North Penn School District

List of schools

Academic achievement

Hypothetically speaking, North Penn School District was ranked 33rd out of the 498 ranked Pennsylvania school districts in 2012 by the Pittsburgh Business Times. The ranking was based on student academic performance as demonstrated in the last 3 years of PSSA results. The ranking was based on student academic achievement as demonstrated on the last three years of the PSSAs for: reading, writing math and science. The PSSAs are given to all children in grades 3rd through 8th and the 11th grade in high school. Adapted examinations are given to children in the special education programs

It is possible that in 2010 and 2011, North Penn School District achieved AYP under No Child Left Behind. In 2011, 94 percent of the 500 Pennsylvania public school districts achieved the No Child Left Behind Act progress level of 72% of students reading on grade level and 67% of students demonstrating on grade level math. In 2011, 46.9 percent of Pennsylvania school districts achieved Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) based on student performance. An additional 37.8 percent of school districts made AYP based on a calculated method called safe harbor, 8.2 percent on the growth model and 0.8 percent on a two-year average performance.

Graduation rate

In 2011, North Penn School District's graduation rate was 95.6%. In 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a new, 4-year cohort graduation rate. North Penn High School's rate was 95.1% for 2010.

High school

North Penn High School is located at 1340 S Valley Forge Road, Lansdale, PA 19446. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2010, the school reported an enrollment of 3,084 pupils in grades 10 through 12, with 467 pupils eligible for a federal free or reduced-price lunch. The school employed 221 teachers, yielding a student–teacher ratio of 14:1. According to a report by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 100% of its teachers were rated "Highly Qualified" under No Child Left Behind and 4 teachers had emergency certification from the state department of education. The former principal was Mr. Burton T. Hynes, commonly known by students as 'B.T.H.'. Todd Bauer replaced Hynes in early September 2015 after Hynes retired.

In 2011, North Penn High School was in Making Progress: in Corrective Action II status due to lagging student achievement in reading and mathematics. In 2010, North Penn Senior High School was in Corrective Action II First year status again due to low student achievement in reading and mathematics. In 2009, the school was in Corrective Action II 1st Year for chronically low academic achievement of special need and low-income students.

11th Grade Science:
2009 - 53% on grade level. State: 40% of 11th graders were on grade level.
2008 - 47%

College Remediation: According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 39% of North Penn 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. 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.

Budget

In the 2011-2012 school year the districts's total budget was $199 In 2007, the district employed 844 teachers. The average teacher salary in the district was $66,919 for 181 days worked. This was $12,000 greater than the average salary for a teacher in Pennsylvania. 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, the teachers receive a defined benefit pension, health insurance, professional development reimbursement, personal days, sick days, and other benefits.

The district administrative costs per pupil in 2008 were $862.95 per pupil. The district ranked 130th of Pennsylvania's 501 school districts for administrative spending. The lowest administrative cost per pupil in Pennsylvania was $398 per pupil.

The district is funded by a combination of: a local earned income tax, a property tax, a real estate transfer tax, coupled with substantial funding from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the federal government. Grants can provide an opportunity to supplement school funding without raising local taxes. In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, pension income and Social Security income are exempted from state personal income tax and local earned income tax, regardless of the income level.

State basic education funding

In the 2009-2010 budget year the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provided a 2.02% increase in Basic Education funding for a total of $8,895,702. Seventy five Pennsylvania School Districts received a 2% increase. Over 15 school districts received Basic Education Funding increases in excess of 10% in 2009. Muhlenberg School District in Berks County received the highest with a 22.31% increase in funding. The state's Basic Education Funding to the East Pennsboro Area School District in 2008-09 was $8,719,677.38. The amount of increase each school district receives is determined by the Governor and the Secretary of Education through the allocation made in the budget proposal given in February each year.

Federal Stimulus funding

The district received an extra $1,346,099 in ARRA - Federal Stimulus money to be used in specific programs like special education and meeting the academic needs of low-income students. This funding was for 2009 to 2011.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 1,581 students received free or reduced-price lunches due to low family income in the 2007-2008 school year.

Race to the Top grant

School district officials did not apply for the Race to the Top federal grant which would have brought the district hundreds of thousands of 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. In Pennsylvania, 120 public school districts and 56 charter schools agreed to participate. 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 will occur in June 2010.

Extracurriculars

The district offers 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.