Carmichaels Area School District

In 2012, Carmichaels Area School District declined to Warning AYP status due to lagging reading and mathematics achievement.[28] In 2011, Carmichaels Area School District achieved Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). In 2011, 94 percent of the 500 Pennsylvania public school districts achieved the No Child Left Behind Act progress level of 72% of students reading on grade level and 67% of students demonstrating on grade level math. In 2011, 46.9 percent of Pennsylvania school districts achieved Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) based on student performance. An additional 37.8 percent of Pennsylvania public school districts made AYP based on a calculated method called safe harbor, 8.2 percent on the growth model and 0.8 percent on a two-year average performance.[29] Carmichaels Area School District achieved AYP status each year from 2004 to 2010; while in 2003 the district was in Warning status due to lagging student achievement.[30]

In 2013, the graduation rate at Carmichaels Area School District was 87%.[31] In 2012, the graduation rate at the district was 89%.[32] In 2011, the district's graduation rate was 83%.[33] In 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a new, 4-year cohort graduation rate. Carmichaels Area High School's rate was 85% for 2010.[34]

According to traditional graduation rate calculations

• 2010 - 87% [35]
• 2009 - 92%
• 2008 - 92%
• 2007 - 92% out of 500 districts.[36]

Carmichaels Area Junior-Senior High School is located at 300 West Greene Street, Carmichaels. In 2013, enrollment was reported as 435 pupils in 7th through 12th grades, with 41.8% of pupils eligible for a free lunch due to family poverty. Additionally, 17% of pupils received special education services, while less than 1% of pupils were identified as gifted. The school employed 38 teachers.[37] Per the PA Department of Education 100% of the teachers were rated "Highly Qualified" under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2010, the school reported an enrollment of 510 pupils in grades 7th through 12th, with 241 pupils eligible for a federal free or reduced-price lunch due to the family meeting the federal poverty level. The school employed 39 teachers, yielding a student–teacher ratio of 13:1.[38] According to a report by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 100% teachers were rated "Highly Qualified" under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.[39]

2013 School Performance Profile

Carmichaels Area Junior Senior High School achieved 67.8 out of 100. Reflects on grade level reading, mathematics and science achievement. In reading/literature - 61% were on grade level. In Algebra 1, 61.4% showed on grade level skills. In Biology, 50% showed on grade level science understanding.[40] According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2,181 public schools (less than 73 percent of Pennsylvania public schools), achieved an academic score of 70 or higher. Pennsylvania 11th grade students no longer take the PSSAs. Instead, beginning in 2012, they take the Keystone Exams at the end of the associated course.[41]

AYP History

In 2012, Carmichaels Area Junior-Senior High School declined further to Corrective Action II 2nd Year due to chronic, low reading and mathematics achievement. The school achieved just 2 of 12 metrics measured.

• 2011 - declined to Corrective Action II 1st Year due to chronic, low reading achievement.[42]
• 2010 - Making Progress: in Corrective Action I due to the chronic low academic performance of its students.[43]
• 2009 - declined to Corrective Action I level.[44] The school's Administration was required to develop a plan of action to improve student achievement and to submit it to the Pennsylvania Department of Education.[45] In the eleventh grade there are 62 pupils enrolled in 2011. In 2010 there were 79 pupils.
• 2008 - declined to School Improvement Level 2[46]
• 2007 - Making Progress in School Improvement 1[47]
• 2006 - declined to School Improvement Level 1[48]
• 2005 - declined to Warning AYP status due to lagging student achievement[49]
• 2004 - achieved AYP status[50]
• 2003 - Warning AYP Status

PSSA Results

Pennsylvania System of School Assessments, commonly called PSSAs are No Child Left Behind Act related examinations which were administered from 2003 through 2012, in all Pennsylvania public high schools. The exams were administered in the Spring of each school year. The goal was for 100% of students to be on grade level or better in reading and mathematics, by the Spring of 2014. The tests focused on the state's Academic Standards for reading, writing, mathematics and science. The Science exam included content in science, technology, ecology and the environmental studies. The mathematics exam included: algebra I, algebra II, geometry and trigonometry. The standards were first published in 1998 and are mandated by the Pennsylvania State Board of Education.[51]

In 2013, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania changed its high school assessments to the Keystone Exams in Algebra 1, Reading/literature and Biology1. The exams are given at the end of the course, rather than all in the spring of the student's 11th grade year.[52]

11th Grade Reading

• 2012 - 61% on grade level, (23% below basic). State - 67% of 11th graders are on grade level.[53]
• 2011 - 69% (11% below basic). State - 69.1%[54]
• 2010 - 68%, (19% below basic). State - 67%[55]
• 2009 - 57%, State - 65% [56]
• 2008 - 63%, State - 65%[57]
• 2007 - 57%, State - 65%

11th Grade Math

• 2012 - 62% on grade level (26% below basic). In Pennsylvania, 59% of 11th graders are on grade level.[58]
• 2011 - 52%, (14% below basic). State - 60.3%
• 2010 - 58% (24% below basic). State - 59%
• 2009 - 45%, State - 56% [59]
• 2008 - 43%, State - 56%
• 2007 - 45%, State - 53% [60]

11th Grade Science

• 2012 - 38% on grade level (12% below basic). State - 42% of 11th graders were on grade level.[61]
• 2011 - 36% (9% below basic). State - 40%[62]
• 2010 - 36% (11% below basic). State - 39%
• 2009 - 32%, State - 40% [63]
• 2008 - 26%, State - 39% [64]

According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 41% of the Carmichaels Area Junior Senior 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.[65] 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.[66] 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 The high school does not offer the Pennsylvania dual enrollment program which permits students to earn deeply discounted college credits while still enrolled in high school. The program is offered through over 400 school districts with the assistance of a state grant.

The Carmichaels Area School Board has determined that a pupil must earn 25 credits to graduate, including: a required class every year in math, English, social studies, science, Physical Education and eight electives.[67]

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.[68]

By Pennsylvania School Board regulations, beginning with the class of 2017, public school students must demonstrate successful completion of secondary level course work in Algebra I, Biology, and English Literature by passing the Keystone Exams.[69][70][71] For the class of 2019, a composition exam will be added. For the class of 2020, passing a civics and government exam will be added to the graduation requirements.[72] In 2011, Pennsylvania high school students field tested the Algebra 1, Biology and English Lit exams. The statewide results were: Algebra 1 38% on grade level, Biology 35% on grade level and English Lit - 49% on grade level.[73] Individual student, school or district reports were not made public, although they were reported to district officials by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Students identified as having special needs and qualifying for an Individual Educational Program (IEP) may graduate by meeting the requirements of their IEP.

The Challenge Program, Inc. offers $250.00 cash incentives to Carmichaels Area Junior Senior High School students who excel in the categories of: Academic Improvement, Attendance, Community Service and Academic Excellence. The program partners with businesses to motivate students both in and out of the classroom by encouraging good habits in students that will last throughout their education and into their future careers. For the 2010-2011 school year, the top 10% of students in each of the categories will be eligible to win $250.00.[74]

There are 71 pupils enrolled in 2011. In 2010, there were 69 pupils.

Reading:

• 2012 - 76% on grade level (7% below basic). In Pennsylvania, 79% of 8th graders on grade level.[58]
• 2011 - 78% on grade level (15% below basic). In Pennsylvania, 81.8% of 8th graders on grade level.[75]
• 2010 - 82%, (14% below basic). State - 81% [76]
• 2009 - 68%, State - 80%[77]
• 2008 - 79%, State - 78%

Math:

• 2012 - 67% on grade level (15% below basic). State - 76%
• 2011 - 68%, (20% below basic). State - 76.9%
• 2010 - 75%, (13% below basic). State -75%
• 2009 - 76%, State - 71%[78]
• 2008 - 76%, State - 70%

Science:

• 2012 - 52% on grade level (24% below basic). State - 59%
• 2011 - 47% (24% below basic). State – 58.3%
• 2010 - 49% (30% below basic). State - 57%
• 2009 - 74%, State - 55%.[79]
• 2008 - 65%, State - 52% [80]

There are 93 pupils enrolled in 2011. In 2010 there were 71 pupils.

Reading:

• 2012 - 70% on grade level (8% below basic). State – 76%
• 2011 - 69%, (10% below basic). State – 76%
• 2010 - 68%, (11% below basic). State - 73%
• 2009 - 63%, State - 71% [77]
• 2008 - 56%, State - 70%

Math:

• 2012 - 76% (8% below basic). State - 80%
• 2011 - 70% (18% below basic). State - 78.6%
• 2010 - 74% (14% below basic). State - 77%
• 2009 - 70%, State - 75% [78]
• 2008 - 70%, State - 70%

Carmichaels Area Elementary Center is located at 225 North Vine Street, Carmichaels. In 2013, the school's enrollment was 691 pupils in grades kindergarten through 5th, with 49.6% of pupils receiving a federal free or reduced price meals due to family poverty. Additionally, 17% of the pupils receive special education services, while no students were identified as gifted.[81] According to a report by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 100% of the teachers were rated highly qualified under No Child Left Behind. The school provides full-day kindergarten.[82] The school is a federally designated Title I school.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2011, the school reported an enrollment of 616 pupils in grades preschool through 6th, with 329 pupils receiving a federal free or reduced-price lunch due to family poverty. The school is a federally designated Title I school. The school employed 40 teachers, yielding a student–teacher ratio of 15:1.[83] According to a report by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 100% of its teachers were rated "Highly Qualified" under No Child Left Behind.[84]

2013 School Performance Profile

Carmichaels Area Elementary Center achieved a score of 68.9 out of 100. The score reflects on grade level: reading, science, writing and mathematics achievement. In 2012-13, only 60% of the students were reading on grade level in grades 3rd through 5th. In 3rd grade, 57.9% of the pupils were reading on grade level. In math, 73% were on grade level (3rd-5th grades). In 4th grade science, just 67% of the pupils demonstrated on grade level understanding. In writing, only 54% of 5th grade pupils demonstrated on grade level skills.[85]

AYP History

In 2012, Carmichaels Area Elementary School declined to Warning AYP status due to lagging student achievement in reading and mathematics.[86] In 2010 and 2011, the school achieved AYP status.[87] The attendance rate was 92% in both 2010 and 2011.[88]

PSSA results

Each year, in the Spring, the 3rd graders take the PSSAs in math and reading. The fourth grade is tested in reading, math and science. The fifth grade is evaluated in reading, mathematics and writing. Pennsylvania System of School Assessments, commonly called PSSAs are No Child Left Behind Act related examinations which were administered beginning 2003 to all Pennsylvania public school students in grades 3rd-8th.[89] The goal was for 100% of students to be on grade level or better in reading and mathematics, by the Spring of 2014.[90][91][92] The tests focused on the state's Academic Standards for reading, writing, mathematics and science. The Science exam is given to 4th grades and includes content in science, technology, ecology and the environmental studies.[93]

4th Grade Science:

• 2012 - 91%, (3% below basic). State - 82%
• 2011 - 90%, (0% below basic), State – 82.9%
• 2010 - 80% (7% below basic). State - 81%
• 2009 - 82%, State - 83%
• 2008 - 82%, State - 81%

The District Administration reported that 18 or 1.57% of its students were gifted in 2009.[112] 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.[113]

According to a report from Representative Todd Stephens office, Carmichaels Area School District receives 66.6% of its annual revenue from the state.[132]

For the 2014-15 school year, Carmichaels Area School District will receive $6,675,668 in State Basic Education funding. The district will also receive $184,934 in new Ready To Learn Block grant. The State's enacted Education Budget includes $5,526,129,000 for the 2014-2015 Basic Education Funding.[133] The Education budget also includes Accountability Block Grant funding at $100 million and $241 million in new Ready to Learn funding for public schools that focus on student achievement and academic success. The State is paying $500.8 million to Social Security on the school employees behalf and another $1.16 billion to the state teachers pension system (PSERS). In total, Pennsylvania's Education budget for K-12 public schools is $10 billion. This was a $305 million increase over 2013-2014 state spending and the greatest amount ever allotted by the Commonwealth for its public schools.[134]

In the 2013-2014 school year, the Carmichaels Area School District received a 1.4% increase or $6,581,297 in Pennsylvania Basic Education Funding. This is $93,003 more than its 2012-13 state BEF to the district. Additionally, Carmichaels Area School District received $94,425 in Accountability Block Grant funding to focus on academic achievement and level funding for special education services. Among the public school districts in Greene County, Central Greene School District received the highest percentage increase in BEF at 1.6%. The district has the option of applying for several other state and federal grants to increase revenues. The Commonwealth's budget increased Basic Education Funding statewide by $123 million to over $5.5 billion. Most of Pennsylvania's 500 public school districts received an increase of Basic Education Funding in a range of 0.9% to 4%. Eight public school districts received exceptionally high funding increases of 10% to 16%. The highest increase in state funding was awarded to Austin Area School District which received a 22.5% increase in Basic Education Funding.[135] The highest percent of state spending per student is in the Chester-Upland School District, where 78 percent comes from state coffers. In Philadelphia, it is over 49 percent.[136] As a part of the education budget, the state provided the PSERS (Pennsylvania school employee pension fund) with $1,017,000,000 and Social Security payments for school employees of $495 million.[137]

For the 2012-13 school year, Carmichaels Area School District received $6,675,722.[138] The Governor's Executive Budget for 2012-2013 included $9.34 billion for kindergarten through 12th grade public education, including $5.4 billion in basic education funding, which was an increase of $49 million over the 2011-12 budget. In addition, the Commonwealth provided $100 million for the Accountability Block Grant (ABG) program. Carmichaels Area School District received $94,425 in ABG funding. The state also provided a $544.4 million payment for School Employees’ Social Security and $856 million for School Employees’ Retirement fund called PSERS.[139]

In the 2011-2012 school year, Carmichaels Area School District received a $6,581,297 allocation, of state Basic Education Funding.[140] Additionally, the district will receive $94,425 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.[141] 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.[142] In 2010, the district reported that 501 students received free or reduced-price lunches, due to the family meeting the federal poverty level.[143]

For the 2010-2011 budget year, the Carmichaels Area School District was allotted a 3.92% increase in Basic Education Funding for a total of $7,272,489. The highest increase in Greene County was given to Central Greene School District which got a 4.97% increase. One hundred fifty Pennsylvania school districts received the base 2% increase. The highest increase in 2010-11 went to Kennett Consolidated School District in Chester County which received a 23.65% increase in state funding.[144] The state's hold harmless policy regarding state basic education funding continued where each district received at least the same amount as it received the prior school year, 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 public school districts at a far greater rate than others.[145]

In the 2009-2010 budget year, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provided the district a 6.33% increase in Basic Education Funding for a total of $6,997,835. This was among the second highest increase, in Basic Education Funding, that school districts in Greene County received. Southeastern Greene School District got a 6.92%. 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.[146] The amount of increase each school district receives was set by then Governor Edward G. Rendell and the Secretary of Education Gerald Zahorchak as a part of the state budget proposal given each February.[147]

The state Basic Education Funding to Carmichaels Area School District in 2008-09 was $4,787,151.79. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 292 students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch due to low family income in 2008.[148] According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Pennsylvania spent $7,824 Per Pupil in the year 2000. This amount increased up to $12,085 by the year 2008.[149][150]

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 $256,293 in addition to all other state and federal funding. The district uses the funding to provide full-day kindergarten for the fifth year.[151][152]

• 2009-10 - $256,293 for full-day kindergarten [153]
• 2008-09 - $256,293 for full-day kindergarten

The state's EAP funding provides for the continuing support of tutoring services and other programs to address the academic needs of eligible students. For the 2010-11 school year the state awarded $47.6 million in Education Assistance grants. Funds are available to eligible school districts and full-time career and technology centers (CTC) 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 the Carmichael Area School District received $23,680.[154]

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 (English, Science, History, Math) and paid for teacher training to optimize the computers use. The program was funded from 2006-2009. Carmichaels Area School District did not apply to participate in 2006-07. In 2007-08 the district received $50,000 and in 2008-09 $45,413 for a total of $95,413.[155] The grant program was discontinued by Governor Edward Rendell as part of the 2009-10 state budget.

The Environmental Education Grant Program was established by the Environmental Education Act of 1993, which mandates that 5 percent of all pollution fines and penalties collected annually by the Department of Environmental Protection be set aside for environmental education. In 2009, Carmichaels was awarded $3000 to conduct several field trips and in class studies that will allow for students to understand ecosystem composition and properties.[156] In 2010, Carmichaels was awarded $3,000 to coordinate field trips where students will assess biodiversity at various nature centers, including forest composition, soil properties, wildlife signs and water quality.[157] In 2012, the district was awarded $3,000.

The district did not participate in: PA Science Its Elementary grants, 2012 Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy grant, 2012 and 2013 Pennsylvania Hybrid Learning Grants[158] nor the federal 21st Century Learning after school program grants.

The district received an extra $1,331,892 in ARRA - Federal Stimulus money to be used in specific programs like special education and meeting the academic needs of low-income students.[159] The funding is for the 2009–10 and 2010-2011 school years.[160] 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.

Carmichaels Area School District officials did not apply for the federal Race to the Top grant which would have provided hundreds of thousands in additional federal dollars 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.[161] 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.[162][163][164]

Carmichaels Area School Board and administration elected 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.[165] After the review of the information, the district was not required to implement the recommended cost savings changes.

In 2010 a study on the possible consolidation of services between Carmichaels Area School District, Jefferson-Morgan School District and Southeastern Greene School District is being conducted.[166]

A study was done in 2004, examining consolidating Carmichaels Area School District with neighboring Southeastern Greene School District. It was estimated that over $2 million in savings would be achieved.[167] The study noted that consolidation could significantly decrease administrative costs for both communities while improving offerings to students. Consolidation of school district administrations does not require the consolidation of schools.[168]

Over the next 10 years, rural Pennsylvania school enrollment is projected to decrease 8 percent. The most significant enrollment decline is projected to be in western Pennsylvania, where rural school districts may have a 16 percent decline. 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).[169] Statewide, there are 187 districts that are projected to have an enrollment decline of 15 percent or greater. Geographically, these districts are clustered in western Pennsylvania and in the state's northern tier.[170]

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. Less than 95 of Pennsylvania's 501 school districts have enrollment below 1250 students, in 2007.[171]

Property tax rates in 2012-13 were set by the Carmichaels Area School Board at 22.7500 mills.[172] 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 (between 75-85%) of local revenues; and 2) Act 511 tax collections, which are around 15% of revenues for school districts.[173]

The average yearly property tax paid by Greene County residents amounts to about 2.77% of their yearly income. Greene County ranked 746th out of the 3143 United States counties for property taxes as a percentage of median income.[183] According to a report prepared by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the total real estate taxes collected by all school districts in Pennsylvania rose from $6,474,133,936 in 1999-00 to $10,438,463,356 in 2008-09 and to $11,153,412,490 in 2011.[184] 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%).[185]

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 (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.[186]

The School District Adjusted Index for the Carmichaels Area School District 2006-2007 through 2011-2012.[187]

For the 2011-12 school year, Carmichaels Area School Board did not apply for an exception to exceed the Act 1 Index. Each budget year Carmichaels Area 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.[190]

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.[191]

The Carmichaels Area School Board did not apply for any exceptions to exceed the Act 1 index for the budget in 2009-10 or 2010-11.[192] 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.[193] For 2009-10, the board did not apply for exceptions.[194]

In 2010, the Homestead/Farmstead Property Tax Relief from gambling for the Carmichaels Area School District was $231 per approved permanent primary residence. In the district, 1,864 property owners applied for the tax relief.[195] 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 Greene County, 37% of eligible property owners applied for property tax relief in 2009.[196] In Greene County, the highest amount of tax relief in 2010, went to Central Greene School District at $296. 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.[197] This was the third year they were the top recipient.

• 2009 - $240 for 1,794 properties.
• 2008 - $273 for 1,576 properties.

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, 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.

Carmichaels Area High School is a member of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) and the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL). Carmichaels is in PIAA District 7.

Junior High School

Boys:

• Basketball
• Football

Girls

• Basketball
• Softball
• Volleyball

According to PIAA directory July 2012 [217]