A MESSAGE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT

2012-13 Budget Planning – A Year of Difficult Decision Making

Greetings and Happy New Year!

Parkland School District is experiencing economic challenges. As it is very early in the budget planning process, my goal is to highlight some key concerns in this article to keep our community informed, but not overwhelmed with details. School finance is a complex issue. We discuss the budget at nearly every School Board meeting (twice monthly) publicly, and I invite any and all community members to attend to obtain further information and listen to our presentations and discussion. We also post Board Highlight reports that capture the handouts and an overview of what has been discussed on our district web site. It is our responsibility to share information with all of you who have invested in the great school system that we call home.

The good news is that our real estate millage (total property value within the school district's boundary lines) has not been negatively impacted by the economic slump the way that so many other towns have witnessed. For the fourth year, our mill is holding its value. However, it remains stagnant. We are still grappling with real estate assessment appeals, particularly from the commercial/industrial sector, and the losses associated with these assessment appeals have totaled in excess of $4M in the past few years. Couple that with the fact that our commonwealth funding has been rolled back to 2008-09 levels and we expect no increase in the upcoming year as the state tries to rectify its own growing deficit, along with uncertain federal funding streams, we are in a precarious situation for the upcoming school year.

Our School Board and administrative team are working tirelessly behind the scenes to mitigate impact to students who have done nothing to deserve cuts in our current programs. The children are not responsible for the financial crisis that we are in the midst of. New this year, we are working with neighboring school districts to try and share transportation resources for private and non-public school students which we transport to schools outside of our district borders that, by law, we are required to transport students to. This area of transportation accounts for 25% of our transportation budget for which we transport 10% of our students living in the district. We are also in the midst of contract negotiations with our teacher's union and are hopeful that the end result will be a contract that our community and employees can feel good about in taking the current economic climate into account.

At this point in the budget planning process, our community can expect that we will need to raise taxes to the maximum allowable rate, which is expected to be the 1.7% state base index for Parkland plus allowable exceptions for special education costs and retirement costs. This equates to a total increase of approximately 3.8%. The increase in local taxes (which account for 78% of our budget) for the upcoming year will help make up for our losses in revenue briefly described above as well as pay for the increases required to heat, light and maintain our facilities. On the staffing front, there will be no new positions slated for the next school year. As our eligible teachers announce retirement plans in January, we will weigh carefully whether or not positions will require replacement. In fact, we had a District Administrator leave in December and will not be replacing that position. We also had a District Administrator retire in August and did not replace him. The results do put a strain on our operations, but when we opt not to replace a retiring teacher, it will most likely translate to the fact that class size will grow throughout the school district. We examine our class size regularly and will continue to make decisions that allow us to adhere to our class size guidelines as we consolidate our resources.

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Eight Parkland High School Students Named 2011 National
Merit Semifinalists, 1 Named National Achievement Semifinalist

The names of approximately 16,000 Semifinalists in the annual National Merit Scholarship Program were announced by officials of National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 8,200 Merit Scholarship awards, worth $36 million, that will be offered next spring. Eight Parkland High School 2012 National Merit Scholarship Program Semifinalists (pictured left to right above) include: Jack Huang, Camille Johnson, Reno Kriz, Zhiheng Qin, Benjamin Spikol, Matthew Stein, Lincoln Walton, Tristan Winick, Joshua Tempro.

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STUDENTS LEARN THE IMPORTANCE OF A
HEALTHY BREAKFAST AT MILK MUSTACHE BOOTH

Third and fourth graders at Kernsville Elementary School participated in a Milk Mustache Booth. Each student received a mustache by drinking a small milkshake. Then, each class had their picture taken in front of a "Got Milk?" banner.

Classes received giveaways during their lunch period if they were able to correctly answer general questions relating to breakfast. This event was created to spread the word about the benefits of eating a healthy breakfast every day. Students learned that by doing so, they can increase the level of concentration, stay full longer, and feel more energized and awake throughout the entire day.

Breakfast is served daily in all of our eleven schools. For only $1.10 each morning, children are able to receive a full and nutritious breakfast that meets the USDA standards set for protein, calcium, as well as several vitamins.
Reduced breakfast for $0.30 and free breakfasts are also available for those
who qualify.

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Schools and Local Emergency Responders Collaborate for
Safety and Crisis Preparedness

As we move ahead in the school year, please know that the schools listed below have prepared to receive the many students that reside within our community. The security of our student population has been and always will be a top priority for all our schools as well as all the other community organizations whose names are listed in the yellow box below..

As a result, those educational agencies have been meeting proactively for the past three years with our local emergency management and township officials to coordinate efforts in response to any number of potential emergency situations that may occur. The listed below agencies share information and have taken an "all hazards approach" to preparing for the many issues facing us. Please know we function cooperatively on behalf of our students and consider nothing more important than their safety.

While each organization has its own set of individual response actions and plans, it is important to recognize that we communicate with each other and stand ready to provide assistance to one another as the need arises. Many minor situations, such as inclement weather, are handled immediately by the local schools and communication is directed to
the parents. However, in the event of a larger, more widespread incident, communications will be made through a Public Information Officer (PIO) whose main purpose will be to insure everyone affected has the latest details.

The educational agencies, first responders, and township officials will continue to collaborate in the future in order to develop on-going partnerships to promote the safety and well-being of our residents. Thank you for the support you have provided through the years. We look forward to serving you even more effectively as we move forward in the future.

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Vouchers, Charters and Choice –Oh My!
Complex issues explained

In our last edition of the Parkland School District News, we explained the impact
charter schools have on our community. Now we are ready to move on; or
move backwards, really. To fully understand the issue, we need to discuss why
legislators and some advocacy groups are calling for these changes to our public
schools. Why do some people believe we need school choice? The easy answer
is that some of our public schools are failing. Test results and graduation rates
in some of our schools are unacceptable and as a state we are failing these
students. They deserve better. Unfortunately, however, during the debate over
school choice the performance of all schools has become very unclear. In order
to make the best decision about how to improve our schools, it is important
to understand the current performance of both the public and charter schools.
Let's begin with our public schools. There are 500 school districts in the state of
Pennsylvania.

Currently 463 PA districts, or 89%, are making Adequate Yearly Progress under the No Child Left Behind Law as measured by the PSSA (Pennsylvania 's standardized tests).

Pennsylvania students have made eight straight years of improvements in math and reading.

Approximate ly 75% of Pennsylvania students are now on grade level based on the PSSA scores in math and reading, and 78% state wide are graduating .

Pennsylvania was ranked seventh among states for K-12 student achievement and ninth overall, according to a new national report released by Education Week magazine titled Quality Counts 2011: Uncertain Forecast – Education Adjusts to a New Economic Reality.

The number of Pennsylvania public high school students taking and testing in an Advanced Placement course continues to increase each year.

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TECHNOLOGY PLAN UNVEILED

The District released its 2012-2015 Technology Plan Goals. The report is comprehensive with a wealth of interesting information about future plans for the school district. Check it out today at www.parklandsd.org/techplan.

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Parkland's 2011-2012 Facts and Figures:

Curriculum
Parkland High School offers a demanding college preparatory program supplemented with strong offerings in fine arts, technology and business. Cocurricular activities are also encouraged as more than 65 clubs are offered as well as 23 sports at the high school level. Graduation requirements are 24.25 credits and students have access to more than 160 electives during their 4-year high school experience. Approximately 85% of the Class of 2011
chose to attend a two or four year college.

Advanced Placement
Parkland offers 22 Advanced Placement (AP) courses as part of the high school curriculum. In 2011, 86% of the 550 Parkland High School students taking AP tests achieved a score of three or higher which makes them eligible to receive college credit for the equivalent course at one of more than 2,900 colleges nationwide.

Click here to read more Parkland Facts and Figures

Parkland Receives $23,000 in Highmark Healthy High 5
School Challenge Grants

Parkland was the proud recipient of three Highmark Healthy High 5 School Challenge Grants totaling $23,273 to enact the following programs. Grants were written for and obtained
by Parkland teachers and administrators:

Parkland High School Physical Education Elective"Healthy Weight Management " - $9,958 Obtained by Chris Bleam – physical education teacher
The Parkland High School Physical Education Department added a new year-long elective for the 2011-12 school year called "Healthy Weight Management." Students have the opportunity to explore a variety of aerobic and anaerobic exercise throughout the school year to help them develop a customized exercise program they can take part in for life. Also, students analyze their eating habits and identify changes they can make with their diets to improve their
overall level of wellness. To assist the students, the grant paid for the purchase of a new eliptical trainer and sophisticated heart rate monitoring equipment. This allows students to identify appropriate exercise intensity and assist them toward a healthier lifestyle.

Read about more grants

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No Child Left Behind Report Card

The Pennsylvania System of School Assessment or PSSA was administered to students in grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 11 during April of 2011. The PSSA measures student proficiency in Reading and Mathematics based on the Pennsylvania Academic Standards. The results from the PSSA are used under the No Child Left Behind Program or NCLB to determine the Adequate Yearly Progress or AYP of each school district and school throughout the state of Pennsylvania. Five AYP target areas are measured under the No Child Left Behind Program including Academic Proficiency in Reading, Academic Proficiency in Mathematics, Attendance Rates for Elementary Schools and Middle Schools, Graduation Rates for High Schools, and Participation Rates. Included in this article is an overview of the Parkland School District results for each of these target areas.

We invite you to view our complete NCLB District Report Card and the NCLB School Report Cards for each of our eleven schools on the Parkland School District website. These report cards provide detailed information about the performance of our students on the 2011 PSSA. The reports may be accessed at www.parklandsd.org. On the Parkland website Home Page, click on "About Us" from the top menu then select "Assessment Data/NCLB" and "NCLB Report Cards." Links for the 2011 NCLB District Report Card and the 2011 NCLB School Report Cards can be found at this location. Paper copies of these reports are available at each of our schools and at the Parkland Administration Center. Questions about the No Child Left Behind Program and the PSSA may be addressed with our Office of Assessment and Data Analysis.

The academic success achieved by our students on the 2011 PSSA remains a source of pride for the Parkland community. The district extends sincere appreciation to all involved, including the Parkland School Board, administrators, teachers, support staff, parents and, most importantly, our students.

Richard T. Sniscak
Superintendent of Schools

Click here to view NCLB District Report Card

Parkland School District Launches Education Foundation

Holiday Program Honors Staff

This fall, the Parkland School District helped to launch the Parkland School District Education Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization whose primary goal is to raise funds to promote, enhance, and supplement the educational and co-curricular programs for the benefit of students and staff in the Parkland School District in order to preserve a tradition of excellence and help build the dreams of children in our community.

The Foundation got off to a tremendous start by announcing that Parkland employees pledged $19,000 in support via payroll deductions over the course of the school year. In December, parents, staff and community members were given the opportunity to make a tax deductible donation in a teacher's name (or any other staff member) as a holiday gift option. In exchange for the gift, donors received a student-designed holiday card that could be personalized with holiday sentiments.

Holiday and employee donations will support creative ideas via a "Celebrate Innovation" grant program that will be rolled out in January. All Parkland staff members will have the option of applying for a "Celebrate Innovation" grant with the purpose of enhancing instruction or improving the Parkland community in some way.

Foundation Board President, Buddy Lesavoy, stated, "Many of us look forward to the opportunity to take part in the grant-making process. I am grateful that we will be able to support new ideas this school year thanks to the generosity of so many staff, parents, and community members."

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

Monetary Donations – As state and federal funding for public education becomes increasingly uncertain, the Foundation seeks to preserve Parkland's tradition of excellence. Please consider making a donation online at http://www.parklandsd.org/foundation/ or by mail using the form below:
The Foundation welcomes matching funds, grants and gifts by alumni, local businesses, and the community at large.
In-kind Donations – the Foundation is always in need of printing and design services, and items and services that can be used as prizes at fundraising events.
Memorial Donations – Honor the memory of a loved one by contributing in his/her name or create a gift within your estate for the foundation.
Volunteers – The Communications, Allocations, Governance, and Fundraising Committees and Board of Directors are in constant need of volunteers.

Click here for printable donation form

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FOR KIDS AND FAMILY

2012 KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Parents, do you have a child who will be turning five years of age prior to October 1,
2012? If so, it's time to prepare for Kindergarten Registration. The following chart includes a list of the eight elementary schools within Parkland School District and their respective registration dates. To further expedite the registration process, parents are encouraged to telephone the appropriate elementary school for a specific appointment time. Phoning in advance will ensure an equal distribution of registrants throughout the day so that we can serve you better. Once an appointment is scheduled, a packet of forms will be mailed to you to fill out in advance of Registration Day in order to expedite the registration process. Plan to spend about an hour with us that day.Kindergarten is an exciting milestone for your child and we are excited to welcome your student to Parkland!

Which School Will My Child Attend?

Click here to find your home on the map or call the Transportation Office at 610-351-5690 and they will be happy to assist you with boundary questions.

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Community Course Offerings

Forever Fit Exercise Class for Adults Ages 55+
The Forever Fit exercise class for senior citizens ages 55+ will be offered on Mondays from March 19 - April 30, 2012 in the Fogelsville Elementary School Gym (312 South Route100, Breinigsville, PA 18031) from 4-5 PM. An experienced instructor of exercise and fitness programs will lead the class. Participants should wear comfortable clothes and shoes that are appropriate for low impact aerobics and walking and should bring drinking water and a towel.
The class is free of charge, but registration is limited. Please register by calling (610)351-5900 x 41888 to leave your information on our automated RSVP line.
Note: No class will be held when school is not in session due to inclement weather .

Parkland -The Art Works Spring 2012 classes

Two creative and fun classes for adult and high school students of all skill levels.

Hand built ceramics and dichroic glass, a 4 week class
Drawing and Painting, an 18 week class for adults and PHS students

Click here for flyer

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Fogelsville Garden

The staff at Fogelsville Elementary helped to revitalize an overgrown courtyard this past summer by pulling out weeds and painting an old deck. The Fogelsville PTO hired professional gardener Ebby Terb to install planter boxes, a sprinkler system and to plant seasonal produce
and herbs. Principal Brenda DeRenzo is assigning a grade level per month to care for the garden in the school's courtyard and school nurse Traci Gabriel is coordinating the tasks with the appropriate grade level. The teachers divvy up the jobs among the students. Harvested
crops are raffled off during PTO meetings and used for salad treats in classes. During the school's Open House, Ebby made tea from the garden herbs to serve to parents.

ACT 32: NEW collection rules for local earned income tax

Effective January 1, 2012, Act 32 will change how local earned income taxes are withheld, paid and filed throughout Pennsylvania. The 2008 Act mandated that over 3,000 Political Sub Divisions (PSDs) in the State having more than 560 separate Earned Income Tax collectors, consolidate to 69. This change is expected to:
• Standardize rules throughout the State
• Standardize forms for all filers—resident and employer
• Save money on collection costs
• Make transfer and assignment of monies to PSDs faster and more efficient
• Make employer reporting requirements easier
Municipalities and school districts within each county appointed delegates to a Tax Collection
Committee (TCC). Within Lehigh County, there are 25 municipalities and nine school districts; delegates have been meeting since September 2009. In compliance with several requirements of the Act, Lehigh TCC interviewed and analyzed several tax collection firms, as well as considered establishing their own bureau, and decided to contract with Berkheimer Tax Associates of Wind Gap as the Lehigh Tax Collector for a period of three years.

All 2012, 2013 and 2014 Earned Income Taxes will be filed to Berkheimer Tax Associates. The last Earned Income Tax year-end filing to Parkland School District will be the 2011 taxes due on or before April 15, 2012. Employers will begin to withhold and remit under the new law as of January 1, 2012 and make their first quarterly tax reporting to Berkheimer in April 2012. The 2012 final return for residents of Parkland due in 2013, will be filed with Berkheimer.
For more information, visit the Lehigh Tax Collection Committee website at www.lehightcc.org.
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Parkland Bulletin Board
CALENDAR AT A GLANCE -- IMPORTANT DATES

2012 WINTER CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Plan to join us for a winter or spring event!

Jan 7 Electronics Recycling Drive, Parkland High School, 9 AM – 12 noon.
Out with the old and in with the new. Recycle all your old electronics at the GEO Club's annual electronics recycling event. All electronics items will be accepted. Cost is free for
most items. Nominal charges for batteries, lamps, ballasts, or mercury. Free CF Lightbulbs to the first 50 customers.
Jan 19 Community Advisory Council meets to discuss the PSD Budget Process
Q & A presented by Superintendent Richard Sniscak and Director of Business Administration John Vignone – 7 PM, Admin Center.
Jan 21 & 22 Parkland High School's Performing Arts Club performs their annual Children's Show, "Charlotte's Web" 11 AM & 3 PM Saturday and 1 PM & 4 PM on Sunday in the PHS Auditorium. For tickets, call 610-351-5666.
Feb 4 Mr. Parkland Contest, 7 PM, PHS Auditorium.
PHS students compete in this annual pageant for the title of Mr. Parkland. It is organized by PHS Student Council.
Feb 17 Community Advisory Council meets to discuss Classroom Technology
Presented by Tracy Smith, Asst. to the Supt. for Operations and Jason Henry, Educational Technology Coordinator – 7 PM, Springhouse Middle School.
Feb 23 SMS/OMS Science Fair Parent Night, 7-8:30 PM, Respective School Gyms.
Mar 6 & 7 SMS Spring Musical, 7 PM, SMS Auditorium (Art Show is at 6:15 PM on March 6).
Mar 7 & 8 OMS Spring Musical, 7 PM, OMS Auditorium.
Mar 15 Community Advisory Council meets to discuss the transition into and out of middle school.

UPCOMING EVENTS

FAMILY SWIM, OPEN PLAY BASKETBALL,& OPEN GYM
South Whitehall Township Recreation will sponsor Family Open Swim on Sundays from 1 PM – 5PM, January 15 – March 25 (excluding Feb. 5) at the Parkland High School pool. One lane will be roped off for lap swimmers. Children under 12 must be accompanied by adults.
OPEN PLAY BASKETBALL and OPEN GYM will occur on Sundays from 1 PM – 5 PM from Jan 15 – Mar 25 (excluding January 22 and 29).
OPEN PLAY BASKETBALL will be in the Parkland High School Main Gym for people ages 16 years and up.
OPEN GYM will be in the Parkland High School Auxiliary Gym and is open to children ages 15 and under.
These events are free and open to Parkland residents. I.D. and proof of residence may be
requested.

REGISTRATION FOR NEW STUDENTS AT PARKLAND HIGH SCHOOL:

Registration appointments for new students who wish to enter Parkland High School next fall will be held on February 27 and 28 (snow make-up date: March 1). These 3-7 PM sessions are designed for students who are currently residing in the Parkland School District, but are not attending Parkland schools. To make a registration appointment, please call the PHS Guidance Office at 610- 351-5610 and ask for the registrar, Mrs. Chenworth, at x73432.

Parkland schools will not open when travel is too difficult to guarantee the safety of students.
If bad weather forces the closing, delay or early dismissal of schools, we will utilize the District's rapid notification system to alert parents and staff and also post the information to our web site at www.parklandsd.org and notify the local media for broadcast purposes. Early closings and activity cancellations, due to adverse weather conditions or other emergencies, will be communicated in the same manner.

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