KCSB Votes against SVRCS Charter 7-1

By Scott Johnson

BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP – After reading and hearing a lengthy report on the Sugar Valley Rural Charter School (SVRCS) – including several negative student performance test scores, too high of an enrollment and an exploding general fund balance – the Keystone Central School board voted 7-1 against renewing the SVRCS charter for another five years Wednesday.

But the Wednesday night vote does not mean the school is closing, as explained by board president Boise “Bo” Miller in a statement issued following the meeting: “This is just the first step in what will probably be a lengthy process, but it opens up some options. The charter is a 20 year old document that doesn’t address some of the performance standards that exist today. Understanding that, as well as the information presented by the independent consultant, will allow us to explore several options going forward. The vote tonight has not defined the future, rather, it opens up several possibilities that have not been previously explored that would address the issues identified.”

The only member who voted to renew the charter was member Polly Donahay. Both Sugar Valley representative Wayne Koch and Board President Boise “Bo” Miller said before their respective votes they voted, “With regret, no.” Board member Debra Smith left with an illness about two hours into the two-and-a-half hour special hearing at the Central Mountain High School Auditorium.

Approximately 200 attended, many of whom appeared to be supporters of SVRCS, wearing green shirts and stickers indicating their support. A total of 14 people – seven parents, five students, one SVRCS teacher and a retired district resident – all spoke in favor of a new five-year renewal of the charter.

The main theme from those who addressed the board for a total of 34 minutes spoke about the school’s encouragement, family structure, small class sizes, abundant opportunities and individual attention.

The district hired an outside person to look at the SVRCS in an objective fashion.
The person was Harry Mathias, a former 19-year superintendent of the Central Columbia School District. He turned in a 185-page report, which he summarized in a little under two hours.

Regarding enrollment, Mathias reported the charter directed the school’s enrollment not to exceed 425 and any increase to that number must be approved by both the district and SVRCS.
Neither was done, but the enrollment currently stands at 492.

Regarding student achievement, Mathias produced readily-available statistics for all to see from the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Regarding the state’s PSSAs from 2015-18:

• 2015: SVRCS tested at a proficiency level lower than the district in 13 of 14 tested areas, of which 10 areas were more than 15 percent deficient.
• 2016: SVRCS tested at a proficiency level lower than the district in nine of 14 tested areas, of which six areas were more than 15 percent deficient.
• 2017: SVRCS tested at a proficiency level lower than the district in 12 of 14 tested areas, of which seven areas were more than 15 percent deficient.
• 2018: SVRCS tested at a proficiency level lower than the district in nine of 14 tested areas, of which eight areas were more than 15 percent deficient.

Board member Elisabeth Lynch said what was interesting to her looking at one sub-group that in 2015 24 percent of SVRCS fourth-grade students tested proficient in math, that same group tested proficiently at only 12 percent and two percent in the subsequent two years. “That’s startling to me that it would drop that significantly,” she said. Mathias responded that statement would be documented later in his presentation.

Regarding the Keystone Exams, which tests high school students, the numbers documented by Mathias showed no instance in the four years where any group outperformed peers in the district.
In the school performance profile, which no longer exists, shows from 2015-17, all SVRCS sub-groups were outperformed by the district.

In the 2018 Future Ready Index, which replaced the school performance profile, SVRCS only met in the career standards area, but did not realize the statewide goal in the other three areas.
Further, in the Pennsylvania Value Added Assessment System, which measures how students are progressing from one year to the next by at least one level, SVRCS students from 4-8 had a negative 2.18 average in English Language Arts over a three-year period and similar results in math, Algebra and biology; with a positive only in literature. “This is significant evidence the school did not have growth,” Mathias said.

Regarding the SVRCS reserve fund, it increases from $831,000 or 4.4 percent of the total budget in 2014-15, to $1.6 million or 13.3 percent of the total budget in 2015-16, $2.8 million or 22.3 percent of the total budget in 2016-17, $4.1 million or 35.2 percent of the total budget in 2017-18 and a budget projection of $4.7 million or 50.5 percent of the total budget in 2018-19.
Mathias said the unassigned/unreserved fund balance as a percentage of the total budget from 2015-16 on exceeds the percentages of 8-12 percent recommended for public school districts in the state under Act 48.

Before the vote was taken, Donahay asked if the district could amend the charter. Solicitor David Lindsay replied that was not the focus of Wednesday’s hearing.