McGuffey School District

School District

The School District is composed of four schools:

Academic achievement

In 2011, the school district ranked 330th of 498 Pennsylvania school district. The ranking was based on five years of student academic performance on the PSSAs for math, reading, writing and three years of science.

The McGuffey School District ranked 80th out of 105 western Pennsylvania school districts, by the Pittsburgh Business Times in 2009. In 2008, the district was ranked 78th.

In 2009, the academic achievement of the students in McGuffey School District was in the 42nd percentile of Pennsylvania Public School Districts.

Graduation rate

In 2011, the graduation rate was 90%. In 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a new, 4-year cohort graduation rate. McGuffey High School's rate was 85% for 2010.

High school

In 2011 the school achieved AYP status. In 2011, McGuffey High School ranked 98th of 123 high school, in western Pennsylvania, for academic achievement based on five years of PSSA results on: mathematics, reading, writing and three years of science.

College remediation

According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 42% of the McGuffey High School graduates required remediation in mathematics and or reading before they were prepared to take college level courses in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education or community colleges. Less than 66% of Pennsylvania high school graduates, who enroll in a four-year college in Pennsylvania, will earn a bachelor's degree within six years. Among Pennsylvania high school graduates pursuing an associate degree, only one in three graduate in three years. Per the Pennsylvania Department of Education, one in three recent high school graduates who attend Pennsylvania's public universities and community colleges takes at least one remedial course in math, reading or English.

Graduation requirements

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. At McGuffey High School, students may choose between completing: a Career Explorations Project, an Interdisciplinary Project, a Community Service Project or a Western Area Career and Technology Center Project.

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

Dual enrollment

Effective with the 2010-11 school year, McGuffey High School offers a dual enrollment program. The school has an agreement with California University of Pennsylvania and Community College of Allegheny County. 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, including the graduation ceremony. 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.

McGuffey Middle School

In 2011 and 2010, the school achieved AYP status. The attendance rate was 94% in 2010 and 2011.

Seventh grade

In 2011, the seventh grade ranked 57th among western Pennsylvania schools districts.

Claysville Elementary

In 2011 and 2010, the school achieved AYP status. The attendance rate was 94% in both 2010 and 2011.

Bullying policy

In 2009, the administrative reported there was one incident of bullying and 14 fights, in the district.

The McGuffey School Board has mandated the district's antibully policy and posted it online.

Special education

In December 2010, the district administration reported that 306 pupils or 14.5% of the district's pupils received Special Education services.

McGuffey School District received a $1,329,726 supplement for special education services in 2010.

Gifted education

The District Administration reported that 34 or 1.54% of its students were gifted in 2009. Students identified as gifted attending the High School have access to a variety of AP courses.

Budget

In 2010 the district reported employing over 90 teachers with a salary range of $33,000 to $103,742 for 180 student days (7 professional days). In addition, the teachers receive a benefits package which includes: health insurance, vision insurance, dental insurance, life insurance, paid personal days, 10 paid sick days (which accumulate), reimbursement for college courses and multiple other benefits. Teachers get a preparation period each school day. Teachers are paid $27.50 an hour for work done outside the school day.

In 2007, the average teacher salary in the district was $51,238 for 180 days worked. The school board entered into an agreement between the McGuffey Board of Directors and McGuffey Teachers Union for July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2013, that provides an early retirement incentive.

The district administrative costs per pupil in 2008 were $857.77 per pupil. The district ranked 135th for administrative spending or highest 25% of school districts in the Commonwealth. The lowest administrative cost per pupil in Pennsylvania was $398 per pupil. In January 2007, the School Board awarded a five-year contract to Joseph Stefka to serve five years as Superintendent. The first year of the contract called for a salary of $112,306.14. The contract included an extensive benefits package, including mileage, 12 paid sick days, 5 personal days and 20 vacation days; health, vision, dental and life insurance and more. Superintendent Stefka retired in June 2010. The Pennsylvania School Boards Association keeps statistics on salaries of public school district employees in Pennsylvania. According to the association, the average salary for a superintendent for the 2007–08 school year was $122,165. In May 2010 the school board hired Beverly Arbore as superintendent of schools for McGuffey School District effective July 1, 2010.

In 2008, the district administration reported spending $12,239 per pupil which ranked 248th among Pennsylvania's 501 school districts.

Reserves In 2008, the district reported a $440,498 in an unreserved-undesignated fund balance. The designated fund balance was reported as zero. In September 2011, the school board adopted Resolution 2011/2012-01 authorizing non-electoral debt in an amount not to exceed $7,500,000 under the Local Government Unit Debt Act. The issuance of non-electoral debt is for the refinancing of the General Obligation Bonds Series of 2006.

In 2011 the district received a grant of $13,500 from DPS Penn, which is an acquisition firm that is associated with Chesapeake Energy.

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

The district is funded by a combination of: an 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. 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 income level.

State basic education funding

In 2011–12, the district received $9,870,129 in state Basic Education Funding. Additionally, the district received $171,799, in state Accountability Block Grant funding. In 2010, the administration reported that 812 students received a free or reduced-price lunch based on the federal poverty levels.

For the 2010–11 budget year, the McGuffey School District was allotted a 2.00% increase, in Basic Education Funding, for a total of $10,416,910.

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. For 2010–11, the district applied for and received $466,305 in addition to all other state and federal funding. McGuffey School District uses the funding to reduce class size K-3rd grade, provide full-day kindergarten for the sixth year and to hire teacher coaches to show teachers how to better teacher the children and to provide teacher training programs to improve instruction.

Classrooms for the Future grant

The Classroom for the Future state program (2006-2009) 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. In 2008–09, the district received $107,168.

Federal Stimulus funding

The district received an extra $3,258,441 in ARRA – Federal Stimulus money to be used in specific programs like special education and meeting the academic needs of low-income students.

Real estate taxes

McGuffey School Board set property tax rates in 2011-12 at 117.3300 mills. A mill is $1 of tax for every $1,000 of a property's assessed value.

Property tax relief

In 2011, property tax relief for 3,733 approved homestead of McGuffey School District was set at $234.

In 2010, the district's tax relief was $230. In 2009, the Homestead/Farmstead Property Tax Relief from gambling for the McGuffey School District was $228 per approved permanent primary residence. In the district, 3,825 property owners applied for the tax relief.

Extracurriculars

The McGuffey School District offers a wide variety of clubs, activities and sports. Eligibility for participation is determined by school board policy.

Geographics

The district borders the state of West Virginia on the west, Avella School District on the north, Trinity Area School District on the east and Greene County, Pennsylvania on the south. It is also bordered by the Washington Area School District.

Personnel