Brentwood Borough School District

In 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a new, 4-year cohort graduation rate. Brentwood Borough School District's rate was 94% for 2010.[12]

According to traditional graduation rate calculations:

• 2010 - 92% [13]
• 2009 - 97%[14]
• 2008 - 94%
• 2007 - 97% [15]

In 2010 and 2009, the high school achieved AYP status.[16]

PSSA Results

11th Grade Reading

• 2010 - 74% on grade level (13% below basic). In Pennsylvania, 66% of 11th graders on grade level.[17]
• 2009 - 59% (23% below basic), State - 65%
• 2008 - 70%, State - 65%
• 2007 - 82%, State - 65%[18]

11th Grade Math:

• 2010 - 64% on grade level (17% below basic). In Pennsylvania, 59% of 11th graders are on grade level.
• 2009 - 43% (29% below basic), State - 56% [19]
• 2008 - 60%, State - 56% [20]
• 2007 - 73%, State - 53%

11th Grade Science:

• 2010 - 44%, State - 39% [21]
• 2009 - 34%, State - 40%
• 2008 - 29%, State - 39%[22]

College remediation According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 35% of Brentwood Borough 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.[23] 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, one in three graduate in three years.[24] 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.

The high school offers a dual enrollment program to students with a GPA of 3.0 and better. 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.[25] Under the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement, many Pennsylvania colleges and universities accept these credits for students who transfer to their institutions.[26] The Pennsylvania College Credit Transfer System reported in 2009, that students saved nearly $35.4 million by having their transferred credits count towards a degree under the new system.[27]

For the 2009-10 funding year, the school district received a state grant of $1,940 for the program.[28]

The Brentwood Borough School Board requires a minimum of 25 credits for a student to graduate, including: English 4 credits, Graduation project 1 credit, Social Students 4 credits, Science 3 credits, Mathematics 4 credits, Arts/Humanities 2 credits, Health and PE. 1 and Electives 6 credits.[29] Additionally, the board requires that the student achieve a score at the advanced or proficient levels on the writing, reading and mathematics assessments of the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) administered in the eleventh grade.[30]

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.[31] At Brentwood Borough a students may focus on: research on a Curriculum-related project; a School/Community improvement project; an Entrepreneurial project; an Internship or apprenticeship with a local business or corporation or a personal interest project.[32]

By Pennsylvania School Board regulations, for 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.[33]

The middle school was ranked 42nd out of 141 western Pennsylvania middle schools for student academic achievement on 2009 PSSAs in reading, writing, math and one year of science by the Pittsburgh Business Times.[34] In 2008, the middle school ranked 85th for academic achievement.

In 2010 and 2009, the school achieved AYP status.[35]

8th Grade Reading:

• 2010 - 85% on grade level. State - 82% [36]
• 2009 - 86%, State - 80%
• 2008 - 91%, State - 78%
• 2007 - 79%, State - 75%

8th Grade Math:

• 2010 - 71% on grade level. State - 75%
• 2009 - 69%. State - 71%
• 2008 - 88%, State - 70%
• 2007 - 71%, State - 67% [37]

8th Grade Science:

• 2010 - 52% on grade level. State - 57% of 8th graders were on grade level
• 2009 - 45%, State - 54%
• 2008 - 69%, State - 52%

7th Grade Reading:

• 2010 - 74% on grade level. State - 73%
• 2009 - 76%, State - 71%
• 2008 - 79%, State - 70%
• 2007 - 81%, State - 66%

7th Grade Math:

• 2010 - 78% on grade level. State - 75%
• 2009 - 72%, State - 75%
• 2008 - 64%, State - 70%
• 2007 - 82%, State - 67%

6th Grade Reading:

• 2010 - 82% on grade level. State - 68%
• 2009 - 78%, State - 67%
• 2008 - 80%, State - 67%
• 2007 - 79%, State - 63%

6th Grade Math:

• 2010 - 79% on grade level. State - 78%
• 2009 - 83%, State - 75%
• 2008 - 83%, State - 72%
• 2007 - 80%, State - 69%

The District Administration reported that 46 or 3.47% of its students were gifted in 2009.[44] By law, the district must provide mentally gifted programs at all grade levels. The primary emphasis is on enrichment and acceleration of the regular education curriculum through a push in model with the gifted instructor in the classroom with the regular instructor.[45] Students identified as gifted attending the High School have access to honors and advanced placement courses, and dual enrollment with local colleges. The special education department works to connect students with local enrichment opportunities offered by groups in the region. 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.[46]

In 2011-12, the district will receive $4,482,287 in state Basic Education Funding.[67] Additionally, the district will receive $75,335 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.[68]

For the 2010-11 budget year, the Brentwood Borough School District received a 2.16% increase in state basic education funding for a total of $4,769,417. In Allegheny County, the highest increase went to South Fayette Township School District which received an 11.32% increase in state funding. One hundred fifty school districts in Pennsylvania received a 2% base increase for budget year 2010-11. The highest increase in the state was given to Kennett Consolidated School District of Chester County which was given a 23.65% increase in state funding.[69] The amount of increase each school district receives is determined by the Governor and the Secretary of Education through the allocation set in the budget proposal made in February each year.[70]

In the 2009-2010 budget year the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provided a 4.15% increase in Basic Education funding for a total of $4,668,531. 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. 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 Brentwood Borough School District in 2008-09 was $4,483,154.48 [71] The amount of increase each school district receives is determined by the Governor and the Secretary of Education through the allocation set in the state budget proposal made in February each year.[72]

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 394 students received free or reduced-price lunches due to low family income in the 2007-2008 school year.[73]

The state provides supplemental funding in the form of accountability block grants. The use of these funds is strictly focused on specific state approved uses. Brentwood Borough School District uses its $204,479 to fund all-day kindergarten and to reduce class size Kindergarten to 3rd grade. These annual funds are in addition to the state's basic education funding.[74] Schools Districts must apply each year for Accountability Block Grants.[75] In 2009-10 the state provided $271.4 million in Accountability Block grants $199.5 million went to providing all-day kindergartens.[76]

In 2008-09, Brentwood Borough School Board, applied for and received a grant from the PA Department of Education for over 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 district also received substantial funds to upgrade our existing network infrastructure. The grant provided additional funding for a technology coach to instruct teachers in using the equipment to improve instruction. In 2006-07 the district did not apply for funding. In 2007-08, the district's application was rejected by the PDE. In 2008, the district received $76,390 for computers and related equipment.[77] Since 2006, Pennsylvania's Classrooms for the Future program has distributed more than $150 million for laptops, interactive boards and other high-tech tools in 543 high schools. In 2009 the state funding program was terminated due to a deep state budget shortfall.[78]

The district received $902,429 in ARRA - Federal Stimulus money to be used in specific programs like special education and meeting the academic needs of low-income students.[79] The funding was for 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years.

School district officials did not apply for the Race to the Top federal grant which would have brought the district hundreds of thousands of additional federal dollars for improving student academic achievement.[80] Participation required the administration, the school board and the local teachers' union to sign an agreement to prioritize improving student academic success.[81] In Pennsylvania, 120 public school districts and 56 charter schools agreed to participate.[82] 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.[83]

The Brentwood Borough School Board set property tax rates in 2011-12 28,2700 mills.[84] One mill in Brentwood School District generates about $338,000. 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.

• 2009-10 - 28.2700 mills [85]
• 2008-09 - 28.2700 mills.[86]
• 2007-08 - 28.2700 mills [87]
• 2006-07 - 28.2700 mills [88]

The Brentwood Borough School District offers an option for installment payments of real estate taxes on approved Homestead and Farmstead Property pursuant to the Taxpayer Relief Act (Act 1 of 2006).

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 2010-2011 school year is 2.9 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 (MV/PI AR) greater than 0.4000, its index equals the base index multiplied by the sum of 0.75 and its MV/PI AR for the current year.[89]

The School District Adjusted Index for the Brentwood Borough School District 2006-2007 through 2011-2012.[90]

• 2006-07 - 5.3%, Base 3.9%
• 2007-08 - 4.7%, Base 3.4%
• 2008-09 - 6.1%, Base 4.4%
• 2009-10 - 5.8%, Base 4.1%
• 2010-11 - 4.1%, Base 2.9%
• 2011-12 - 2.0%, Base 1.4%

For the 2011-12 school year the Brentwood Borough School Board did not apply for exceptions to exceed the Act 1 Index. Each year, the Brentwood Borough 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.[91]

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.[92]

For the 2010-11 school year budget, the Brentwood Borough School Board did not apply for any exceptions to exceed the Act 1 Index.[93] 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.[94] In 2009 the school board did not apply for any exceptions.[95]

In 2011, property tax relief was set at $243 for the 2,570 approved homesteads.[96] In Allegheny County, the highest tax relief went to Duquesne City School District which was set at $351.

In 2010, property tax relief was set at $244 for 2,561 homesteads.[97] In 2009, the Homestead/Farmstead Property Tax Relief from gambling for the Brentwood Borough School District was $247 per approved permanent primary residence. In the district, 2,533 property owners applied for the tax relief. Among Allegheny County school districts, Duquesne City School District received the highest tax relief at $346 in 2009. In Pennsylvania the highest tax relief was given to Chester Upland School District of Delaware County at $632 in 2009.[98] The relief was subtracted from the total annual school property tax bill. Property owners apply for the relief through the county Treasurer's office. Farmers can qualify for a farmstead exemption on building used for agricultural purposes. The farm must be at least 10 contiguous acres (40,000 m²) and must be the primary residence of the owner. Farmers can qualify for both the homestead exemption and the farmstead exemption. In Allegheny County, 60% of eligible property owners applied for property tax relief in 2009.[99]

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.[100]

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%).[101]

The Pennsylvania Department of Education reported that the Brentwood Borough School District's enrollment had declined to 1238 pupils in 2010. In 2006, the enrollment had been 1327 pupils. The PDE projects that enrollment will continue to decline to 1002 students by 2019-2020.[102]

A proposal was made by David Wassell, a prominent resident and leader in Allegheny County, to consolidate Allegheny County school districts to save tax dollars, focus dollars on student achievement, and improve student services. The plan calls for a proposed district that includes: Brentwood Borough School District, Baldwin-Whitehall School District, Keystone Oaks School District and Mount Lebanon School District. The proposed district would serve the communities of: Baldwin, Baldwin Township, Brentwood, Castle Shannon, Dormont, Green Tree, and Mt. Lebanon.[103]

A Standard and Poors study found that an optimal school district size, to conserve administrative costs, was at least 3000 pupils.[104] The report found that consolidation of the administration with an adjacent school district would achieve substantial administrative cost savings for people in the schools' communities.[105] In February 2009, Governor Edward Rendell proposed reducing the number of school districts in Pennsylvania from 500 to 100. He asserted that consolidation of adjacent school districts, in each county, would achieve substantial administrative cost savings. His proposal stated that the savings could be redirected to improving lagging reading and science achievement, to enriching the academic programs or to reducing residents' property taxes.[106][107] Consolidation of the central administrations into one would not require the closing of any local schools. In March 2011, the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants Fiscal Responsibility Task Force released a report which found that consolidating school district administrations with one neighboring district would save the Commonwealth $1.2 billion without forcing the consolidation of any school buildings.[108] The study noted that while the best school districts spent 4% of the annual budget on administration, others spend over 15% on administration.[109]

More than 40 percent of elementary schools and more than 60 percent of secondary schools in western Pennsylvania are projected to experience significant enrollment decreases (15 percent or greater).[110]

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.[111] In a survey of 88 superintendents of small districts, 42% of the 49 respondents stated that they thought consolidation would save money without closing any schools.[112]

The district offers high school students: Track and Field, Golf, Football, Girls' Volleyball, Girls' Basketball, Girls' Softball, Baseball, Cross Country, Soccer, and Swimming.

Middle school - Swimming, Cheerleading, Basketball, as well as Track and Field.

It also offers a combined Middle and High school marching band