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Life
in Warren County > Education > Public Schools
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The Warren
County School District (WCSD), one of the few county-wide
school districts in the Commonwealth, was created in 1966, when
the Warren Borough School District merged with four small, rural
school districts in the surrounding communities of Warren County.
Since that time, WCSD has offered a quality education to the
students of Warren County by focusing its resources on the pursuit
of its mission “to prepare all students to be responsible
and productive citizens by providing them with the skills and
education necessary to achieve academic and personal excellence.”
At 788 square miles in size, the District is geographically
the second largest in Pennsylvania. WCSD provides an education
to over 6,117 students in 19 schools, and is organized into
four distinct attendance areas that spread across the county’s
vast expanse of farmland and beautiful wooded hills.
What makes the Warren County School District such a great place
for educating children? Here’s a partial list:
Standards Based Instruction.
The Warren County School District subscribes to a Standards
Based Instruction (SBI) model, where instructional practices
are designed to help every student achieve the Pennsylvania
State Standards. In addition, the district’s curriculum is
reviewed regularly to ensure its adherence to state standards.
Project ArtSmart. The district
received a federal grant to incorporate art into the instruction
of non-art courses to promote student achievement. The program
was such a success that the WCSD was the only district to
receive a second round of funding, and the program is ongoing
in a number of district elementary schools.
Technology. WCSD is dedicated
to bringing technology into the classrooms for both students
and teachers. Projects such as Access Plus, funded in part
through a $500,000 federal grant, are helping  the
district lay the foundation necessary to ensure that this
important tool is available throughout the district. Also
of note is the new district website (www.wcsdpa.org), which
provides students, teachers, and the community in general
with resources and information regarding the school district.
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Extended Learning Opportunities.
The Warren County School District provides its students with
a number of opportunities to learn, using software packages
such as NovaNET, SuccessMaker, and Vantage to address the
various educational needs of its students.
Facilities. Several schools
in the district – Russell Elementary, Allegheny Valley Elementary,
and Youngsville Elementary/Middle – have been upgraded and/or
renovated to address facility issues and to provide students
and teachers with the ability to utilize technology as it
is implemented. The district is also in the process of building
the new Warren Area Elementary School, which will house students
in
grades 2-5, and allow for the consolidation of existing grade
schools in the Warren community while providing enhanced educational
opportunities to students.
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Additional Educational Opportunities.
WCSD students can take advantage of the Learning Enrichment
Center (LEC) or the Warren County Career Center (WCCC) for
additional educational opportunities. The Gifted Support program,
through the LEC, strives to provide a combination of accelerated
learning and enrichment opportunities to gifted students in
grades K-12. It also provides the same opportunities to high-achieving
students in grades 8-12. The WCCC offers high school students
students courses in electronics, small engine repair, machine
technology, culinary arts, and other fields to help prepare
them for the workplace. The WCCC is the only career center
facility in the Commonwealth that is not administered by a
consortium of school districts.
Commitment to Professional Development.
The Warren County School District believes in helping its
teachers and administrators achieve and maintain the skills
necessary to accomplish its mission.
Academic Coaches. The district
employs academic coaches to provide support in a variety of
curriculum areas. Coaches are very  knowledgeable
in their area and work with other teachers to design, and
implement best practices, and serve as resources for their
fellow teachers.
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Strong Community Relationships.
The WCSD supports strong relationships with other community
groups and government entities, such as the Alliance for a
Better Community, Family Services of Warren, Warren County
Chamber of Business and Industry, and the Warren County Commissioners,
in an effort to strengthen and promote Warren County. In addition,
programs such as Drug Awareness Resistance Education (DARE),
School Law Enforcement Liaison Team (SLELT), and Student Assistance
Program (SAP) have promoted healthy relationships with local
law enforcement agencies.
Comprehensive Special Education
Program. The Warren County School District provides programs
and services in accordance with Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA) and Pennsylvania Chapter 14 Special Education
regulations. The  WCSD
has developed a strong special education program that works
with the student, parents, and teachers to develop an appropriate
educational program to serve each child’s individual needs.
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Extracurricular activities.
Students are given numerous opportunities to participate in
competitive sports, music, and more. The district has a history
of strong academic competition teams as well.
Support for Alternatives to Public
Education. Whether it is cyber-learning, home schooling,
private or charter schools, the district stands ready to support
and/or assist those students who are participating in alternatives
to attending a public school.
These are just some of the positive things happening in the
Warren County School District that makes the district a positive
and effective learning environment for its students. If you
have questions about the Warren County School District, please
visit our website at www.wcsdpa.org
for more information.
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Standardized Aptitude Test (SAT) Scores
| Region |
Verbal |
Math |
| WCSD |
510 | 521 |
| PA Average | 500 | 502 |
| National Avg. | 507 | 519 |
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Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) Scores*
| Grade |
Math |
Reading |
| 5th | 50.1% |
59.7% |
| 8th |
48.5% |
62.5% |
| 11th |
50.9% |
66.2% |
* Federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation requires that schools achieve a minimum score in the “Advanced + Proficient” category of 35% for mathematics and 45% for reading. The scores above relate to the percentage of students scoring in that category in the Warren County School District in 2002-03.
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