New Brighton Area School District


The New Brighton Area School District is a suburban public school district located in Beaver County, Pennsylvania. It serves the boroughs of New Brighton, Pulaski, and Fallston, and the township of Daugherty. New Brighton Area School District encompasses approximately. According to 2000 federal census data, the district serves a resident population of 12,065 people. According to district officials, in school year 2007-08, New Brighton Area School District provided basic educational services to 1,776 pupils. The district employed: 122 teachers, 55 full-time and part-time support personnel, and 9 administrators. New Brighton Area School District received more than $13.6 million in state funding in school year 2007-08.
The district features three schools: New Brighton High School, New Brighton Middle School, and New Brighton Elementary School.

Governance

New Brighton Area School District is governed by nine individually elected board members, 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 Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives Sunshine Review gave the New Brighton Area School Board and district administration a "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

New Brighton Area School District was ranked 390th out of 498 Pennsylvania school districts by the Pittsburgh Business Times in 2012. The ranking was based on student academic achievement as demonstrated on five years of the PSSAs for: reading, writing math and three years of science.
In 2012, the Pittsburgh Business Times also reported an Overachievers Ranking for 498 Pennsylvania school districts. New Brighton Area School District ranked 137th. In 2011, the district was 157th. 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."
In 2009, the academic achievement of the students of New Brighton Area School District was in the lowest 13 percentile among 500 Pennsylvania school districts. Scale -

Graduation rate

In 2011, New Brighton Area School District's graduation rate was 92%. In 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a new, 4-year cohort graduation rate. New Brighton Area High School's rate was 86% for 2010.
;According to traditional graduation rate calculations:
New Brighton Area High School is located at 3202 43rd Street, New Brighton. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2010, the school reported an enrollment of 553 pupils in grades 9th through 12th, with 245 pupils eligible for a federal free or reduced-price lunch due to family poverty. 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 the teachers were rated "Highly Qualified" under No Child Left Behind.
In 2010 and 2011, New Brighton Area High School was in Warning status due to lagging student achievement.
11th Grade Reading
11th Grade Math:
11th Grade Science:
According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 25% of the New Brighton Area 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.

Dual enrollment

New Brighton Area High School offers a dual enrollment program. This state program permits high school students to take courses, at local higher education institutions, to earn college credits. Students remain enrolled at their high school. The courses count towards high school graduation requirements and towards earning a college degree. The students continue to have full access to activities and programs at their high school. The college credits are offered at a deeply discounted rate. The state offered a small grant to assist students in costs for tuition, fees and books. Under the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement, many Pennsylvania colleges and universities accept these credits for students who transfer to their institutions. For the 2009-10 funding year, New Brighton Area School District received a state grant of $12,969 for the program. In 2011, the grant was discontinued, but the dual enrollment access program continues.

SAT scores

From January to June 2011, 79 New Brighton Area School District students took the SAT exams. The district's Verbal Average Score was 476. The Math average score was 485. The Writing average score was 449. 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 verbal, 514 math and 489 in writing.

Middle school

New Brighton Area Middle School is located at 901 Penn Avenue, New Brighton. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2010, the middle school reported an enrollment of 408 pupils in grades 6th through 8th, with 205 pupils receiving a federal free or reduced-price lunch due to family poverty. The school employed 33.5 teachers, yielding a student–teacher ratio of 12:1. According to a report by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 100% of the teachers were rated "Highly Qualified" under No Child Left Behind.
In 2010 and 2011, New Brighton Area Middle School achieved AYP despite continuing lagging student achievement in reading and mathematics.
;PSSA Results:
8th Grade Reading
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8th Grade Science:
7th Grade Reading
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6th Grade Reading:
6th Grade Math:
New Brighton Area Elementary School is located at 3200 43rd Street, New Brighton. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2010, New Brighton Area Elementary School reported an enrollment of 729 pupils in grades kindergarten through 5th, with 416 pupils receiving a federal free or reduced-price lunch due to family poverty. The school employed 49.5 teachers, yielding a student–teacher ratio of 15:1. According to a report by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 100% of the teachers were rated "Highly Qualified" under No Child Left Behind.
In 2010 and 2011, New Brighton Area Elementary School achieved AYP status.
5th Grade Reading:
  • 2011 - 70% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 67.3% of 5th graders are on grade level.
  • 2010 - 67%. State – 64%
  • 2009 - 70%, State - 64%
  • 2008 - 65%, State - 62%
  • 2007 - 62%, State - 60%
5th Grade Math:'''
;4th Grade Reading:
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;4th Grade Science:
;3rd Grade Reading:
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In December 2010, the district administration reported that 204 pupils or 11.7% of the district's pupils received Special Education services with 42% being identified with specific learning disabilities. In 2009, the district reported that 208 or 11% of pupils were identified.
In order to comply with state and federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act rules and regulations, the school district engages in identification procedures to ensure that eligible students receive an appropriate educational program consisting of special education and related services, individualized to meet student needs. At no cost to the parents, these services are provided in compliance with state and federal law; and are reasonably calculated to yield meaningful educational benefit and student progress. To identify students who may be eligible for special education services, various screening activities are conducted on an ongoing basis. These screening activities include: review of group-based data ; hearing, vision, motor, and speech/language screening; and review by the Special Education administration. When screening results suggest that the student may be eligible, New Brighton Area School District seeks parental consent to conduct a multidisciplinary evaluation. Parents who suspect their child is eligible may verbally request a multidisciplinary evaluation from a professional employee of the District or contact the district's Special Education Department.
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 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. The state requires each district to have a three-year special education plan to meet the unique needs of its special education students. Overidentification 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.
New Brighton Area School District received a $1,223,976 supplement for special education services 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 2010-11. 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.

Gifted education

New Brighton Area School District Administration reported that 68 or 3.5% of its students were gifted in 2009. 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.

Cyber school

The New Brighton Area School District offers a kindergarten through 12th grade online school. The program is called Lions Online Academy. The district offers a blended plan that permits students to participate in the online academy while at school. There is also an option to complete the entire cyber program from home. There is also a hybrid program where some classes are completed at school while others are completed from home.

Budget

In 2009, New Brighton Area School District reported employing 180 teachers and administrators with a median salary of $54,861 and a top salary of $99,810. Additionally, the teachers receive a defined benefit pension, health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, life insurance, professional development reimbursement, paid personal days, 10 paid sick days, and other benefits. In 2011, the average teacher salary in NBASD was $55,729.82 a year, while the cost of the teacher's annual benefits package was $19,048 per employee. The total annual average teacher compensation of $74,778.33, in NBASD.
In 2007, the district employed 115 teachers. The average teacher salary in the district was $51,306 for 180 days worked. 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.
New Brighton Area School District administrative costs per pupil in 2008 was $577.53 per pupil. The lowest administrative cost per pupil in Pennsylvania was $398 per pupil. The Pennsylvania School Boards Association maintains statistics on salaries of public school district employees in Pennsylvania. According to the association's report, the average salary for a superintendent, for the 2007-08 school year, was $122,165. Superintendents and other public school administrators receive a benefit package commensurate with that provided to the district's teachers' union, including the defined benefit pension which is based on the salary of the last 3 years worked.
In 2008, the district administration reported that New Brighton Area School District per pupil spending was $11,222 which ranked 276th among Pennsylvania's 501 school districts. In 2010, the District's per pupil spending had increased to $12,031.95 Among the states, Pennsylvania's total per pupil revenue ranked 11th at $15,023 per student, in 2008-09. In 2007, the Pennsylvania per pupil total expenditures was $12,759.
Reserves In 2008, the district reported a balance of $1,467,447 in an unreserved-designated fund. The unreserved-undesignated fund balance was reported as $569,712.
In 2010, New Brighton Area Administration reported an increase to $1,873,099.00 in the unreserved-undesignated fund balance, while the unreserved-undesignated fund balance was $239,505. Pennsylvania school district reserve funds are divided into two categories – designated and undesignated. 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.
In June 2011, the Pennsylvania Auditor General conducted a performance audit of New Brighton Area School District. The findings were reported to the school board and administration.
The district is funded by a combination of: a local earned income tax 0.5%, a property tax, a real estate transfer tax 0.5%, coupled with substantial funding from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the federal government. 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.

State basic education funding

In 2011-12, New Brighton Area School District received a $10,062,782 allocation, of state Basic Education Funding. Additionally, New Brighton Area School District received $126,644 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 is a $233,290,000 increase over the enacted State appropriation for 2010-2011. The highest increase in state basic education funding was awarded to Duquesne City School District, which got a 49% increase in state funding for 2011-12. In 2010, the NBAS District reported that 866 students received free or reduced-price lunches, due to the family meeting the federal poverty level.
In the 2010-2011 budget year, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provided a 4.09% increase in Basic Education Funding for a total of $10,499,136.29 to New Brighton Area School District. Among the public school districts in Beaver County, the highest BEF increase went to Midland Borough School District which got a 7.57% increase. Statewide, one hundred fifty Pennsylvania school districts received a base 2% increase. The highest BEF increase in 2010-11 went to Kennett Consolidated School District in Chester County which received a 23.65% increase in state education funding. The state's hold harmless policy regarding state basic education funding continued where a district received at least the same amount as the year before, 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 districts at a far greater rate than others.
In the 2009-2010 budget year, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provided a 6% increase in Basic Education Funding for a total of $10,499,136. Among the districts in Beaver County, the highest increase went to Big Beaver Falls Area School District which got a 5.26%. The state Basic Education Funding to the district in 2008-09 was $9,888,315.04. Ninety school districts received a 2% increase. Muhlenberg School District in Berks County received a 22.31% increase in state basic education funding in 2009, which was the highest increase in the commonwealth. 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. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 880 district students received free or reduced-price 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 district applied for and received $343,745 in addition to all other state and federal funding. The district uses the funding to provide Intensive instruction for struggling students during the school day, Literacy and math coaching for the teachers to improve their instruction and tutoring before/after school.

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 and paid for teacher training to optimize the computers use. The program was funded from 2006-2009. New Brighton Area School District did not apply to participate in 2006-07 or in 2007-08. The district received $110,962 in 2008-09. In Beaver County, the highest CFF award $476,723 was given to Freedom Area School District. The highest funding statewide was awarded to Philadelphia City School District in Philadelphia County - $9,409,073. In 2010, Classrooms for the Future funding was curtailed statewide due to a massive state financial crisis.

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 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, New Brighton Area School District received $42,342.

Federal Stimulus grant

New brighton Area School District received an extra $3,395,485 in 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

New Brighton Area School District officials applied for the federal Race to the Top grant which would have provided nearly 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 2011-12 were set by the school board at 53.3000 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 government property. 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 Act 511 tax collections, which are around 15% of revenues for school districts.
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 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 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 costs due to increases of more than the Index in the school's share of payments to PSERS taking into account the state mandated PSERS contribution rate.
The School District Adjusted Index for the New Brighton Area School District 2006-2007 through 2011-2012.
For the 2012-13 budget year, New Brighton 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 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 School Board applied for an exception to exceed the Act 1 Index due to teacher pension costs. Each year, the 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 published annually, by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
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 New Brighton Area School Board did not apply for any exceptions to exceed the Act 1 index for the budget in 2011. For 2009-10 school budget, the 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 2010, the Homestead/Farmstead Property Tax Relief from gambling for the New Brighton Area School District was $266 per approved permanent primary residence. In the district, 2,527 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 and must be the primary residence of the owner. Farmers can qualify for both the homestead exemption and the farmstead exemption. In Beaver County, 64.13% of eligible property owners applied for property tax relief in 2009. In Beaver County, the highest amount of tax relief in 2010, went to property owners in Big Beaver Falls Area School District who got $353. The highest property tax relief in Pennsylvania went to the residents of Chester Upland School District of Delaware County who received $632 per approved homestead. The district's residents have consistently been the top recipient in each year of the tax relief program.
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 of their Social Security income, consequently, individual with income much 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 2008, in the US, for property taxes paid as a percentage of home value and 12th in the country in terms of property taxes as a percentage of income.

Extracurricular activities

The district offers various clubs, activities and sports. Eligibility for participation is determined by school board policy as written in the student handbook.
By Pennsylvania law, all K-12 students residing in the district, including those who attend private/non-public schools, alternative schools, cyber schools, charter schools, and those homeschooled, are eligible to participate in the extracurricular programs, including all athletics. They must meet the same eligibility guidelines as the students enrolled in the district's schools.