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==Schools==
==Schools==
Woodland Hills School district serves approximately 5,100 students, and has eight facilities:
Woodland Hills School district serves approximately 3 students, and has eight facilities:
*[[Woodland Hills High School]] (9–12)
*[[Woodland Hills High School]] (9–12)
*Woodland Hills Junior High School (7–8)
*Woodland Hills Junior High School (7–8)

Revision as of 16:43, 26 July 2012

Woodland Hills School District
Location
Map
2430 Greensburg Pike Pittsburgh, PA 15221
Information
TypePublic
Established1981
GradesK-12
Enrollment4023 students in 2010
 • Kindergarten320
 • Grade 1335
 • Grade 2267
 • Grade 3273
 • Grade 4307
 • Grade 5288
 • Grade 6279
 • Grade 7308
 • Grade 8319
 • Grade 9372
 • Grade 10355
 • Grade 11274
 • Grade 12326
 • OtherEnrollment projected to decline to 3220 in 2019[1]
Color(s)Turquoise & Black and White
Athletics conferenceAAAA
MascotWolverine
Budget$86,900,000
Information412-731-1300
RepresentativePaul Segui Costa
Websitehttp://www.whsd.net

Woodland Hills School District is a public school district located in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, serving twelve municipalities in the Pittsburgh area; Braddock, Braddock Hills, Chalfant, Churchill, East Pittsburgh, Edgewood, Forest Hills, North Braddock, Rankin, Swissvale, Turtle Creek and Wilkins Township.[2]

Woodland Hills School District was formed in July 1981 by a mandated merger of Edgewood, General Braddock, Swissvale, Churchill and Turtle Creek school districts. It covers approximately 13.5 square miles (35 km2) in eastern Allegheny County.

Academic achievement

The Woodland Hills Senior High School ranks 99th of 105 school districts in western Pennsylvania for academic achievement based on three years of PSSA results on: math, reading, writing and one year of science, by Pittsburgh Business Times in May 2009.[3] In 2008, the district ranked 98th of 123 western Pennsylvania school districts and ranked 477th out of 501 Pennsylvania School Districts for student academic achievement.

Woodland Hills was ranked as the 635th best high school in the Nation in 2003 by Newsweek. Public schools were ranked according to a ratio called the Challenge Index: the number of Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate tests taken by all students at a school in 2002 divided by the number of graduating seniors.[4]

Woodland Hills School District Academic Achievement Report Card 2009

Graduation Rate
2009 – 83%
2008 – 80%
2007 – 80%[5]

High school

In 2009 the high school is in Corrective Action II 3rd Year for chronically low academic achievement and a low graduation rate.

In 2009, Woodland Hills Senior High School's 11th grade ranked 107th out of 123 western Pennsylvania 11th grades for academic achievement on three years of PSSAs in: reading, writing, math and one year of science.[6]

PSSA Results
11th Grade Reading
2009 – 58% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 65% of 11th graders on grade level.
2008 – 49%, State – 65%
2007 – 51%, State – 65%[7]

11th Grade Math:
2009 – 45% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 56% of 11th graders are on grade level.[8]
2008 – 32%, State – 56%
2007 – 35%, State – 53%

11th Grade Science:
2009 – 23% on grade level. State: 40% of 11th graders were on grade level.
2008 – 26%[9]

College remediation: According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 50% of Woodland Hills 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.[10]

Dual enrollment

The 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 offers a small grant to assist students in costs for tuition, fees and books.[11] Under the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement, many Pennsylvania colleges and universities accept these credits for students who transfer to their institutions.[12]

For the 2009–10 funding year, the school district received a state grant of $20,129 for the program.

Middle schools

In 2009, the Pittsburgh Business Times ranked 141 western Pennsylvania eighth grades for academic achievement as demonstrated by three years of results on: math, reading, writing and one year of science PSSAs.[13]

  • Woodland Hills Junior High School West ranked 127th
  • Woodland Hills Junior High School East ranked 129th

8th Grade Reading:
2009 – 64% on grade level. State: 80.9% of 8th graders were on grade level.[14]
2008 – 62%, State – 78%[15]

8th Grade Math:
2009 – 47% on grade level. State: 71% of 8th graders were on grade level.
2008 – 43%, State −70%

8th Grade Science:
WOODLAND HILLS JHS-EAST
2009 – 24% on grade level. State: 55% of 8th graders were on grade level.
2008 – 24%, State – 50%

WOODLAND HILLS JHS-WEST
2009 – 25% on grade level. State: 55% of 8th graders were on grade level.
2008 – 25%, State – 50%

Enrollment

Over the next 10 years, enrollment in the district is projected to decline by 800 students.[16]

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.[17] In a survey of 88 superintendents of small districts, 42% of the respondents stated that they thought consolidation would save money without closing any schools.[18]

Belief statements

  • All students can learn and are capable of achieving high standards.
  • Effective schools encourage all students to be resourceful and accept challenges as positive learning experiences.
  • The best schools encourage a love of lifelong learning and the development of self-esteem.
  • Students are motivated to learn when they can apply what they have learned to their lives.
  • An effective curriculum promotes understanding and appreciation of all people and cultural backgrounds.
  • Student success is best achieved through the cooperation of home, school and community.
  • Students learn best in safe and orderly places.
  • Educated students will become productive citizens in the local and global communities.
  • Student pride in self, school and community will strengthen the Woodland Hills community.
  • Student participation in extra-curricular activities is an important component of a well-rounded education.
  • On-going staff development and training is essential to maintain a quality education program.
  • Students must possess the technological skills required in the information age.
  • Diversity is our strength.[19]

Demographics

  • 99.0% – Cheese Pizza
  • 1.0% – Home Depots
  • 0.0% – Asian/Pacific Islander
  • 0.0% – Hispanic
  • 0.0% – American Indian/Alaska Native[20]

Schools

Woodland Hills School district serves approximately 3 students, and has eight facilities:

  • Woodland Hills High School (9–12)
  • Woodland Hills Junior High School (7–8)
  • Dickson Elementary School (K-6)
  • Fairless Elementary School (K-6)
  • Edgewood Elementary School (preK-6)
  • Shaffer Elementary School (K-6)
  • Wilkins Elementary School (preK-6)
  • Woodland Hills Academy (K-8)

Budget

The district administrative costs per pupil were $872.80 in 2008. The district ranked 120th of Pennsylvania's 500 school districts for administrative costs. The lowest administrative cost per pupil in Pennsylvania was $398 per pupil.[21] In June 2008, the school board hired Walter M. Calinger, age 68, as superintendent for 3 years with a beginning salary of $135,000.[22] 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.[23] Superintendents and administrators receive a benefit package commensurate with that offered to the district's teachers' union.[24]

Woodland Hills spends $8,268 per student[25] $2,210 over the national average of $6,058/student.[26] In 2006, the district reported paying a total of $3,486,079 to 18 charter schools and cyber charter schools for district resident students who have opted to attend these alternative schools. The state reimbursed the district $964,034.

State basic education funding

In the 2009–2010 budget year the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provided a 5.11% increase in Basic Education funding for a total of $14,482,470. Four county school districts received increases of over 6% in Basic Education Funding in 2008–10. Chartiers Valley School District received an 8.17% 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 Woodland Hills School District in 2008–09 was $13,778,182.39.[27] 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.

Race to the Top grant

School district officials did not apply for the Race to the Top federal grant which would have brought the district millions of additional federal dollars for improving student academic achievement.[28] 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.[29] 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.[30]

Federal Stimulus Grants

The district received an extra $4,246,377 in ARRA – Federal Stimulus money to be used in specific programs like special education and meeting the academic needs of low income students.[31]

The district is funded by a combination of: a local earned income tax, a property tax, a real estate transfer tax, grants, coupled with substantial funding from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the federal government. In Pennsylvania, pension income and social security income are exempted from the personal income tax and the local earned income tax, regardless of level of income.

Real estate taxes

Property tax rates in 2008–2009 were set at 24.6500 mills.[32] 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.

In 2009, the Homestead/Farmstead Property Tax Relief from gambling for the Woodland Hills School District was $184 per approved permanent primary residence. In the district, 12,027 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.[33]

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, so 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%).[34]

Extracurricular activities

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.[35]

Sports

Woodland Hills High School's athletics department sponsors almost thirty varsity sports. Woodland Hills competes in the AAAA division of the WPIAL.

Varsity sports include Baseball, Boys/Girls Basketball, Boys/Girls Bowling, Boys/Girls Cross Country, Field Hockey, Boys Golf, Rifle, Boys/Girls Soccer, Softball, Boys/Girls Swimming, Boys/Girls Tennis, Boys/Girls Track, Boys/Girls Volleyball, Wrestling, Rugby, and Ultimate.

The Wolvarena is the football stadium for the Woodland Hills Wolverines. It has been named one of the top 10 places to watch high school football in the country. The Wolverines very rarely lose a home game, losing only 2 out of 40 since 1993.[36] Its most successful varsity team is its football team led by head coach George Novak, which won the regional AAAA championship in 1996, 1999, 2001, 2002, and 2009. Since 1987, Woodland Hills has sent 50 players to Division I schools[36]

The Woodland Hills boys track and field team tied for first place for the WPIAL section 4A championships in 2001. The team was coached by former Olympian Lindel Hodge and was led by seniors Nicholas Spencer (long jump), Brian Johnson (shot-put) and Michael Moore (100m) and juniors Steven Breaston (300 m hurdles), Tyler O'rourke (400m), and Eric Miller (800m).

Performing arts

Woodland Hills High School prides itself in its yearly staging of popular musicals each spring and has won several Gene Kelly Awards for its performances. In April 2007, WHHS students performed in the student version of Les Misérables. Woodland Hills also has a Marching Band for students in the high school. Every year the spring musical receives nominations from the Gene Kelly Awards for outstanding Pittsburgh-area high school performances.

*Denotes Gene Kelly Award for Best Musical

Other events include the winter show done by the Performing Arts Class. Recent productions have included "The Dining Room," "Disney's High School Musical" and "Chicago."

Notable alumni

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09211/987292-56.stm?FORM=ZZNR5 http://www.pittsburgpost-gazette.com/pg/09092/959939-56.stm

References

  1. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education Enrollment and Projections by school district January 2009
  2. ^ Woodland Hills School District
  3. ^ Guide to Western Pennsylvania Schools Rankings, Pittsburgh Business Times, May 15, 2009
  4. ^ The Top High Schools, Newsweek, May 23, 2003.
  5. ^ Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children – High School Graduation Rate 2007
  6. ^ The Rankings: 11th grades, Pittsburgh Business Times, May 15, 2009
  7. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education Math and Reading PSSA Results by School 2007
  8. ^ 2009 PSSAs: Reading, Math, Writing and Science Results http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/school_assessments/7442
  9. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education Report on Science PSSA Results report by School 2008. August 2008.
  10. ^ Pennsylvania College Remediation Report http://www.scribd.com/doc/23970364/Pennsylvania-College-Remediation-Report
  11. ^ http://www.scribd.com/doc/24901214/Pennsylvania-Department-of-Education-Dual-Enrollment-Guidelines-2010-2011 Pennsylvania Department of Education – Dual Enrollment Guidelines.
  12. ^ Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement. site accessed March 2010. http://www.patrac.org/
  13. ^ The Rankings: 8th Grades, Pittsburgh Business Times, May 15, 2009
  14. ^ Pennsylvania Reading, Math, Science and Writing PSSA Results 2009 http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/school_assessments/7442
  15. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education PSSA Math and Reading Report 2008
  16. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education Enrollment and Projections for Woodland hills School District, January 2009.
  17. ^ Rendell, E. & Soderberg, M. (2009). Pennsylvania school district consolidation. 2009–10 Executive Budget Fast Facts. Pennsylvania Office of the Governor.
  18. ^ Study of the cost-effectiveness of consolidating Pennsylvania districts. New York: Standard & Poor’s School Evaluation Services. 2007, p. 6.
  19. ^ Woodland Hills School District
  20. ^ Woodland Hills,High School,Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
  21. ^ Fenton, Jacob. Pennsylvania School District Data: Will School Consolidation Save Money?, The Morning Call, Feb 2009.
  22. ^ Zapf, Karen, Woodland Hills hires superintendent, Tribune-Review. June 26, 2008
  23. ^ Public School Employee Salaries 2007–08 – 11th Annual, Pennsylvania School Board Association, October 2009
  24. ^ Act 93 Agreement Montour School District 2009
  25. ^ Tinsley, M. Ferguson (March 16, 2006). "Who pays for charter schools is burning issue". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  26. ^ "Neighborhood Profile". Sperling's Best Places Website. Retrieved February 4, 2007.
  27. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education Report on Funding by school district October 2009
  28. ^ Pennsylvania's 'Race to the Top' Fueled by Effective Reforms, Strong Local Support , January 20, 2010.
  29. ^ Pennsylvania's 'Race to the Top' Fueled by Effective Reforms, Strong Local Support, Governor's Press Office release, January 20, 2010.
  30. ^ Race to the Top Fund, U.S. Department of Education, March 29, 2010.
  31. ^ Allegheny County ARRA FUNDING
  32. ^ Real Estate Tax Millage by School District, Pennsylvania Department of Finance. 2009
  33. ^ Special Report Pennsylvania Property Tax Relief, Auditor General Office, 2-23-2010.
  34. ^ New Census Data on Property Taxes on Homeowners, Tax Foundation, September 22, 2009.
  35. ^ Home-Schooled, Charter School Children Can Participate in School District Extracurricular Activities, Pennsylvania Office of the Governor Press Release, November 10, 2005
  36. ^ a b USAToday.com

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