Pottstown Schools’ Performance Scores Slip Amid Year Of Change

POTTSTOWN, PA  Although they have not yet been released by the state, officials have circulated a preliminary peak at the next set of school profile scores and say they reflect the many changes which have occurred in the district in the last year.

The numbers released by the district show that as a district, the composite overall score slipped less than a point from the 2012-2013 school year — from 75.15 to 74.55

But the individual schools saw some pretty big jumps — Barth Elementary School’s score improved slightly and the score at Lincoln Elementary School jumped by nearly 20 points.

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20141004/pottstown-schools-performance-scores-slip-amid-year-of-change

Hispanic Growth Brings New State House Seat To Allentown

English: City of Allentown from east side (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Residents in parts of the greater Lehigh Valley are going to need a new score card to keep track of who their state lawmakers are.

The state Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld new legislative boundaries for the House and Senate as more geographically compact — and less politically gerrymandered — than a previous plan the justices rejected last year.

The new map goes into effect in the 2014 election.  It includes a House seat and Senate seat that are moving to the region from Allegheny County because of population declines there.

In the House, the 22nd District is moving to Allentown to reflect the city’s rising Hispanic population in its downtown and south side.  That newly created Allentown seat pushes Republican Justin Simmons, who has represented those city neighborhoods since 2010, into Emmaus, Upper Milford Township and Montgomery County.

Read more:  http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-pa-supreme-court-lawmaker-district-maps-20130508,0,4974852.story

Pottstown, Phoenixville Split By Court-Approved Re-Districting Plan

Location of Pottstown in Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Both Pottstown and Phoenixville will be split into two different legislative districts under the legislative re-districting approved Wednesday by the state Supreme Court.

The new districts will take effect in the 2014 election cycle and shift legislative lines for the state House and Senate seats throughout Southeast Pennsylvania and may change who is representing you in Harrisburg.

In Pottstown, the plan unanimously approved by the court, puts the first, second and part of the seventh wards of Pottstown into the 26th District, currently represented by longtime Chester County Republican Tim Hennessey.

The third, fourth, fifth, sixth and other half of the seventh wards will continue to be represented by the 146th District, a seat currently held by freshman Democrat Mark Painter according to the plan.

Read m0re:  http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20130508/NEWS01/130509321/pottstown-phoenixville-split-by-court-approved-redistricting-plan#full_story

Objection To Pottstown Elementary Plan Focuses On High Street Crossing

Location of Pottstown in Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

POTTSTOWN — Few objections were raised Thursday night when the official redistricting plan for elementary school attendance was unveiled, but the one that was focused on the safety of students crossing High Street.

“I think rather than throwing our children under the bus, we should put them on a bus and come up with a better transportation plan,” said North Hills Boulevard resident Madison Morton.

The only speaker on the subject of redistricting at Thursday night’s public meeting, Morton has a child that currently attends Edgewood Elementary and he is unhappy about the possibility that his daughter’s trip to Rupert Elementary may involve crossing High Street.

Currently, High Street is considered by PennDOT to be a hazardous road similar to Route 100 and, as a result, the district must bus students across it.

Read more:  http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20130223/NEWS01/130229714/objection-to-pottstown-elementary-plan-focuses-on-high-street-crossing#full_story

Many Wilson Students Will Go To Different Buildings

Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States Public School Districts (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When classes resume Monday in Wilson School District, many students will find themselves in new surroundings.

Students at the now-closed Lincoln Park and West Wyomissing elementary schools will move to other buildings.

In addition, a redistricting effort impacts students at two more elementary schools and both middle schools.

To ease the transition for about 600 students, Wilson has scheduled open houses, tours, orientations and demo bus rides.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=411361

GOP Gobbling Up Berks Political Map

The lone Democrat representing Berks County in Congress would be pushed outside Berks borders, allowing three Republican congressmen to take larger chunks of Berks and a fourth to extend his district into the county.

That picture became clear Wednesday when maps and district descriptions began circulating in advance of an expected vote on them by the state Senate.

Dr. G. Terry Madonna, a political analyst and professor of politics and public affairs at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, described the plan as artful and skillfully drawn to protect incumbents. 

Read more:  http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=352919