Solanco High School

In 2012, Solanco High School's graduation rate was 87%.[10] In 2011, the graduation rate was 86.8%. In 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a new four-year cohort graduation rate. Solanco High School's graduation rate was 86.99% in 2010.[11]

According to traditional graduation rate calculations

• 2010 - 86.99% [12]
• 2009 - 91.78% [13]
• 2008 - 94% [14]
• 2007 - 94.3% [15]

11th Grade Reading:

• 2012 - 70% on grade level (14(% below basic). State - 67% of 11th graders were on grade level.[16]
• 2011 - 72% (14% below basic). State - 69.1% [17]
• 2010 - 60% (18% below basic). State - 66% [18]
• 2009 - 69% (15% below basic). State - 65% [19]
• 2008 - 65% (18% below basic). State - 65% [20]
• 2007 - 63% (25% below basic). State - 65% [21]

11th Grade Math:

• 2012 - 57% on grade level (21% below basic). In Pennsylvania, 59% of 11th graders were on grade level.[22]
• 2011 - 62% (15% below basic). State - 60.3% [23]
• 2010 - 56% (25% below basic). State - 59% [24]
• 2009 - 60% (19% below basic). State - 56% [25]
• 2008 - 60% (20% below basic). State - 56% [26]
• 2007 - 54% (28% below basic). State - 53% [27]

11th Grade Science

• 2012 - 40% on grade level (12% below basic). State - 42% of 11th graders were on grade level.[28]
• 2011 - 34% (15% below basic). State - 40% [29]
• 2010 - 23% (24% below basic). State - 39%
• 2009 - 35% (23% below basic). State - 40% [30]
• 2008 - 35% (15% below basic). State - 39% [31]

Solanco High School did not take advantage of a state program called Science in Motion which brings college professors and sophisticated science equipment to the school to raise science awareness and to provide inquiry-based experiences for the students. The Science in Motion program was funded by a state appropriation and cost the school nothing to participate.[32] Elizabethtown College offers the program in Lancaster County.

According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 37% of Solanco 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.[33] 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.[34] 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. 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.[35] Solanco partners with Millersville University, Harrisburg Area Community College, Lancaster Bible College, Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology and Pennsylvania State University. Under the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement, state-funded Pennsylvania colleges and universities accept these credits for students who transfer to or apply to their institutions.[36]

In 2010, Governor Edward Rendell eliminated the grants to students from the Commonwealth due to a state budget crisis. For the 2009-10 funding year, Solanco School District received a state grant of $2,568 for the program.[37]

Among Pennsylvania's 500 public school districts, graduation requirements widely vary. Solanco School Board has determined that a pupil must earn 26 credits to graduate, including: math - 3 credits, English - 4 credits, social studies - 3 credits, science - 3 credits, Arts and Humanities - 2 credits Physical Education (Fitness 1.5 credits and Wellness 0.5 credits) and 8 electives. An additional credit in English, math, science or social studies at the student's choice is required. Students must earn 6 credits to advance to 10th grade. They must earn 12 credits to advance to 11th grade.

By law, all Pennsylvania secondary school students are required to 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.[38] Solanco students may take one of several courses to meet the requirement. Effective with the graduating class of 2017, the Pennsylvania Board of Education eliminated the state mandate that students complete a culminating project in order to graduate.[39]

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.[40][41][42] For the class of 2019, a Composition exam will be added. For the class of 2020, a civics and government exam will be added.[43] In 2011, Pennsylvania high school students field tested the Algebra 1, Biology and English Literature exams. The statewide results were: Algebra 1 - 38% on grade level, Biology - 35% on grade level, and English Lit - 49% on grade level.[44] 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 Classroom for the Future state program provided districts with hundreds of thousands of dollars of extra state funding to buy laptop computers for each core curriculum high school class (English, science, history, and math), and paid for teacher training to optimize the computers' use. The program was funded from 2006 to 2009. The Solanco School District did not apply to participate in 2006-07. In 2007-08 Solanco High School received $427,158. The school received $77,938 in 2008-09 for a total of $505,096 in funding.[45] In Lancaster County the highest award was given to Lancaster School District - $1,193,377. The highest funding statewide was awarded to Philadelphia City School District in Philadelphia County - $9,409,073. In 2010, Classrooms for the Future grant funding was curtailed by Governor Rendell.

Solanco School District offers a variety of clubs, activities and an extensive sports program. Eligibility for participation is determined by school board policy and is in compliance with standards set by the Pennsylvania interscholastic Athletics Association (PIAA). The school is a member of the Lancaster-Lebanon 2 Sports League.

By Pennsylvania law, all K-12 students residing in the district, including those who attend a private nonpublic school, cyber charter school, or charter school, and those who are homeschooled, are eligible to participate in extracurricular programs, including all athletics. They must meet the same eligibility rules as the students enrolled in the district's schools.[46]

• Šarūnas Jasikevičius, Class of 1994. Professional basketball player and coach, the 2005 Israeli Basketball Premier League MVP.

• Solanco High School official site