PDE: School District of the City of York Exits Financial Recovery

York RecoveryCredit: Commonwealth Media Services

YORK, PA — Acting Secretary of Education Eric Hagarty this week announced that the School District of the City of York (SDCY) has successfully exited Financial Recovery status. The district’s removal from Financial Recovery is effective December 29, 2022.

“Over the past eight years, the Wolf Administration has been committed to providing schools with the funding and resources they need to provide a high-quality education to learners across the commonwealth, and we are proud to see that commitment bear fruit in York City today,” said Acting Secretary Hagarty. “Our partnerships with schools and communities ensure that school districts can access the technical assistance they need to improve, but make no mistake, this achievement was undertaken by the dedicated district staff and leadership at SDCY, and we congratulate them for this tremendous accomplishment.”

York City SD is the first school district ever to be released from recovery, as district leaders successfully completed requirements complemented by increased education funding from the Commonwealth. In September, the Erie Public Schools was the first district in Commonwealth history to exit Financial Watch status.

“Exiting Recovery is a dream realized. It is not only a testament of the hard work of our community of learners, but also the continuation of the district’s strong commitments,” said SDCY Superintendent Dr. Andrea Berry. “Those commitments include sustaining fiscal health and maintaining incremental academic achievement. The synergetic efforts of the Board of Directors, administration, faculty, staff, community partners and the wonderful families and students we serve have been paramount in this accomplishment. We will continue to work tirelessly to illustrate continuous improvement and provide the premier education our students deserve. We are thankful for the litany of support from PDE, PaTTan, and our host of partners in this work. Our district remains focused on the obstacles ahead and will utilize our resources and support system to reach the next level of success.”

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SDCY entered recovery in December 2012. As part of its recovery plan, the district identified five priority areas for improvement and proposed a phased in approach for implementation of these priorities, as well as four goals centered around third grade literacy, PSSA achievement, Keystone Exam achievement, and high school graduation. SDCY identified priority areas for improvement and proposed a phased approach for its implementation, along with goals to increase PreK-12 academic achievement, implementation of a comprehensive system of assessment, and increased opportunities for students to meet graduation requirements.

“This is a momentous occasion for the School District of the City of York,” said Chief Recovery Officer Dr. Michael Thew. “Exiting Recovery is the result of all the hard work and collaborative efforts of the administration, the Board of Directors, all the professional and support staff, the advisory committee members, the community partners along with the students and families.  All the Recovery work was continually supported by the PA Department of Education staff and consultants through guidance and technical assistance during this process.”

SDCY is a large, urban, public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade in the city of York. The district encompasses approximately five square miles and offers eight pre-kindergarten through eighth grade buildings which include Davis, Devers, Ferguson, Goode, Hannah Penn, Jackson, McKinley, and STEAM Academy. William Penn Senior High School serves students in grades nine through 12. The district comprises an ethnically diverse (Hispanic 44%; Black 34%; White 9%) student body of approximately 8,000 learners.

For more information about Pennsylvania’s education policies and programs, please visit the Department of Education’s website.

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