West Middlesex Area School District

Governance

West Middlesex Area school district is governed by 9 individually elected board members (serve without compensation for a term of four years), 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 Superintendent and Business Manager are appointed by the school board. The Superintendent is the chief administrative officer with overall responsibility for all aspects of operations, including education and finance. The Business Manager is responsible for budget and financial operations. Neither of these officials are voting members of the School Board.

The Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives Sunshine Review gave the school board and district administration an "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.

Academic achievement

West Middlesex Area School District was ranked 258th out of 500 Pennsylvania school districts by the Pittsburgh Business Times in 2013. 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.

In 2013, the Pittsburgh Business Times also reported an Overachievers Ranking for 498 Pennsylvania school districts. West Middlesex Area School District ranked 217th. In 2011, the district was ranked 403rd. 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."

District AYP status history

In 2012, West Middlesex Area School District achieved AYP status. In 2011, School District achieved Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). 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 Pennsylvania public 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. West MIddlesex Area School District achieved AYP status each year from 2006 to 2010.

Graduation rate

In 2012, West Middlesex Area District’s graduation rate was 96%. In 2011, the graduation rate was 97.5%. In 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a new, 4-year cohort graduation rate. West MIddlesex Area High School's rate was 97.8% for 2010.

High School

West Middlesex Area High School is located at 3591 Sharon Road, West Middlesex. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2010, the school reported an enrollment of 543 pupils in grades 7th through 12th, with 163 pupils eligible for a federal free or reduced price lunch due to the family meeting the federal poverty level. The school employed 38 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.

In 2012, West Middlesex Area Junior Senior High School was in Warning AYP status due to missing all academic metrics measured in reading and mathematics.

11th Grade Reading:

11th Grade Math:

11th Grade Science:

Science in Motion West Middlesex Area Junior Senior High School did not take advantage of a state program called Science in Motion which brought college professors and sophisticated science equipment to the school to raise science awareness and to provide inquiry-based experiences for the students. The Science in Motion program was funded by a state appropriation and cost the school nothing to participate. Oakview Elementary School worked with Westminster College to provide the enrichment experiences to its students.

College Remediation Rate

According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 26% of the West Middlesex Area Junior Senior 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

Among Pennsylvania's 500 public school districts, graduation requirements widely vary. The West Middlesex Area Junior Senior School Board has determined that a pupil must earn specific credits to graduate, including: a required class every year in math, English, social studies, science, Physical Education and electives.

By law, all Pennsylvania secondary school students were required to 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. Effective with the graduating class of 2017, the Pennsylvania State Board of Education eliminated the state mandate that students complete a culminating project in order to graduate.

By Pennsylvania School Board regulations, beginning with the class of 2017, public school students must demonstrate successful completion of secondary level course work in Algebra I, Biology, and English Literature by passing the Keystone Exams. The exam is given at the end of the course. Keystone Exams replace the PSSAs for 11th grade. Students have several opportunities to pass the exam, with those who do not able to perform a project in order to graduate. For the class of 2019, a Composition exam will be added. For the class of 2020, passing a civics and government exam will be added to the graduation requirements. In 2011, Pennsylvania high school students field tested the Algebra 1, Biology and English Lit exams. The statewide results were: Algebra 1 38% on grade level, Biology 35% on grade level and English Lit - 49% on grade level. Individual student, school or district reports were not made public, although they were reported to district officials by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Students identified as having special needs and qualifying for an Individual Educational Program (IEP) may graduate by meeting the requirements of their IEP.

SAT scores

In 2012, 43 West Middlesex Area School District students took the SAT exams. The District's Verbal Average Score was 479. The Math average score was 486. The Writing average score was 471. The statewide Verbal SAT exams results were: Verbal 491, Math 501, Writing 480. In the USA, 1.65 million students took the exams achieving scores: Verbal 496, Math 514, Writing 488. According to the College Board the maximum score on each section was 800, and 360 students nationwide scored a perfect 2,400.

In 2011, 53 West Middlesex Area School District students took the SAT exams. The District's Verbal Average Score was 470. The Math average score was 482. The Writing average score was 453. 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 (out of 800) verbal, 514 math and 489 in writing.

8th Grade Science:

Oakview Elementary School

Oakview Elementary School is located at 3591 Sharon Road, West Middlesex. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2011, the school reported an enrollment of 276 pupils in grades 4th through 6th, with 87 pupils receiving a federal free or reduced price lunch due to family poverty. The school is a federally designated Title I school. The school employed 20 teachers yielding a student-teacher ratio of 13:1. According to a report by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 100% of its teachers were rated "Highly Qualified" under No Child Left Behind.

From 2003 through 2012, Oakview Elementary School achieved AYP status each year.

Luther W. Low Elementary School

Luther W Low Elementary School is located at 3591 Sharon Road, West Middlesex. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2011, the school reported an enrollment of 306 pupils in grades kindergarten through 3rd, with 117 pupils receiving a federal free or reduced price lunch due to family poverty. The school is a federally designated Title I school. The school employed 22 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 the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

From 2004 through 2012, Luther W Low Elementary School achieved AYP status each year.

Special education

In December 2010, West Middlesex Area School District administration reported that 175 pupils or 16% of the district's pupils received Special Education services, with 41% of the identified students having a specific learning disability. In December 2009, the District administration reported that 207 pupils or 18% of the district's pupils received Special Education services, with 45% of the identified students having a specific learning disability. Special education services in the Commonwealth are provided to students from ages three years to 21 years old. In the 2010-11 school year, the total student enrollment was more than 1.78 million students with approximately 275,000 students eligible for special education services. Among these students 18,959 were identified with mental retardation and 21,245 students with autism. The largest group of students are identified as Specific Learning Disabilities 126,026 students (46.9 percent) and Speech or Language Impairments with 43,542 students (16.2 percent). The IDEA 2004 requires each school entity to publish a notice to parents, in newspapers or other media, including the student handbook and website regarding the availability of screening and intervention services and how to access them. The Districts works with Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV to provide services to identified students.

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 Special Education funding structure is through the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funds and state appropriations. IDEA funds are appropriated to the state on an annual basis and distributed through intermediate units (IUs) to school districts, while state funds are distributed directly to the districts. Total funds that are received by school districts are calculated through a formula. The Pennsylvania Department of Education oversees four appropriations used to fund students with special needs: Special Education; Approved Private Schools; Pennsylvania Chartered Schools for the Deaf and Blind; and Early Intervention. 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. Over identification 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 state requires each public school district and charter school to have a three-year special education plan to meet the unique needs of its special education students. In 2012, the Obama Administration's US Department of Education issued a directive that schools include students with disabilities in extracurricular activities, including sports.

The West Middlesex Area School District received a $645,608 supplement for special education services in 2010. For the 2011-12, 2012–13 and 2013-14 school years, 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. Additionally, the state provides supplemental funding for extraordinarily impacted students. The District must apply for this added funding.

Gifted education

The West Middlesex Area District Administration reported that 29 or 2.53% of its students were gifted in 2009. The highest percentage of gifted students reported among all 500 school districts and 100 public charter schools in Pennsylvania was North Allegheny School District with 15.5% of its students identified as gifted. 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. The West Middlesex Area School District offers a comprehensive K-12 program for students who are mentally gifted.

Budget

Pennsylvania public school districts budget and expend funds according to procedures mandated by the General Assembly and the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE). An annual operating budget is prepared by school district administrative officials. A uniform form is furnished by the PDE and submitted to the board of school directors for approval prior to the beginning of each fiscal year on July 1.

Under Pennsylvania’s Taxpayer Relief Act, Act 1 of the Special Session of 2006, all school districts of the first class A, second class, third class and fourth class must adopt a preliminary budget proposal. The proposal must include estimated revenues and expenditures and the proposed tax rates. This proposed budget must be considered by the Board no later than 90 days prior to the date of the election immediately preceding the fiscal year. The preliminary budget proposal must also be printed and made available for public inspection at least 20 days prior to its adoption. The board of school directors may hold a public hearing on the budget, but are not required to do so. The board must give at least 10 days’ public notice of its intent to adopt the final budget according to Act 1 of 2006.

In 2011, the average teacher salary in West Middlesex Area School District was $50,183 a year, while the cost of the benefits teachers received was $15,028 per employee, for a total annual average teacher compensation of $65,211. The District employed 96 teachers with an average salary of $51,571 and a top salary of $101,439. Alan Baldarelli was the District's Superintendent.

In 2009, West Middlesex Area School District reported employing 96 teachers and administrators with a median salary of $51,505 and a top salary of $99,062. The teacher’s work day is 7 hours 30 minutes (includes a 30 min duty-free lunch and a daily preparation period). The district has 185 days in the contract year with 180 student days. Additionally, the District's teachers receive a defined benefit pension, health insurance (employee contributes $60 per month), dental insurance, vision insurance, disability insurance, professional development reimbursement, 3 paid personal days (accumulates as sick days), 10 paid sick days (which accumulate without limit), and other benefits. Upon severance teachers receive a bonus of payment for unused sick days plus $50 for each year of service. The District provides health insurance for its early retirees until he age of 65 years. Early retirees ., who have been in the DIstrict for less than 30 years, also receive a payment of $500 per year of service in the district. The starting teacher salary in 2008 was $37,000 rising to $38,650 in 2012.

Leadership issues In July 2008, West Middlesex Area School Board voted to not extend the employment contract of then Superintendent Alan Baldarelli. He sued the board. In December 2008, the School Board formally voted to not renew the Superintendent's contract. The Board had become aware of a former employee, Dr. Joseph W. Pasquerilla, teaching professional development courses through an unaccredited institution called Canyon College. The courses were approved for tuition reimbursement by Balderelli. Yten district employees took the courses and taxpayers covered the costs. In 2009, the Board voted to extend the Superintendent's contract for 2 years. In December 2011, Superintendent Baldarelli proposed establishing a local charter school to be Community Leadership Academy Charter School that would be operated by the school district. The board voted against the proposal. In 2013, Superintendent Baldarelli retired from the district with a pension approaching 100% of his final salary. Director of Curriculum Charles Prijatelj resigned in March 2013 to take the position as Superintendent of the Tuscarora School District. West Middlesex Area School District administrative costs per pupil in 2008 was $645.52 per pupil. The lowest administrative cost per pupil in Pennsylvania was $398 per pupil. Superintendents and administrators receive a benefit package commensurate with that offered to the district's teachers' union.

Debt West Middlesex Area School District has $19,526,721 in nonelectoral debt which was largely approved from 2007-2012.

Per pupil spending In 2008, the West Middlesex Area School District administration reported that per pupil spending was $11,782 which ranked th among Pennsylvania's then 501 public school districts. In 2010, the District’s per pupil spending had increased to $12,549.79 In 2011, Pennsylvania’s per pupil spending was $13,467, ranking 6th in the United States. In 2007, the Pennsylvania per pupil total expenditures was reported as $12,759.

The U.S. Census Bureau reported that Pennsylvania spent $8,191 per pupil in school year 2000-01. In 2007, the Pennsylvania per pupil total expenditures was reported as $12,759. Among the fifty states, Pennsylvania’s total per pupil revenue (including all sources) ranked 11th at $15,023 per student, in 2008-09. Pennsylvania’s total revenue per pupil rose to $16,186 ranking 9th in the nation in 2011.

Reserves In 2008, the West Middlesex Area School District reported a balance of $830,646, in its unreserved-designated fund. The unreserved-undesignated fund balance was reported as $1,302,732. In 2010, West Middlesex Area School District Administration reported $1,350,791 in the unreserved-undesignated fund balance. The District also reported $895,651 in its unreserved-designated fund in 2010. Pennsylvania public school district reserve funds are divided into two categories – designated and undesignated. By 2013, the District reported an increase to $3,282,672 in its reserves. 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. By 2013, reserves held by Pennsylvania public school districts, as a whole, had increased to over $3.8 billion.

Audit In January 2012, the Pennsylvania Auditor General conducted a performance audit of the District. The findings were reported to the School Board and the District’s administration. The audit of the District's pupil transportation records and the reports submitted to the Department of Education for the 2009-10 and 2008-09 school years found internal control weaknesses and a lack of supporting documentation. It was noted that the District had not taken appropriate corrective action in implementing our recommendations pertaining to the internal control weaknesses and lack of documentation raised in a prior audit of the District's 2007-08 and 2006-07 school years. In 2010, West Middlesex Area School District was audited by the Pennsylvania Auditor General and significant issues were reported to the Superintendent and School Board.

Tuition Students who live in the West Middlesex Area School District's attendance area may choose to attend one of Pennsylvania's 157 public charter schools. A student living in a neighboring public school district or a foreign exchange student may seek admission to West Middlesex Area School District. For these cases, the Pennsylvania Department of Education sets an annual tuition rate for each school district. It is the amount the public school district pays to a charter school for each resident student that attends the charter and it is the amount a nonresident student's parents must pay to attend the District's schools. The 2012 tuition rates are Elementary School -$7,355.62, High School - $8,060.50.

The West Middlesex Area School District is funded by a combination of: a local earned income tax 0.5%, Per capita taxes of $10.00 ($5.00 under Act 511 and $5.00 under the School Code), Local Services Tax of $5.00 levied on each person with an occupation, 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. Interest earnings on accounts also provide nontax income to the District. 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. The average Pennsylvania public school teacher pension in 2011 exceeds $60,000 a year plus they receive federal Social Security benefits: both are free of Pennsylvania state income tax and local income tax which funds local public schools.

State basic education funding

For the 2013-14 school year, the West Middlesex Area School District will receive a 1.4% increase or $5,233,890 in Pennsylvania Basic Education Funding. This is $74,376 more than its 2012-13 state BEF to the District. Additionally, West Middlesex Area School District will receive $85,265 in Accountability Block Grant funding to focus on academic achievement and level funding for special education services. Among the public school districts in Mercer County, Hermitage School District (Pennsylvania) received the highest percentage increase at 2.2%. The District has the option of applying for several other state and federal grants to increase revenues. The Commonwealth’s budget increased Basic Education Funding statewide by $123 million to over $5.5 billion. Most of Pennsylvania’s 500 public school districts received an increase of Basic Education Funding in a range of 0.9% to 4%. Eight public school districts received exceptionally high funding increases of 10% to 16%. The highest increase in state funding was awarded to Austin Area School District which received a 22.5% increase in Basic Education Funding. The state funded the PSERS (Pennsylvania school employee pension fund) with $1,017,000,000 and Social Security payments for school employees of $495 million.

For the 2012-13 school year, West Middlesex Area School District received $5,159,514 in BEF and level funding for special education. The Governor's Executive Budget for 2012-2013 included $9.34 billion for kindergarten through 12th grade public education, including $5.4 billion in basic education funding, which was an increase of $49 million over the 2011-12 budget. In addition, the Commonwealth provided $100 million for the Accountability Block Grant (ABG) program. West Middlesex Area School District received $85,265 in Accountability Block Grant funding to focus on academic achievement. The state also provided a $544.4 million payment for School Employees’ Social Security and $856 million for School Employees’ Retirement fund called PSERS. This amount was a $21,823,000 increase (0.34%) over the 2011-2012 appropriations for Basic Education Funding, School Employees' Social Security, Pupil Transportation, Nonpublic and Charter School Pupil Transportation.

In 2011-12, West Middlesex Area School District received a $5,159,514 allocation, of state Basic Education Funding. Additionally, the West Middlesex Area School District also received $85,266 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 was a $233,290,000 increase (4.6%) over the enacted State appropriation for 2010-2011. The highest increase in state basic education funding was awarded to Duquesne City School District of Allegheny County, which got a 49% increase in state funding for 2011-12. In 2010, the district reported that 387 students received free or reduced price lunches, due to the family meeting the federal poverty level.

In the 2010-11 budget year, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provided a 5.38% increase in Basic Education Funding for a total of $5,661,445 to West Middlesex Area School District. Among the districts in Mercer County, the highest increase went to Greenville Area School District which got a 7.54% 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. Fifteen (15) Pennsylvania public school districts received a BEF increase of greater than 10%. The state's hold harmless policy regarding state basic education funding continued where each district received at least the same amount as it received the prior school year, even when enrollment had significantly declined. The amount of increase each school district received 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 Governor Rendell’s policy to fund some public school districts at a far greater rate than others.

In the 2009-10 budget year, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provided a 4.13% increase in Basic Education Funding for a total of $5,372,572. Among the public school districts in Mercer County, the highest increase went to Sharon City School District which got a 7.59%. Ninety (90) Pennsylvania public school districts received the base 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 received was set by Governor Edward G. Rendell and the Secretary of Education Gerald Zahorchak, as a part of the state budget proposal.

The state Basic Education Funding to the West Middlesex Area School District in 2008-09 was $5,159,513.74. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 359 district students received free or reduced- price lunches due to low family income in the 2007–2008 school year. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Pennsylvania spent $7,824 Per Pupil in the year 2000. This amount increased up to $12,085 by the year 2008.

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, West Middlesex Area School District applied for and received $231,432 in addition to all other state and federal funding. The district used the funding to provide Full Day kindergarten, to provide social services, and to fund Elementary science education. In 2009, 100% of the kindergarteners in West Middlesex Area School District attended full-day kindergarten or the first year.

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 to 2009. West Middlesex Area School District did not apply to participate in 2006-07, in 2007-08 nor in 2008-09. Just 50 public school districts in Pennsylvania rejected participation and three of them were in Mercer County. Among the public school districts in Mercer County the highest award was given to Greenville Area School District which received $344,743. The highest funding statewide was awarded to Philadelphia City School District in Philadelphia County - $9,409,073. The grant program was discontinued by Governor Edward Rendell as part of the 2009-10 state budget.

Education Assistance Grant

The state's EAP funding provides for the continuing support of tutoring services and other programs to address the academic needs of eligible students. Funds are available to eligible school districts and full-time career and technology centers (CTC) in which one or more schools have failed to meet at least one academic performance target, as provided for in Section 1512-C of the Pennsylvania Public School Code. In 2010-11 the West Middlesex Area School District received $23,203.

Other grants

The West Middlesex Area School District did not participate in: Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's Environmental Education annual grants, PA Science Its Elementary grants (discontinued effective with 2009-10 budget by Governor Rendell), 2012 Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy grant, nor the federal 21st Century Learning grants.

Federal Stimulus grant

West Middlesex Area School District received an extra $1,664,302 in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (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

West Middlesex 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.

Real estate taxes

Property tax rates in 2012-13 were set by the school board at 62.0200 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. 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 all government property (local, state and federal). 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 (between 75-85%) of local revenues; and 2) Act 511 tax collections, which are around 15% of revenues for school districts. When a Pennsylvania public school district includes municipalities in two counties, each of which has different rates of property tax assessment, a state board equalizes the tax rates between the counties. In 2010, miscalculations by the State Tax Equalization Board (STEB) were widespread in the Commonwealth and adversely impacted funding for many school districts, including those that did not cross county borders.

The average yearly property tax paid by Mercer County residents amounts to about 2.88% of their yearly income. Mercer County ranked 672nd out of the 3143 United States counties for property taxes as a percentage of median income. According to a report prepared by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the total real estate taxes collected by all school districts in Pennsylvania rose from $6,474,133,936 in 1999-00 to $10,438,463,356 in 2008-09 and to $11,153,412,490 in 2011. 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%).

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 permitted to raise property taxes above their annual Act 1 Index unless they either: allow Districts voters to approve the increase through a vote by referendum or they receive an exception from the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The base index for the school year is published by the PDE in the fall of each year. Each individual school district’s Act 1 Index can be adjusted higher, depending on a number of factors, such as local property values and the personal income of district residents. Originally, Act 1 of 2006 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 (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.

In June 2011, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed legislation eliminating six of the exceptions to the Act 1 Index. Several exceptions were maintained: 1) 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 (beyond what is already paid by the State); and 4) costs due to increases of more than the Index in the school’s share of payments to PSERS (PA school employees pension fund) taking into account the state mandated PSERS contribution rate. The legislature also froze the payroll amount public school districts use to calculate the pension-plan exception at the 2012 payroll levels. Further increases in payroll cannot be used to raise the district’s exception for pension payments. A specific timeline for Act I Index decisions is published annually, by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

The School District Adjusted Index history for the West Middlesex Area School District:

For the 2013-14 budget year, West Middlesex Area School Board did not apply for exceptions to exceed their Act 1 Index limit. For the school budget year 2013-14, 311 Pennsylvania public school districts adopted a resolution certifying that tax rates would not be increased above their index. Another 171 school districts adopted a preliminary budget leaving open the option of exceeded the Index limit. For the exception for pension costs, 89 school districts received approval to exceed the Index in full while others received a partial approval of their request. For special education costs, 75 districts received approval to exceed their tax limit. For the pension costs exception, 169 school districts received approval to exceed the Index. Eleven Pennsylvania public school districts received an approval for grandfathered construction debts.

For the 2012-13 budget year, West Middlesex Area School Board did not apply for exceptions to exceed the Act 1 Index. 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 2011-12 school year, the West Middlesex Area School Board did not apply for an exception to exceed the Act 1 Index. Each year, the West Middlesex 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.

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.

The West Middlesex Area School Board did not apply for any exceptions to exceed the Act 1 index for the budget in 2010-11.

For the 2009-10 school budget, the West Middlesex Area School Board did not apply for exceptions to exceed the Index. 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 2012, West Middlesex Area School District approved 2,223 homestead properties to receive $180 in property tax relief. The relief was subtracted from the total annual school property 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 contiguous acres (40,000 m²) and must be the primary residence of the owner. Farmers can qualify for both the homestead exemption and the farmstead exemption. The amount of property tax relief each Pennsylvania public school district receives is announced by the PDE in May of each year. The amount of tax relief is dependent on the total tax revenue collected on the casino slots in the previous year. Thirty five percent of the slots tax revenues are used for property tax relief. In Meercer County, the highest tax relief went to Sharon City School District which was set at $233. The highest property tax relief provided, among Pennsylvania school districts, goes to the homesteads of Chester Upland School District in Delaware County which received $632 per approved homestead in 2010. Chester-Upland School District has consistently been the top recipient since the programs inception.

Enrollment

According to Pennsylvania Department of Education enrollment reports, there were 1,147 students enrolled in K-12 in 2009–10 school year at West Middlesex Area School District. There were 81 students in the Class of 2009. The district's class of 2012 had just 65 students. In 2012, the districts enrollment had declined to 1,023 pupils K-12. Total enrollment is projected to decline to 990 students by 2020< In 2008, the district administrative costs were $790 per pupil. The lowest administrative cost per pupil in Pennsylvania was $398 per pupil. A study of Pennsylvania public school spending, conducted by Standard and Poor's, examined the consolidation of small, adjacent public school districts. The study found that consolidation of the administration with an adjacent school district would achieve substantial administrative cost savings which varied by both school districts. Several Mercer County public school districts share mid level administrators and have considered sharing a single superintendent.

According to a 2009 school district administration consolidation proposal by then Governor Edward Rendell, the excessive administrative overhead dollars could be redirected to improve lagging academic achievement, to enrich the academic programs or to reduce property taxes. Consolidation of two central administrations into one would not require the closing of any schools. The Governor's proposal called for the savings to be redirected to improving lagging reading and science achievement, to enriching the academic programs or to reducing residents' property taxes.

Over the decade 2000-2010, rural Pennsylvania public school district enrollment decreased 8 percent. As the enrollment declined, per pupil administrative costs of the schools continue to rise. In March 2011, the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants released a report finding that the state would save hundreds of millions of tax dollars, by cutting the number of school administrations in half through consolidation, with no impact on programs offered to students.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has one of the highest numbers of school districts in the nation. In Pennsylvania, 80% of the school districts serve student populations under 5,000, and 40% serve less than 2,000. This results in excessive school administration bureaucracy and not enough course diversity. In a survey of 88 superintendents of small districts, 42% of the 49 respondents stated that they thought consolidation would save money without closing any schools.

Wellness policy

West Middlesex Area School Board established a district wellness policy. The policy deals with nutritious meals served at school, the control of access to some foods and beverages during school hours, age appropriate nutrition education for all students, and physical education for students K-12. The policy is in response to state mandates and federal legislation (P.L. 108 – 265). The law dictates that each school district participating in a program authorized by the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq) or the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq) "shall establish a local school wellness policy by School Year 2006." Most districts identified the superintendent and school foodservice director as responsible for ensuring local wellness policy implementation.

The legislation placed the responsibility of developing a wellness policy at the local level so the individual needs of each district can be addressed. According to the requirements for the Local Wellness Policy, school districts must set goals for nutrition education, physical activity, campus food provision, and other school-based activities designed to promote student wellness. Additionally, districts were required to involve a broad group of individuals in policy development and to have a plan for measuring policy implementation. Districts were offered a choice of levels of implementation for limiting or prohibiting low nutrition foods on the school campus. In final implementation these regulations prohibit some foods and beverages on the school campus. The Pennsylvania Department of Education required the district to submit a copy of the policy for approval.

The District offers a free school breakfast and free or reduced-price lunch to children in low income families. All students attending the school can eat breakfast and lunch. Children from families with incomes at or below 130 percent of the federal poverty level are provided a breakfast and lunch at no cost to the family. Children from families with incomes between 130 and 185 percent of the federal poverty level can be charged no more than 30 cents per breakfast. A foster child whose care and placement is the responsibility of the State or who is placed by a court with a caretaker household is eligible for both a free breakfast and a free lunch. Runaway, homeless and Migrant Youth are also automatically eligible for free meals. The meals are partially funded with federal dollars through the United States Department of Agriculture. The school prohibits bringing outside snacks to schools to celebrate holidays of birthdays. Energy drinks are prohibited as well.

In 2013, the USDA issued new restrictions to foods in public schools. The rules apply to foods and beverages sold on all public school district campuses during the day. They limit vending machine snacks to a maximum of 200 calories per item. Additionally, all snack foods sold at school must meet competitive nutrient standards, meaning they must have fruits, vegetables, dairy or protein in them or contain at least 10 percent of the daily value of fiber, calcium, potassium, and Vitamin D. In order to comply with the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 all US public school districts are required to raise the price of their school lunches to $2.60 regardless of the actual cost of the lunch.

West Middlesex Area School District provides health services as mandated by the Commonwealth and the federal government. Nurses are available in each building to conduct annual health screenings (data reported to the PDE and state Department of Health) and to dispense prescribed medications to students during the school day. Students can be excluded from school unless they comply with all the State Department of Health’s extensive immunization mandates. School nurses monitor each pupil for this compliance. Nurses also monitor each child's weight.

Extracurriculars

West Middlesex Area School District offers a wide variety of clubs, activities and an extensive, costly sports program. Eligibility for participation is determined by school board policy and in compliance with standards set by the Pennsylvania interscholastic Athletics Association (PIAA).

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.

Sports

The District funds:

According to PIAA directory July 2013