Greenwood Township, Perry County, Pennsylvania

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 25.4 square miles (66 km²), of which, 25.2 square miles (65 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km²) of it (0.59%) is water.

As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 1,010 people, 381 households, and 296 families living in the township. The population density was 40.1 people per square mile (15.5/km²). There were 409 housing units at an average density of 16.2/sq mi (6.3/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 99.60% White, 0.10% African American, and 0.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.99% of the population.

There were 381 households, out of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.0% were married couples living together, 4.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.3% were non-families. 18.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the township the population was spread out, with 25.1% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 106.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.3 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $45,694, and the median income for a family was $53,000. Males had a median income of $38,158 versus $26,250 for females. The per capita income for the township was $18,765. About 2.1% of families and 6.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.2% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.

Greenwood Township is governed locally by three Township Supervisors.[6][7] They are elected locally and serve six-year terms. The Greenwood Township Supervisors monthly meetings are typically held at the Greenwood Township Municipal Building at 17 Pines Drive, Millerstown. In 2016, the Supervisors are: Christopher Seiber, Chairman; Lewis Morrow, Vice chairman and Purnell Dressler, Supervisor.[8] Lewis Morrow also serves as the township's emergency management coordinator. An annual budget for the Township is passed each December. The Township's elected official's powers and responsibilities are defined by The Second Class Township Code passed by the Pennsylvania General Assembly.[9]

Building and development growth are governed by the Greenwood Planning Commission which is operated by individuals, who are locally appointed by the supervisors. The Planning Commission has six members.

In 2016, Greenwood Township property owners were subject to a 39 mills property tax. The average yearly property tax paid by Perry County residents amounts to about 3.48% of their yearly income. Perry County ranked 382nd of the 3143 United States counties for property taxes as a percentage of median income.[10] 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.[11] 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%).[12]

Greenwood Township supervisors also levy a per capita tax of $5. Residents pay a county real estate tax of 3.3125.[13]

State Government:

• Mark K. Keller, Republican, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 86
• John DiSanto Republican, Pennsylvania Senate, District 15

Federal Government:

United States House of Representatives

• Fred Keller, Republican, Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district

United States Senate

• Pat Toomey, Republican
• Bob Casey, Jr., Democrat

Map of Perry County, Pennsylvania School Districts

Residents of Greenwood Township may attend the local, public schools operated by Greenwood School District which provides full day kindergarten through 12th grade. The district is headquartered in Millerstown. In 2016, the District's enrollment declined to 784 students. In 2016, Greenwood School District ranked 115th out of 493 public school districts for academic achievement of its pupils, by the Pittsburgh Business Times.[14] The District's 2016 graduation rate was 100%.[15]

High School students and adults can attend the publicly funded Cumberland Perry Area Vocational Technical School which is located in Mechanicsburg in Cumberland County. CPAVTA provides students training in the: construction and mechanical trades, culinary arts, health aids, computer technical careers and other fields. Students may also attend Capital Area Online Learning Association (CAOLA) online education programs. The service is operated by the Capital Area Intermediate Unit 15.

Greenwood Township residents may also apply to attend any of the Commonwealth's 13 public cyber charter schools (in 2015) at no additional cost to the parents. The resident's public school district is required to pay the charter school and cyber charter school tuition for residents who attend these public schools.[16][17] By Commonwealth law, if the District provides transportation for its own students, then the District must provide transportation to any school that lies within 10 miles of its borders. Residents may also seek admission for their school aged child to any other public school district. When accepted for admission, the student's parents are responsible for paying an annual tuition fee set by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. In 2015, the tuition fees for Greenwood School District were: elementary school - $8,290.62, high school - $11,248.81.[18]

School aged residents may also attend the Capital Area School for the Arts which is an arts charter school located in neighboring Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Juniata Mennonite School and Armstrong Valley Christian School are two of several private schools that are also available to the township's residents.

Capital Area Intermediate Unit No. 15 provides a wide variety of services to children living in its region which includes Greenwood Township. Early screening, special education services, speech and hearing therapy and many other services like driver education are available. Services for children during the preschool years are provided, without cost to their families, when the child is determined to meet eligibility requirements.

Community members have access to the Community Library of West Perry County in Blain; the Bloomfield Public Library which is located in New Bloomfield and to the statewide PA Power Library which is an online library funded with tax dollars through the state's annual education budget.[19]

Greenwood Township residents have access to Harrisburg Area Community College. People residing in the community fund HACC in part through an annual payment made by Greenwood School District.[20] Twenty two local public school districts are required to contribute annually to HACC regardless of whether any of their residents are attending the college. Full-time students from these districts, who attend HACC, pay $1,674 for 12 credit hours.