Riverview School District (Pennsylvania)
Encyclopedia
The Riverview School District is a small, suburban public school district
serving the Pittsburgh suburbs or Oakmont, Pennsylvania
and Verona, Pennsylvania
. Riverview School District encompasses approximately 2 square miles. According to 2000 federal census data, it serves a resident population of 10,035. In 2009, the district residents' per capita income
was $23,343, while the median family income was $50,307. Per District officials, in school year 2007-08, the Riverview School District provided basic educational services to 1,167 pupils. In 2008, Riverview School District employed 109 teachers, 51 full-time and part-time support personnel, and 9 administrators for the 2007- 2008 school year. Riverview School District received more than $4.8 million in state funding in school year 2007-08.
The district features three schools: Riverview Jr-Sr High School
(7th-12th), 10th Street Elementary School
(K-6th), and Verner Elementary (K-6th).
results in reading, writing, math and three years of science.
In 2009, the academic achievement, of the students in the Riverview School District, was in the 71st percentile among all 500 Pennsylvania school districts. Scale (0-99; 100 is state best)
issued a new, 4 year cohort graduation rate. Riverview School District's rate was 88% for 2010.
According to traditional graduation rate calculations:
The high school ranked 65th out of 123 western Pennsylvania high schools, by the Pittsburgh Business Times in 2009, for academic achievement as reflected by three years of 11th grade results on: math, reading, writing and one year of science PSSAs.
PSSA Results:
11th Grade Reading
11th Grade Math:
11th Grade Science:
College Remediation: According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education
study released in January 2009, 37% of Riverview 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.
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 Riverview High School students engage in a senior transition project that focuses on careers called Shadow Study. Students earn 0.5 credits towards graduation upon completing the project.
By Pennsylvania School Board regulations, beginning with the graduating classes 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. The district is rewriting the Biology course t assure that students will be prepared to pass the exam.
8th Grade Math:
8th Grade Science:
7th Grade Reading
7th Grade Math:
services.
In 2010, the state of Pennsylvania provided $1,026,815,000 for Special Education services. The funds were distributed to districts based on a state policy which estimates that 16% of the district's pupils are receiving 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.
Identification activities are performed to find a child who is suspected as having a disability that would interfere with his or her learning unless special education programs and services are made available. These screening activities include: a review of group data, conducting hearing and vision screening, assessment of student's academic functioning, observation of the student displaying difficulty in behavior and determining the student's response to attempted remediation. Input from parents is also an information source for identification. Parents of school age children may request an evaluation by contacting the Coordinator of Special Education. Students identified as eligible for special education are entitled to a Free Appropriate Public Education at no cost to parents. Services designed to meet the needs of eligible students include the annual development of an Individualized Education Program (IEP), a triennial re-evaluation, and special education services inside or outside of the district's regular education classroom.
Riverview School District received a $633,420 supplemental funding to pay for special education services for its students, in 2010.
For the 2011-12 school year, all Pennsylvania public school districts received the same level of funding for special education that they received in 2010. 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.
The Riverview School District administration reported there were six incidents of bullying in the district in the 2009-10 school year. There were 21 incidents of a fighting.
The Riverview School Board has provided the district's antibully policy online. All Pennsylvania schools are required to have an anti-bullying policy incorporated into their Code of Student Conduct. The policy must identify disciplinary actions for bullying and designate a school staff person to receive complaints of bullying. The policy must be available on the school's website and posted in every classroom. All Pennsylvania public schools must provide a copy of its anti-bullying policy to the Office for Safe Schools every year, and shall review their policy every three years. Additionally, the district must conduct an annual review of that policy with students. The Center for Schools and Communities works in partnership with the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime & Delinquency and the Pennsylvania Department of Education to assist schools and communities as they research, select and implement bullying prevention programs and initiatives.
Education standards relating to student safety and antiharassment programs are described in the 10.3. Safety and Injury Prevention in the Pennsylvania Academic Standards for Health, Safety and Physical Education.
, health insurance
, life insurance
, dental insurance, vision insurance, long term disability insurance, professional development reimbursement, 3 paid personal days, 10 sick days (which accumulate), paid bereavement leave and other benefits. The union receives 8 paid days for attending union conventions. Union pays for a substitute for union leave time. Teachers are paid extra when they are required to work outside of the regular school day hours. According to State Rep. Glen Grell, a trustee of the Pennsylvania Public School Employees’ Retirement System Board, a 40-year educator can retire with a pension equal to 100 percent of their final salary.
In 2007, the district employed 99 teachers. The average teacher salary in the district was $50,301 for 180 school days worked.
Riverview School District administrative costs per pupil in 2008 was $1,123.65 per pupil. The district is ranked 36th out of 500 in Pennsylvania for administrative spending. The lowest administrative cost per pupil in Pennsylvania was $398 per pupil. 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 2008, Riverview School District reported spending $14,080 per pupil. This ranked 101st in the commonwealth.
In 2008, the Deer Lakes School District reported an unreserved designated fund balance of zero and a unreserved-undesignated fund balance of $2,080,456.00.
The district is funded by a combination of: a local earned income tax, a property tax, a real estate transfer tax 0.5%, grants, coupled with substantial funding from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the federal government. In Pennsylvania, pension income and social security income are exempt from Pennsylvania personal income tax and local earned income tax, regardless of the level of income.
which received an over 49% increase.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 336 students in the Riverview School District received free or reduced lunches due to low family income in the 2009-2010 school year.
For the 2010-11 school year the state provided a 2% increase in basic education funding to the district for a total of $2,844,460. Among Allegheny County public school districts the highest increase was allotted to South Fayette Township School District
which received an 11.32% increase in 2010. In Pennsylvania, 150 school districts received a 2% base increase. The highest increase in Pennsylvania was given to Kennett Consolidated School District
in Chester County
which was given a 23.65% increase. 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 made in February each year.
In the 2009-2010 budget year the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provided a 2% increase in Basic Education funding for a total of $2,844,460. Four county school districts received increases of over 6% in Basic Education Funding in 2009-10. Chartiers Valley School District
received an 8.17% increase. The majority of Allegheny County districts received a 2% increase. In Pennsylvania, 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 Riverview School District in 2008-09 was $2,788,686.46
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 358 students received free or reduced lunches due to low family income in the 2007-2008 school year.
- Federal Stimulus money to be used in specific programs like special education and meeting the academic needs of low income students. The funding is for 2009-10 and 2010-2011 school years.
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 for the grant. The failure of districts to agree to participate was cited as one reason that Pennsylvania was not approved.
rates in 2011-12 at 24.7860 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. The most recent assessed values for all properties in Allegheny County are available at the Allegheny County Office of Property Assessments.
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.
The School District Adjusted Index for the Riverview School District 2006-2007 through 2010-2011.
For the 2011-12 school year the Riverview School Board applied for exceptions (pension costs $127,532) to exceed the Act 1 Index. Each year, the Riverview 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. A specific timeline for these decisions is publisher each year by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
For 2009 and 2010, the Riverview School Board did not apply for any exceptions to exceed the Index limit. 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.
which received $351. The highest tax relief, in Pennsylvania, was awarded to Chester-Upland School District in Delaware County
which received $631. In 2009, the Homestead/Farmstead Property Tax Relief from gambling for the Riverview School District was $171 per approved permanent primary residence. In the district, 2,073 property owners applied for the 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 and must be the primary residence of the owner. Farmers can qualify for both the homestead exemption and the farmstead exemption. In Allegheny County, 60% of eligible property owners applied for property tax relief in 2009.
Additionally, the Pennsylvania Property Tax/Rent Rebate program is provided for low income Pennsylvanians aged 65 and older; widows and widowers aged 50 and older; and people with disabilities age 18 and older. The income limit is $35,000 for homeowners. The maximum rebate for both homeowners and renters is $650. Applicants can exclude one-half (1/2) of their Social Security income, consequently people who make substantially more than $35,000 may still qualify for a rebate. Individuals must apply annually for the rebate. This can be taken in addition to Homestead/Farmstead Property Tax Relief.
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%).
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.
School district
School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...
serving the Pittsburgh suburbs or Oakmont, Pennsylvania
Oakmont, Pennsylvania
Oakmont is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA. It is a Pittsburgh suburb and part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The population was 6,303 at the 2010 census....
and Verona, Pennsylvania
Verona, Pennsylvania
Verona is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is northeast of downtown Pittsburgh, along the left bank of the Allegheny River. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 2,474.-Industry:...
. Riverview School District encompasses approximately 2 square miles. According to 2000 federal census data, it serves a resident population of 10,035. In 2009, the district residents' per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
was $23,343, while the median family income was $50,307. Per District officials, in school year 2007-08, the Riverview School District provided basic educational services to 1,167 pupils. In 2008, Riverview School District employed 109 teachers, 51 full-time and part-time support personnel, and 9 administrators for the 2007- 2008 school year. Riverview School District received more than $4.8 million in state funding in school year 2007-08.
The district features three schools: Riverview Jr-Sr 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....
(7th-12th), 10th Street 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...
(K-6th), and Verner Elementary (K-6th).
Academic achievement
In 2011, Riverview School District was ranked 127th out of the 498 ranked Pennsylvania School Districts by the Pittsburgh Business Times. The ranking is based on five years of student academic achievement as demonstrated by PSSAsPennsylvania 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 reading, writing, math and three years of science.
- 2010 - 140th
- 2009 - 144th
- 2008 - 134th
- 2007 - 143rd out of 500 Pennsylvania school districts.
In 2009, the academic achievement, of the students in the Riverview School District, was in the 71st percentile among all 500 Pennsylvania school districts. Scale (0-99; 100 is state best)
Graduation rate
In 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of EducationPennsylvania 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...
issued a new, 4 year cohort graduation rate. Riverview School District's rate was 88% for 2010.
According to traditional graduation rate calculations:
- 2010 - 100%
- 2009 - 96%
- 2008 - 97%
- 2007 - 97%
High School
In 2009 and 2010, the high school achieved AYP status. Provides grades 7-12th.The high school ranked 65th out of 123 western Pennsylvania high schools, by the Pittsburgh Business Times in 2009, for academic achievement as reflected by three years of 11th grade results on: math, reading, writing and one year of science PSSAs.
PSSA Results:
11th Grade Reading
- 2010 - 76% on grade level (14% below basic). In Pennsylvania, 66% of 11th graders are on grade level.
- 2009 - 64% (17% below basic), State - 65%
- 2008 - 66% (16% below basic), State - 65%
- 2007 - 74% (7% below basic), State - 65%
11th Grade Math:
- 2010 - 62%, on grade level (26% below basic). In Pennsylvania, 59% of 11th graders are on grade level.
- 2009 - 56% (20% below basic). State - 56%.
- 2008 - 55% (28% below basic), State - 56%
- 2007 - 54% (26% below basic), State - 53%
11th Grade Science:
- 2010 - 40% on grade level (17% below basic). State - 39% of 11th graders were on grade level.
- 2009 - 39% (21% below basic). State - 40%
- 2008 - 31%, State - 39%
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, 37% of Riverview 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.
Graduation requirements
The Riverview School Board has established that a student must earn 26.5 credits, in order to graduate, including: English 4.5 credits, Social Studies 3 credits, Math 3 credits, Science 3.5 credits, Physical education 1.6 credits, Health 0.6 credits, Arts and Humanities 3 credits and electives 5.8 credits. Students who fail required subjects must attend summer school or repeat the course the following academic year.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 Riverview High School students engage in a senior transition project that focuses on careers called Shadow Study. Students earn 0.5 credits towards graduation upon completing the project.
By Pennsylvania School Board regulations, beginning with the graduating classes 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. The district is rewriting the Biology course t assure that students will be prepared to pass the exam.
Junior High School
8th Grade Reading- 2010 - 86% on grade level (10% below basic). In Pennsylvania, 81% of 8th graders on grade level.
- 2009 - 85% (13% below basic), State - 80%
- 2008 - 81% (10% below basic), State - 78%
- 2007 - 76% (6% below basic), State - 75%
8th Grade Math:
- 2010 - 73% on grade level (9% below basic). In Pennsylvania, 75% of 8th graders are on grade level.
- 2009 - 74% (10% below basic), State - 71%
- 2008 - 73% (13% below basic), State - 70%
- 2007 - 65% (11% below basic), State - 68%
8th Grade Science:
- 2010 - 63% on grade level (19% below basic). State - 57% of 8th graders were on grade level.
- 2009 - 49% (22% below basic), State - 55%
- 2008 - 55% (20% below basic), State - 52%
7th Grade Reading
- 2010 - 80% on grade level (8% below basic). In Pennsylvania, 73% of 7th graders on grade level.
- 2009 - 78% (6% below basic), State - 71%
- 2008 - 73% (11% below basic), State - 70%
- 2007 - 75% (16% below basic), State - 67%
7th Grade Math:
- 2010 - 81% on grade level (12% below basic). In Pennsylvania, 77% of 7th graders are on grade level.
- 2009 - 80% (10% below basic), State - 75%
- 2008 - 68% (9% below basic), State - 71%
- 2007 - 66% (19% below basic), State - 67%
Special Education
In December 2009, the district administration reported that 164 pupils or 14.9% of the district's pupils received Special EducationSpecial education
Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials,...
services.
In 2010, the state of Pennsylvania provided $1,026,815,000 for Special Education services. The funds were distributed to districts based on a state policy which estimates that 16% of the district's pupils are receiving 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.
Identification activities are performed to find a child who is suspected as having a disability that would interfere with his or her learning unless special education programs and services are made available. These screening activities include: a review of group data, conducting hearing and vision screening, assessment of student's academic functioning, observation of the student displaying difficulty in behavior and determining the student's response to attempted remediation. Input from parents is also an information source for identification. Parents of school age children may request an evaluation by contacting the Coordinator of Special Education. Students identified as eligible for special education are entitled to a Free Appropriate Public Education at no cost to parents. Services designed to meet the needs of eligible students include the annual development of an Individualized Education Program (IEP), a triennial re-evaluation, and special education services inside or outside of the district's regular education classroom.
Riverview School District received a $633,420 supplemental funding to pay for special education services for its students, in 2010.
For the 2011-12 school year, all Pennsylvania public school districts received the same level of funding for special education that they received in 2010. 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.
Bullying and school safety
In 2011, the Riverview Junior/Senior High School was awarded $2500, by The Highmark Foundation, for their efforts in implementing bullying prevention in their school at an exemplary level. Riverview Junior/Senior High School implemented the PA CARES (Creating an Atmosphere of Respect and Environment for Success) program. The program utilizes the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program standards and techniques.The Riverview School District administration reported there were six incidents of bullying in the district in the 2009-10 school year. There were 21 incidents of a fighting.
The Riverview School Board has provided the district's antibully policy online. All Pennsylvania schools are required to have an anti-bullying policy incorporated into their Code of Student Conduct. The policy must identify disciplinary actions for bullying and designate a school staff person to receive complaints of bullying. The policy must be available on the school's website and posted in every classroom. All Pennsylvania public schools must provide a copy of its anti-bullying policy to the Office for Safe Schools every year, and shall review their policy every three years. Additionally, the district must conduct an annual review of that policy with students. The Center for Schools and Communities works in partnership with the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime & Delinquency and the Pennsylvania Department of Education to assist schools and communities as they research, select and implement bullying prevention programs and initiatives.
Education standards relating to student safety and antiharassment programs are described in the 10.3. Safety and Injury Prevention in the Pennsylvania Academic Standards for Health, Safety and Physical Education.
Budget
In 2009, the district reports employing over 120 teachers with a starting salary of $38,250 for 182 days for pupil instruction and a 194 days. The average teacher salary was $56,643 while the maximum salary is $142,398. 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. The school day is limited by the union contract to 7.37 hours including a 30 minute, duty free, paid lunch break. Additionally, Riverview School District teachers receive a defined benefit pensionPension
In general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
, health insurance
Health insurance
Health insurance is insurance against the risk of incurring medical expenses among individuals. By estimating the overall risk of health care expenses among a targeted group, an insurer can develop a routine finance structure, such as a monthly premium or payroll tax, to ensure that money is...
, life insurance
Life insurance
Life insurance is a contract between an insurance policy holder and an insurer, where the insurer promises to pay a designated beneficiary a sum of money upon the death of the insured person. Depending on the contract, other events such as terminal illness or critical illness may also trigger...
, dental insurance, vision insurance, long term disability insurance, professional development reimbursement, 3 paid personal days, 10 sick days (which accumulate), paid bereavement leave and other benefits. The union receives 8 paid days for attending union conventions. Union pays for a substitute for union leave time. Teachers are paid extra when they are required to work outside of the regular school day hours. According to State Rep. Glen Grell, a trustee of the Pennsylvania Public School Employees’ Retirement System Board, a 40-year educator can retire with a pension equal to 100 percent of their final salary.
In 2007, the district employed 99 teachers. The average teacher salary in the district was $50,301 for 180 school days worked.
Riverview School District administrative costs per pupil in 2008 was $1,123.65 per pupil. The district is ranked 36th out of 500 in Pennsylvania for administrative spending. The lowest administrative cost per pupil in Pennsylvania was $398 per pupil. 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 2008, Riverview School District reported spending $14,080 per pupil. This ranked 101st in the commonwealth.
In 2008, the Deer Lakes School District reported an unreserved designated fund balance of zero and a unreserved-undesignated fund balance of $2,080,456.00.
The district is funded by a combination of: a local earned income tax, a property tax, a real estate transfer tax 0.5%, grants, coupled with substantial funding from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the federal government. In Pennsylvania, pension income and social security income are exempt from Pennsylvania personal income tax and local earned income tax, regardless of the level of income.
State basic education funding
In 2011-12, the district will receive $2,788,686 in state Basic Education Funding. Additionally, the Riverview School District district will receive $49,349 in Accountability Block Grant funding. The enacted Pennsylvania state Education budget includes $5,354,629,000 for the 2011-2012 Basic Education Funding appropriation. This amount is 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 DistrictDuquesne City School District
The is a tiny, suburban public school district in the state of Pennsylvania. It is located in the east hills of Allegheny County, and serves the City of Duquesne , a former mill town on the banks of the Monongahela River. Duquesne City School District encompasses approximately 2 square miles...
which received an over 49% increase.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 336 students in the Riverview School District received free or reduced lunches due to low family income in the 2009-2010 school year.
For the 2010-11 school year the state provided a 2% increase in basic education funding to the district for a total of $2,844,460. Among Allegheny County public school districts the highest increase was allotted to South Fayette Township School District
South Fayette Township School District
The South Fayette Township School District is a public school district serving the Pittsburgh suburb of South Fayette Township, Pennsylvania. The district features three schools: South Fayette High School , South Fayette Middle School , and South Fayette Elementary School .-Academic achievement and...
which received an 11.32% increase in 2010. In Pennsylvania, 150 school districts received a 2% base increase. The highest increase in Pennsylvania was given to Kennett Consolidated School District
Kennett Consolidated School District
The Kennett Consolidated School District,or KCSD for short, is a public school district serving portions of Chester County, Pennsylvania. It is centered on the borough of Kennett Square and also incorporates Kennett Township, New Garden Township, and the southern portion of East Marlborough Twp....
in Chester County
Chester County, Pennsylvania
-State parks:*French Creek State Park*Marsh Creek State Park*White Clay Creek Preserve-Demographics:As of the 2010 census, the county was 85.5% White, 6.1% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 3.9% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 1.8% were two or more races, and 2.4% were...
which was given a 23.65% increase. 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 made in February each year.
In the 2009-2010 budget year the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provided a 2% increase in Basic Education funding for a total of $2,844,460. Four county school districts received increases of over 6% in Basic Education Funding in 2009-10. Chartiers Valley School District
Chartiers Valley School District
-Schools:Chartiers Valley School District operates four schools. They are:*Chartiers Valley Primary school - serving approximately 750 students in kindergarten through 2nd grade....
received an 8.17% increase. The majority of Allegheny County districts received a 2% increase. In Pennsylvania, over 15 school districts received Basic Education Funding increases in excess of 10% in 2009. Muhlenberg School District
Muhlenberg 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 Riverview School District in 2008-09 was $2,788,686.46
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 358 students received free or reduced lunches due to low family income in the 2007-2008 school year.
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, the Riverview School District applied for and received $133,945 in addition to all other state and federal funding. The district used the funding to provide all day kindergarten for the 7th year.Classrooms for the Future Grant
Riverview School Board received a grant, from the PA Department of Education, to purchase equipment to help reform the high school's core subjects instruction and to prepare students for future employment by using cutting-edge equipment and software. The district used the funds to purchase laptops for students, laptops for teachers, laptop carts and other digital equipment. The grant provided additional funding for a technology coach to instruct teachers in using the equipment to improve instruction. In 2006-07 the district received $90,683. In 2007-08, the district received $250,000 in Classroom For the Future funding. In 2008-09, the district did not apply again. Beginning in 2006, Pennsylvania's Classrooms for the Future program distributed more than $150 million for laptops, interactive boards and other high-tech tools to 543 Pennsylvania high schools. In 2009, the Classrooms For the Future funding program was terminated due to a deep state revenue shortfall.Common Cents state initiative
The school board chose to not participate in the Pennsylvania Department of Education Common Cents program. The program called for the state to audit the district, at no cost to local taxpayers, to identify ways the district could save tax dollars. After the review of the information, the district was not required to implement the recommended cost savings changes.Federal Stimulus Grant
The district received an extra $977,109 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. The funding is for 2009-10 and 2010-2011 school years.
Race to the Top grant
Riverview School District officials applied 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 for the grant. The failure of districts to agree to participate was cited as one reason that Pennsylvania was not approved.
Real estate taxes
The Riverview School Board set the property taxProperty tax
A property tax is an ad valorem levy on the value of property that the owner is required to pay. The tax is levied by the governing authority of the jurisdiction in which the property is located; it may be paid to a national government, a federated state or a municipality...
rates in 2011-12 at 24.7860 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. The most recent assessed values for all properties in Allegheny County are available at the Allegheny County Office of Property Assessments.
- 2010 - 24.0500 mills.
- 2009 - 23.2600 mills.
- 2008 - 23.1100 mills
- 2007 - 23.3600 mills
- 2006 - 22.7400 mills
- 2005 - 22.1000 mills
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 allowed to raise taxes above that index unless they allow voters to vote by referendum, or they seek an exception from the state Department of Education. The base index for the 2011-2012 school year is 1.4 percent, but the Act 1 Index can be adjusted higher, depending on a number of factors, such as property values and the personal income of district residents. Act 1 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 StatisticsBureau of Labor Statistics
The Bureau of Labor Statistics is a unit of the United States Department of Labor. It is the principal fact-finding agency for the U.S. government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics. The BLS is a governmental statistical agency that collects, processes, analyzes, and...
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.
The School District Adjusted Index for the Riverview School District 2006-2007 through 2010-2011.
- 2006-07 - 4.6%, Base 3.9%
- 2007-08 - 4.2%, Base 3.4%
- 2008-09 - 4.4%, Base 4.4%
- 2009-10 - 4.8%, Base 4.1%
- 2010-11 - 3.7%, Base 2.9%
- 2011-12 - 1.8%, Base 1.4%
For the 2011-12 school year the Riverview School Board applied for exceptions (pension costs $127,532) to exceed the Act 1 Index. Each year, the Riverview 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. A specific timeline for these decisions is publisher each year by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
For 2009 and 2010, the Riverview School Board did not apply for any exceptions to exceed the Index limit. 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 2011, the property tax relief amount, for 2,110 qualifying residents, was set at $168. The highest tax relief in Allegheny County was awarded to Duquesne City School DistrictDuquesne City School District
The is a tiny, suburban public school district in the state of Pennsylvania. It is located in the east hills of Allegheny County, and serves the City of Duquesne , a former mill town on the banks of the Monongahela River. Duquesne City School District encompasses approximately 2 square miles...
which received $351. The highest tax relief, in Pennsylvania, was awarded to Chester-Upland School District in Delaware County
Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Delaware County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 558,979, making it Pennsylvania's fifth most populous county, behind Philadelphia, Allegheny, Montgomery, and Bucks counties....
which received $631. In 2009, the Homestead/Farmstead Property Tax Relief from gambling for the Riverview School District was $171 per approved permanent primary residence. In the district, 2,073 property owners applied for the 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 and must be the primary residence of the owner. Farmers can qualify for both the homestead exemption and the farmstead exemption. In Allegheny County, 60% of eligible property owners applied for property tax relief in 2009.
Additionally, the Pennsylvania Property Tax/Rent Rebate program is provided for low income Pennsylvanians aged 65 and older; widows and widowers aged 50 and older; and people with disabilities age 18 and older. The income limit is $35,000 for homeowners. The maximum rebate for both homeowners and renters is $650. Applicants can exclude one-half (1/2) of their Social Security income, consequently people who make substantially more than $35,000 may still qualify for a rebate. Individuals must apply annually for the rebate. This can be taken in addition to Homestead/Farmstead Property Tax Relief.
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%).
Extracurriculars
The district offers a variety of clubs, activities and sports. Eligibility to participate is determined by school board policies.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.