North Penn School District
Encyclopedia
School district
School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...
that consists of thirteen elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
s, three middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
s, and one high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
. It serves the North Penn Valley
North Penn Valley
The North Penn Valley is a region of Philadelphia suburbs and exurbs in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It is somewhat congruent with the North Penn School District. It contains the boroughs of North Wales, Lansdale, and Hatfield, as well as the surrounding townships...
, a 42 square miles (108.8 km²) area in the Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010, the population was 799,874, making it the third most populous county in Pennsylvania . The county seat is Norristown.The county was created on September 10, 1784, out of land originally part...
suburbs of Philadelphia, 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...
.
The district serves the municipalities of North Wales Borough
North Wales, Pennsylvania
North Wales is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is one of the three historic population centers that make up the North Penn Valley...
, Lansdale Borough
Lansdale, Pennsylvania
Lansdale is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, 28 miles northwest of Philadelphia. Early in the 20th century, its industries included agricultural implement works, a canning factory, foundries, brickyards, a silk mill, and manufacturers of cigars, stoves, shirts, rope, iron drain pipe,...
, Hatfield Borough
Hatfield, Pennsylvania
Hatfield is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,290 at the time of the 2010 census.-Geography:Hatfield is located at ....
, Upper Gwynedd Township
Upper Gwynedd Township, Pennsylvania
Upper Gwynedd Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 15,552 at the 2010 census. North Wales Borough is surrounded by Upper Gwynedd Township on all sides, and many homes and businesses with North Wales addresses are actually in Upper Gwynedd...
, Towamencin Township
Towamencin Township, Pennsylvania
Towamencin Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 17,578 at the 2010 census. It is part of the North Penn School District. Towamencin has residential neighborhoods, historic farmhouses, recreational facilities, many schools, and open spaces. ...
, Montgomery Township
Montgomery Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Montgomery Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 24,790 at the 2010 census. It is the location of the Montgomery Mall, a regional shopping mall serving the Route 309 corridor of the Philadelphia suburbs. Much of Montgomery Township's...
, and Hatfield Township
Hatfield Township, Pennsylvania
Hatfield Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 17,249 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , all of it land. It is in the Delaware watershed and is drained mainly by the...
. The Montgomeryville
Montgomeryville, Pennsylvania
Montgomeryville is a census-designated place in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 12,624 at the 2010 census....
census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
is located in the district.
A small portion of Bucks County
Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- Industry and commerce :The boroughs of Bristol and Morrisville were prominent industrial centers along the Northeast Corridor during World War II. Suburban development accelerated in Lower Bucks in the 1950s with the opening of Levittown, Pennsylvania, the second such "Levittown" designed by...
known as Line Lexington is also contained in the North Penn School District.
The district was created by merging smaller, local districts in 1956. North Penn High School is today one of the largest traditional public high schools in Pennsylvania. The district enrollment for the 2006-2007 school year was 12,993. The district offers advanced placement curriculum and English as a second language
English language learning and teaching
English as a second language , English for speakers of other languages and English as a foreign language all refer to the use or study of English by speakers with different native languages. The precise usage, including the different use of the terms ESL and ESOL in different countries, is...
.
The current president of the North Penn School District Board of Education is Vincent Sherpinskey and the current superintendent is Curt Dietrich.
List of schools
- North Penn High SchoolNorth Penn High SchoolNorth Penn High School is a part of the North Penn School District and is located in Towamencin Township, Pennsylvania, about a mile outside of Lansdale borough, 25 miles northwest of Philadelphia, along Valley Forge Road . It operates under the Principal Burton T. Hynes and the school colors are...
, Towamencin Township - Northbridge School, Hatfield
- Pennbrook Middle School, North Wales
- Penndale Middle School, Lansdale
- Pennfield Middle School, Hatfield
- A.M. Kulp Elementary School, Hatfield
- Bridle Path Elementary School, Montgomery Township
- General Nash Elementary School, Towamencin Township
- Gwyn Nor Elementary School, North Wales
- Gywnedd Square Elementary School, Lansdale
- Hatfield Elementary School, Hatfield
- Inglewood Elementary School, Towamencin Township
- Knapp Elementary School, North Wales
- Montgomery Elementary School, North Wales
- North Wales Elementary School, North Wales
- Oak Park Elementary School, Lansdale
- Walton Farm Elementary School, Towamencin Township
- York Avenue Elementary School, Lansdale
Penndale Middle School
Penndale Middle School, located in Lansdale, includes grades 7-9. The building first served as Lansdale High School from 1930–1955, then after North Penn School District was incorporated, as North Penn High School from 1955-1971. Penndale is the largest of the three middle schools in the district, with 1,410 students. Students in A.M. Kulp, Gwynedd Square, Knapp, Oak Park , York Avenue Elementary School and a portion of Bridle Path and Inglewood attend Penndale. Penndale's incumbent principal is Dr. O'Sullivan.Academic achievement
North Penn School District was ranked 42nd out of the 498 ranked Pennsylvania school districts in 2008 by the Pittsburgh Business Times. The ranking was based on student academic performance as demonstrated in 3 years of 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...
results. In 2007 the district ranked 49th out of 500 Pennsylvania schools districts in student academic achievement.
Graduation Rate:
2009 - 96%
2008 - 96%
2007 - 96%
High school
The school is in Corrective Action II 1st Year for chronically low academic achievement of special need and low income students.PSSA Results
11th Grade Reading
2009 - 79%, In Pennsylvania, 65% of 11th graders on grade level.
2008 - 81%, State - 65%
11th Grade Math:
2009 - 73% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 56% of 11th graders are on grade level.
2008 - 74%, State - 56%
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
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...
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
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.
Budget
In the 2011-2012 school year the districts's total budget was $199,340,461. 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 the of 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 DistrictMuhlenberg 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. 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 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. This funding was for 2009 to 2011.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 1,581 students received free or reduced 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 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 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.
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