania)
In the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a borough is a self-governing municipal entity that is usually smaller than a city. There are 958 boroughs in Pennsylvania. All municipalities in Pennsylvania are classified as either cities, boroughs, or townships...
of Riegelsville
Riegelsville, Pennsylvania
Riegelsville is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 868 at the 2010 census.-History:Benjamin Riegel founded Riegelsville. The original, and now historic, that he built in 1838 still stands. This historic stone inn has offered food and lodging to Bucks County...
. Easton Area School District encompasses approximately 28 square miles. In 2009 the per capita income was $20,875, while the
median family income was $53,545. According to 2005 local census data, it served a resident population of 63,195. Per school District officials, in school year 2007-08 the EASD provided basic educational services to 9,047 pupils through the employment of 767 teachers, 408 full-time and part-time support personnel, and 36 administrators.
The current superintendent of the Easton Area School District is Susan McGinley.
Schools
- Easton Area High School (EAHS)
- Easton Area Academy (EAA)
- Easton Area Middle School Campus Grades 5/6 (EAMS 5/6)
- Easton Area Middle School Campus Grades 7/8 (EAMS 7/8)
- Ada B. Cheston Elementary School
- F.A. March Elementary School
- Forks Elementary School
- Palmer Elementary School
- Paxinosa Elementary School
- Shawnee Elementary School
- Tracy Elementary School
Grade Configuration within the EASD:
K-4 (Elementary School)
5-6 (Lower Middle School)
7-8 (Upper Middle School)
9-12 (High School)
F.A March Elementary School and Shawnee Elementary School (formerly Paxinosa Elementary) have now been completely renovated. To renovate both F.A. March Elementary School and Shawnee Elementary School, both school buildings moved to the former Easton Area Middle School 5/6 building in the 2008-2009 school year. Shawnee Elementary School was opened in the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year, adding an additional elementary school in the EASD. Paxinosa Elementary School remains at the former location of the Easton Area Middle School 5/6 building, creating a neighborhood elementary school within the West Ward of Easton. In the 2009- 2010 school year, F.A. March School's students and staff members returned to their former location on College Hill after renovations were completed, thus departing from the former EAMS 5/6 building.
At the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year, the Easton Area Middle School (EAMS) Campus was completed for grades five through eight. The EAMS Campus is separated into a fifth and sixth grade portion (EAMS 5/6) and a seventh and eighth grade portion (EAMS 7/8). Both EAMS 5/6 and EAMS 7/8 share separate facilities and have their own addresses. The EAMS Campus is located at the former site of Shawnee Middle School. Shawnee Middle School was renamed Easton Area Middle School Campus Grades 7/8 (EAMS 7/8) in 2008-2009.
Current board members
- Mr. Kerry Myers (President)
- Mr. Tim Reilly (Vice President)
- Ms. Patricia Fisher
- Mrs. Jodi Hess
- Mrs. Kerri Leonard-Ellison
- Mrs. Millie Mandarino
- Dr. Pat Vulcano Jr.
- Mr. Frank Castrovinci
Academic achievement
Easton Area School District was ranked 338th out of 498 Pennsylvania school districts in 2011 by the Pittsburgh Business Times. The ranking was based on five years of student academic performance based on the PSSAPennsylvania 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 - 363rd
- 2009 - 396th
- 2008 - 387th
- 2007 - 397th out of 501 Pennsylvania school districts.
In 2009, the academic achievement, of the students in the Easton Area School District, was in the 32nd percentile among all 500 Pennsylvania school districts Scale (0-99; 100 is state best)
Graduation rate
In 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a new, 4 year cohort graduation rate. Easton Area High School's rate was 86.71% for 2010.According to traditional graduation rate calculations:
- 2010 - 90%
- 2009 - 89%
- 2008 - 87%
- 2007 - 87%
College remediation
According to a Pennsylvania Department of EducationPennsylvania 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...
study released in January 2009, 25% of Easton 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
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 Easton Area School Board has determined that a student must earn 28 credits to graduate including: English 4 credits, Math 3 credits, Social Studies 4 credits, Science 3 credits, Arts and Humanities 2 credits, Physical Education/health 2.25 credits, and enough electives to achieve 24.5 credits.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 State 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.
High School
In 2010, the Easton Area High School was in Corrective Action II 4th Year AYP status for chronically low student achievement. According to NCLB, Easton Area High School must offer students the choice to transfer to another school in the district not in School Improvement. Easton Area School District does not have another high school building available to offer the choice to transfer. At Easton Area School District 2832 students were eligible for a transfer. Additionally, the school is on the Pennsylvania Department of Education's School Improvement list qualifying it for additional funding, should the administration apply for it.PSSA Results
11th Grade Reading
- 2010 - 57% on grade level (23% below basic). In Pennsylvania, 66% of 11th graders on grade level.
- 2009 - 52%, (27% below basic), State - 65%
- 2008 - 51%, (27% below basic), State - 65%
- 2007 - 56%, (26% below basic), State - 65%
11th Grade Math:
- 2010 - 57% on grade level (25% below basic). State - 59% of 11th graders are on grade level.
- 2009 - 49%, (35% below basic). State - 56%
- 2008 - 46%, (35% below basic). State - 56%
- 2007 - 48% (29% below basic). State - 53%
11th Grade Science:
- 2010 - 28% on grade level. (27% below basic), State - 39% of 11th graders were on grade level.
- 2009 - 28% (28% below basic). State - 40%
- 2008 - 26%, (22% below basic). State - 39%
Middle School 7-8
In 2010, the Easton Area Middle School 7-8 was in Making Progress: in Corrective Action II AYP status due to chronic, low student achievement. In 2009, the school was in Corrective Action II 1st Year. The attendance rate in 2010 and 2010 was 94%. Under the federal, No Child Left Behind law, students were permitted to transfer to another school in the district that was successful.8th Grade Reading:
- 2010 - 83% on grade level. 52% advanced (5% below basic) State - 81%
- 2009 - 80%, 55% advanced (11% below basic), State - 80%
- 2008 - 75%, 46% advanced (10% below basic), State - 78%
- 2007 - 73%, 42% advanced (13% below basic), State - 75%
8th Grade Math:
- 2010 - 82% on grade level. 57% advanced (9% below basic) State - 75%
- 2009 - 79%, 53% advanced (8% below basic), State - 71%
- 2008 - 63%, 33% advanced (20% below basic), State - 70%
- 2007 - 63%, 33% advanced (13% below basic), State - 67%
8th Grade Science:
- 2010 - 53% on grade level. State - 57%.
- 2009 - 55%, State - 54%
- 2008 - 45%, State - 52%
7th Grade Reading:
- 2010 - 76% on grade level. 43% advanced, (10% below basic) State - 73%
- 2009 - 63%, 37% advanced (9% below basic), State - 71.7%
- 2008 - 71%, 37% advanced (12% below basic), State - 70%
- 2007 - 60%, 29% advanced (21% below basic), State - 66%
7th Grade Math:
- 2010 - 84% on grade level. 60% advanced (8% below basic) State - 77%
- 2009 - 73%, 43% advanced (11% below basic), State - 75%
- 2008 - 72%, 44% advanced (14% below basic), State - 72%
- 2007 - 62%, 35% advanced (21% below basic), State - 67%
Middle School 5-6
In 2010, the school achieved AYP status. In 2009 it was in Making Progress: in Corrective Action I. The attendance rate was 96%.6th Grade Reading:
- 2010 - 65% on grade level. 34% advanced (17% below basic) State - 68%
- 2009 - 62%, 35% advanced (17% below basic), State - 67%
- 2008 - 56%, 25% advanced (21% below basic), State - 67%
- 2007 - 61%, 30% advanced (17% below basic), State - 63%
6th Grade Math:
- 2010 - 81% on grade level. 57% advanced (8% below basic) State - 78%
- 2009 - 73%, 47% advanced (12% below basic), State - 75.9%
- 2008 - 61%, 31% advanced (19% below basic), State - 72%
- 2007 - 64%, 32% advanced (16% below basic), State - 69%
5th Grade Reading;
- 2010 - 58%, 18% advanced (20% below basic), State - 64%
- 2009 - 56%, 16% advanced (22% below basic), State - 64%
- 2008 - 57%, 19% advanced (22% below basic), State - 62%
- 2007 - 47%, 13% advanced (22% below basic), State - 60%
5th Grade Math;
- 2010 - 71%, 39% advanced (8% below basic), State - 74%
- 2009 - 74%, 44% advanced (9% below basic), State - 73%
- 2008 - 67%, 31% advanced (22% below basic), State - 73%
- 2007 - 54%, 25% advanced (28% below basic), State - 71%
Special Education
In December 2010, the district administration reported that 1,256 pupils or 13.5% of the district's pupils received Special EducationSpecial 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.
Easton Area School District received a $3,838,430 supplement for special education services in 2010.
Gifted Education
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. Easton Area School District serves gifted students through an accelerated curriculum and enrichment programs.Bullying policy
The Easton Area School District administration reported there were 3 incidents of bullying in the district in 2009.The Easton Area School Board has provided the district's antibully 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 its anti-bullying policy to the Office for Safe Schools every year, and shall review their policy every three years. Additionally, the district must conduct an annual review of that policy with students. The Center for Schools and Communities works in partnership with the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime & Delinquency and the Pennsylvania Department of Education to assist schools and communities as they research, select and implement bullying prevention programs and initiatives.
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 430 teachers with a starting salary of $40,000 for 180 days of pupil instruction. The average teacher salary was $57,439 while the maximum salary is $146,103. 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, Easton Area School District teachers receive a defined benefit pensionPension
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 and other benefits. Teachers are paid extra when they are required to work outside of the regular school 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 May 2011, the district school board and the teachers' union revised the employment contract. Under the new agreement, there is a one year freeze in wages in exchange for no teacher layoffs. Additionally, the contract was extended by two years, making it in effect until August 2015. The new agreement is reported to save $28.7 million over the next four years
In 2007, the district employed 587 teachers. The average teacher salary in the district was $49,442 for 180 school days worked.
Easton Area School District administrative costs per pupil in 2008 was $727.68 per pupil. The district is ranked 276th out of 500 in Pennsylvania for administrative spending. The lowest administrative cost per pupil in Pennsylvania was $398 per pupil.
In 2008, Easton Area School District reported spending $13,262 per pupil. This ranked 153rd in the commonwealth.
Reserves
In 2009, the district reported $9,759,829 in a unreserved-undesignated fund balance. The designated fund balance was reported as $16,121,366.
In December 2009, the Pennsylvania Auditor General conducted a performance audit of the district. Findings were reported to the administration and school board.
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 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 Easton Area School District received a 3.67% increase in state Basic Education Funding resulting in a $20,217,421 payment. Bethlehem Area School DistrictBethlehem Area School District
The Bethlehem Area School District covers the City of Bethlehem, the Boroughs of Fountain Hill and Freemansburg and Bethlehem Township and Hanover Township in Lehigh County and Northampton County. The district operates two High Schools, four Middle Schools and sixteen Elementary Schools as well as...
received a 13.44% increase, which was the highest increase in BEF in Northampton 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 5.46% increase in Basic Education funding for a total of $19,502,235. The state Basic Education funding to the district in 2008-09 was $18,493,048.01. 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. Bethlehem Area School District received a 8.98% increase, the highest increase in Northampton 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 while ninety school districts received a base 2% increase.
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...
, 2998 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 Easton Area School District applied for and received $1,359,392 in addition to all other state and federal funding. The district used the funding to provide full day kindergarten to 118 children for the 3rd year, to reduce class size K-3rd, to pay teachers/administrators to write new curriculum and teacher training programs.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. Easton Area School District received $445,873 in 2006-07. In 2007-08 the district received $445,712. For the 2008-09, school year the district received $151,218 for a total of $1,042,803. 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 $5,355,261 in ARRAArra
Arra is a census town in Puruliya district in the state of West Bengal, India.-Demographics: India census, Arra had a population of 19,911. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Arra has an average literacy rate of 66%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with 59% of the...
- Federal Stimulus money to be used in specific programs like special education and meeting the academic needs of low income students. The funding is for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years.
Race to the Top grant
School district officials did not apply for the Race to the TopRace 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 over one million 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. The Easton Area School District teachers' union refused to sign the agreement. 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 Easton Area School Board chose 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 dollars. After the review of the information, the district was not required to implement the recommended cost savings changes. The review identified potential annual savings of over $78,000 over a variety of cost centers including: food services, transportation, purchasing and utility costs. Opportunities for savings in food services and utility costs appeared particularly promising for the district.Real estate taxes
The school board set property tax rates in 2010-2011 at 52.3250 mills for Northampton County residents. In Bucks County - 162.3840 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.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 StatisticsBureau 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 Easton Area School District 2006-2007 through 2010-2011.
- 2006-07 - 4.7%, Base 3.9%
- 2007-08 - 4.1%, Base 3.4%
- 2008-09 - 5.4%, Base 4.4%
- 2009-10 - 5.1%, Base 4.1%
- 2010-11 - 3.6%, Base 2.9%
- 2011-12 - 1.7%, Base 1.4%
Easton Area 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 Easton Area School District was $213 per approved permanent primary residence. In the district, 15,452 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 acres (40,468.6 m²) and must be the primary residence of the owner. Farmers can qualify for both the homestead exemption and the farmstead exemption. The Pennsylvania Auditor General found that 72% of property owners applied for tax relief in Northampton County. In Northampton County, the highest property tax relief in 2009 was $284 awarded to the approved property owners in Bangor Area School DistrictBangor Area School District
The Bangor Area School District is a midsized, public school district located in Northampton County in eastern Pennsylvania. It covers approximately serving the Boroughs of Bangor, East Bangor, Portland and Roseto and Upper Mount Bethel Township, Washington Township and most of Lower Mount Bethel...
. 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.
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
The Easton Area School District offers a wide 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.