Freeport Area School District

In 2009, the high school was ranked 53rd out of 123 western Pennsylvania high schools, by the Pittsburgh Business Times, for academic achievement based on three years of the PSSAs on: reading, writing, math and one year of science.[8]

PSSA Results
11th Grade Reading
2009 - 79% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 65% of 11th graders on grade level.[9]
2008 - 68%, State - 65%
2007 - 78%, State - 65% [10]

11th Grade Math:
2009 - 60% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 56% of 11th graders are on grade level.[11]
2008 - 59%, State - 56%[12]
2007 - 61%, State - 53%

11th Grade Science:
2009 - 40% on grade level. State: 40% of 11th graders were on grade level.
2008 - 38%, State - 39% [13]

College remediation: According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 23% of Freeport 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.[14] 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.[15] 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 - Freeport Senior 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. Over 400 school districts in Pennsylvania offer this state-funded program.[16][17]

In 1965, Lenape Technical School was opened. It serves the Freeport Area, Armstrong, Apollo-Ridge, and Leechburg Area School Districts.

In the 2009-2010 budget year the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provided the Armstrong School District a 5.16% increase in Basic Education Funding for a total of $6,592,525. Two Armstrong County school districts received increases of over 5% in Basic Education Funding. South Butler County School District received an increase of 4.54%. Sixteen school districts in Pennsylvania received an increase of over 10% in 2009. The Muhlenberg School District of Berks County received an increase of 22.31% in 2009-10. The state Basic Education Funding to Freeport Area School District in 2008-09 was $6,268,794.18.[30] 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.[31]

The district received an extra $1,166,708 in ARRA - Federal Stimulus money to be used in specific programs like special education and meeting the academic needs of low-income students.[32] The funding is for 2009-2011 school years.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 449 students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch due to low family income in 2008.[33]

Freeport Area School District officials did not apply for the Race to the Top federal grant which would have brought the district up to one million additional federal dollars for improving student academic achievement.[34] 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.[35] 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.[36]

Property tax rates in 2009-10 are 49.0000 mills.[37] 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 Freeport Area School District was $208 per approved permanent primary residence. In the district, 3,387 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 (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 Armstrong County, 77% of eligible property owners applied for property tax relief in 2009.[38]

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 rebate 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%).[39]