Abington School District

Abington School District is a medium-sized, suburban, public school district that serves: the Borough of Rockledge and Abington Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The district operates one high School, one middle school, and seven elementary schools. Abington School District encompasses approximately 16 square miles. According to the 2000 federal census data, it serves a resident population of 58,680. In 2009, the district residents' per capita income was $29,932 a year, while the median family income was $70,226.[1] In the Commonwealth, the median family income was $49,501 [2] and the United States median family income was $49,445, in 2010.[3] According to District officials, in school year 2007-08 the Abington School District provided basic educational services to 7,440 pupils. It employed: 551 teachers, 399 full-time and part-time support personnel, and 62 administrators. Abington School District received more than $16.2 million in state funding in school year 2007-08.

Abington School District
Address
970 Highland Avenue
Abington
, Pennsylvania, 19001
United States
Coordinates40.112°N 75.128°W / 40.112; -75.128
District information
TypePublic school district
GradesK-12
PresidentShameeka Brown
SuperintendentDr. Jeffery S. Fecher
Students and staff
Enrollment7,336
District mascotGalloping Ghosts
ColorsMaroon and White   
Other information
Websitewww.abington.k12.pa.us

Secondary Schools
  • Abington Senior High (10th,11th,12th)
  • Abington Junior High (7th,8th,9th)

Elementary Schools (K-6)
  • Copper Beech
  • Highland
  • Roslyn
  • Overlook
  • Willow Hill
  • Rydal
  • McKinley

Academic achievement

Seven of the district's nine schools have achieved recognition as a Blue Ribbon School.[4]

  • Overlook Elementary School National and Pennsylvania Blue Ribbon School
  • Rydal Elementary School National and Pennsylvania Blue Ribbon School
  • Roslyn Elementary School Pennsylvania Blue Ribbon School
  • McKinley Elementary School National and Pennsylvania Blue Ribbon School
  • Abington Junior High School National Blue Ribbon School
  • Abington Senior High School National and Pennsylvania Blue Ribbon School

Governance
Abington School District Administration Building

The school district is governed by 9 individually elected board members (serve four-year terms), the Pennsylvania State Board of Education, the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the Pennsylvania General Assembly.[5] 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.

Rydal-Meadowbrook Civic Association, Abington Parent Council and Abington-Cheltenham-Jenkintown League of Women Voters co-host a School Board Candidates Forum every two years.[6]

The Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives Sunshine Review gave the school board and district administration a " C-" 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.[7]

Academic achievement

Abington School District was ranked 52nd out of 498 Pennsylvania school districts in 2011, by the Pittsburgh Business Times. The ranking was based on four years of student academic performance on the reading, writing, math and two years of science PSSAs.[8]

  • 2010 - 41st [9]
  • 2009 - 47th
  • 2008 - 33rd
  • 2007 - 34th out of 501 school districts.[10]

Graduation rate

In 2011, the graduation rate was 96%.[11] In 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a new, 4-year cohort graduation rate. High School's rate was 93% for 2010.[12]

According to traditional graduation rate calculations:
2010 - 95% [13]
2009 - 93%[14]
2008 - 96%
2007 - 96%[15]

High school

In 2011 and 2010, the Abington Senior High School achieved AYP status under No Child Left Behind.[16] In 2009, the senior high school is in Making Progress: in School Improvement I. Students who are English language learners are not making adequate yearly progress.

PSSA Results
11th Grade Reading
  • 2011 - 79% on grade level, (8% below basic). State - 69.1% of 11th graders are on grade level.[17]
  • 2010 - 86% (4% below basic). State - 67% [18]
  • 2009 - 86%, State - 65%
  • 2008 - 54%, State - 65%
  • 2007 - 34%, State - 65% [19]
11th Grade Math:
  • 2011 - 77%, on grade level (10% below basic). In Pennsylvania, 60.3% of 11th graders are on grade level.[20]
  • 2010 - 82% (8% below basic). State - 59%
  • 2009 - 79%, State - 56% [21]
  • 2008 - 54%, State - 56%
  • 2007 - 28%, State - 53%

11th Grade Science:

  • 2011 - 48% on grade level (13% below basic). State - 40% of 11th graders were on grade level.[22]
  • 2010 - 50% (10% below basic). State - 39% of 11th graders were on grade level.
  • 2009 - 56%, State - 40%
  • 2008 - 38%, State - 39% [23]

College Remediation: According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, only 14% of Abington School District graduates required remediation in mathematics and or reading before they were prepared to take college level courses in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education or community colleges.[24] 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.[25] 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

The 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 offers a small grant to assist students in costs for tuition, fees and books.[26] Under the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement, many Pennsylvania colleges and universities accept these credits for students who transfer to their institutions.[27]

For the 2009-10 funding year, the school district received a state grant of $26,993 for the program.

SAT scores

In 2010-2011, 505 students took the SAT exams. The district's Verbal Average Score was 602. The Math average score was 598. The Writing average score was 498.[28] Pennsylvania ranked 40th among state with SAT scores: Verbal - 493, Math - 501, Writing - 479.[29] In the United States 1.65 million students took the exam in 2011. They averaged 497 (out of 800) verbal, 514 math and 489 in writing.[30]

College Board Award

In 2011, the Abington School District achieved the College Board's AP District of the Year Award. This honor roll consists of the 388 U.S. public school districts that simultaneously achieved increases in access to AP® courses for a broader number of students and also maintained or improved the rate at which their AP students earned scores of 3 or higher on an AP Exam.[31] Students have the option of taking College Board approved courses and then taking the College Board's examination in the Spring. Students, who achieve a 3 or better on the exam, may be awarded college credits at US universities and colleges. Each higher education sets its own standards about what level of credits are awarded to a student based on their AP exam score. Most higher education institutions give college credits for scores of 4 or 5. Some schools also give credits for scores of 3. High schools award credits towards graduation to students who take the school's AP classes.

Budget

In 2007, the district employed 493 teachers. The average teacher salary in the district was $69,875 for 180 days worked.[32] 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.[33] Additionally, the teachers receive a defined benefit pension, health insurance, professional development reimbursement, personal days, sick days, and other benefits.[34]

Press reports in 2015 indicated the district's superintendent was the highest-paid in the state at $320,000 per year.[35]

Abington School District administrative costs per pupil was $993.92 in 2008. The lowest administrative cost per pupil in Pennsylvania was $398 per pupil.[36]

The district is funded by a combination of: a local earned income tax, a property tax, a real estate transfer tax, grants, coupled with substantial funding from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the federal government. Pennsylvania exempts pension income and social security income from both state personal income tax and local earned income tax, regardless of the level of income.[37]

State basic education funding

In the 2009-2010 budget year the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provided a 2.00% increase in Basic Education funding for a total of $5,708,777. This was the lowest percentage point increase, in Basic Education Funding, for the school districts in the county. Six school districts in Montgomery County received increases of over 4% in Basic Education Funding in 2009. The state Basic Education funding to the district in 2008-09 was $5,596,840.24. Seventy public school districts received a 2% increase in 2009. Muhlenberg School District in Berks County received a 22.31% increase in 2009. The amount of increase each school district receives is set by the Governor and the Secretary of Education as a part of the state budget proposal each February.[38]

Race to the Top grant

School district officials applied for the Race to the Top federal grant. When approved for the grant, the district will receive a million dollars of additional federal funding for improving student academic achievement.[39] 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.[40] Pennsylvania was not approved in the first round of the grant. The failure of districts to agree to participate was cited as one reason that Pennsylvania was not approved. A second round of state RTTT application judging occurred in June 2010, which was a complete disaster as well.[41]

Federal Stimulus funding

The district received an extra $1,984,104 in ARRA - Federal Stimulus money to be used in specific programs like special education and meeting the academic needs of low-income students.[42] This funding is for 2009-2011 school years.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 951 students received free or reduced-price lunches due to low family income in the 2007-2008 school year.[43]

Extracurriculars

The district's students have access to a variety of clubs, activities and sports.

By Pennsylvania law, all K-12 students in the district, including those who attend a private nonpublic school, cyber charter school, charter school and those homeschooled, are eligible to participate in the extracurricular programs, including all athletics. They must meet the same eligibility rules as the students enrolled in the district's schools.[44]

Abington School District vs. Schempp

The school district received some notoriety in the 1960s when it became one of the key parties in the school prayer controversy, with Abington School District v. Schempp. The Supreme Court case resulted in a declaration of the unconstitutionality of school-sanctioned Bible reading.[45] This case is considered a landmark and surprised former President Eisenhower, who appointed Earl Warren as Chief Justice.[46]

References
  1. US Census Bureau, American Fact Finder, 2009
  2. US Census Bureau (2010). "American Fact Finder, State and County quick facts". Archived from the original on 2014-10-06.
  3. US Census Bureau (September 2011). "Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2010" (PDF).
  4. Abington School District news 2010
  5. Pennsylvania Public School Code Governance 2010
  6. Abington School Board Candidates Forum, Rydal-Meadowbrook Civic Association Archived 2013-10-13 at the Wayback Machine, 2011.
  7. The Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives. "The Pennsylvania Project". Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved May 20, 2010.
  8. Pittsburgh Business Times. (April 4, 2011). "Statewide Honor Roll Rankings information 2011". Archived from the original on January 19, 2012.
  9. Pittsburgh Business Times. (April 30, 2010). "Statewide Honor Roll Rankings 2010".
  10. "Three of top school districts in state hail from Allegheny County". Pittsburgh Business Times. May 23, 2007. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011.
  11. Pennsylvania Department of Education (September 29, 2011). "Abington School District AYP Data Table". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2012-01-03.
  12. Pennsylvania Department of Education (March 15, 2011). "New 4-year Cohort Graduation Rate Calculation Now Being Implemented". Archived from the original on September 14, 2010.
  13. Pennsylvania Department of Education. "Abington Senior High School Academic Achievement Report Card 2010 data table". Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2011-02-10.
  14. Abington School District Academic Achievement Report Card 2009
  15. Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children. "High School Graduation Report 2007". Archived from the original on 2012-11-05.
  16. Pennsylvania Department of Education (September 29, 2011). "Abington Senior High School - School AYP Overview". Archived from the original on 2015-01-22. Retrieved 2012-01-04.
  17. Pennsylvania Department of Education (September 29, 2011). "2010-2011 PSSA and AYP Results".
  18. Pennsylvania Department of Education (October 2010). "Abington Senior High School Academic Achievement Report Card 2010" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2011-02-10.
  19. Pennsylvania Department of Education. "Math and Reading PSSA results by school and grade 2007".
  20. Pennsylvania Department of Education (September 29, 2011). "Abington Senior High School Academic Achievement Report Card 2011" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2011-02-10.
  21. Pennsylvania Depart of Education. "2009 PSSAs: Reading, Math, Writing and Science Results".
  22. Pennsylvania Department of Education (September 29, 2011). "2010-2011 PSSA results in Science".
  23. Pennsylvania Department of Education (August 2008). "Science PSSA 2008 Results".
  24. Pennsylvania College Remediation Report https://www.scribd.com/doc/23970364/Pennsylvania-College-Remediation-Report%5B%5D
  25. National Center for Education Statistics
  26. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-10-17. Retrieved 2011-10-14.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Pennsylvania Department of Education - Dual Enrollment Guidelines.
  27. Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement. Site accessed March 2010. http://www.patrac.org/
  28. Pennsylvania Department of Education (2011). "Public School SAT Scores 2011". Archived from the original on 2011-10-15.
  29. College Board (September 2011). "SAT Scores State By State - Pennsylvania". Archived from the original on 2011-10-08.
  30. "While U.S. SAT scores dip across the board, N.J. test-takers hold steady". NJ.com. September 2011.
  31. College Board, 2011 AP® District of the Year Awards, March 11, 2011
  32. Fenton, Jacob, Average classroom teacher salary in Montgomery County, 2006-07. The Morning Call. Accessed March 2009.
  33. Teachers need to know enough is enough, PaDelcoTimes, April 20, 2010.
  34. Clarion Area Professional Education Association Employment Contract 2009
  35. "Educational look at school payrolls". Inquirer. 14 June 2015. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  36. Fenton, Jacob. Pennsylvania School District Data: Will School Consolidation Save Money?, The Morning Call, Feb 2009.
  37. Pennsylvania Department of Finance - Income tax information. April 2010
  38. The Pennsylvania Department of Education Budget Proposal 2009
  39. Pennsylvania's 'Race to the Top' Fueled by Effective Reforms, Strong Local Support Governor's Office Press release, January 20, 2010
  40. Pennsylvania's 'Race to the Top' Fueled by Effective Reforms, Strong Local Support
  41. Race to the Top Fund, U.S. Department of Education, March 29, 2010.
  42. Montgomery County ARRA FUNDING Archived 2011-03-07 at the Wayback Machine
  43. Pennsylvania Department of Education Funding Report by Local Education Agency, October 2009.
  44. Home-Schooled, Charter School Children Can Participate in School District Extracurricular Activities, Pennsylvania Office of the Governor Press Release, November 10, 2005
  45. Text of Abington Township School District v. Schempp, 374 U.S. 203 (1963) is available from:  Findlaw  Justia 
  46. Abington School District v. Schempp, Rydal-Meadowbrook Civic Association Archived 2013-10-13 at the Wayback Machine.
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