page_title: Big Spring School District
hierarchical_section_title: Big Spring School District
caption_attribution_description: Map of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States Public School Districts
context_page_description: The Big Spring School District is a midsized, rural, public school district which serves the residents of the Borough of Newville and Cooke Township, Lower Frankford Township, Lower Mifflin Township, North Newton Township, Penn Township, South Newton Township, Upper Frankford Township, Upper Mifflin Township and West Pennsboro Township in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. Big Spring School District encompasses approximately 198 square miles. By 2010, the district's population increased to 19,098 people. According to 2008 local census data it served a resident population of 18,665. The educational attainment levels for the Big Spring School District population were 84.3% high school graduates and 14% college graduates. The District is one of the 500 public school districts of Pennsylvania.
  According to the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, 29.8% of the district's pupils lived at 185% or below the Federal Poverty Level as shown by their eligibility for the federal free or reduced price school meal programs in 2012. In 2009, the resident's per capita income was $18,057, while the median family income was $47,347.
context_section_description: The Big Spring School District is a midsized, rural, public school district which serves the residents of the Borough of Newville and Cooke Township, Lower Frankford Township, Lower Mifflin Township, North Newton Township, Penn Township, South Newton Township, Upper Frankford Township, Upper Mifflin Township and West Pennsboro Township in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. Big Spring School District encompasses approximately 198 square miles (510 km²). By 2010, the district's population increased to 19,098 people. According to 2008 local census data it served a resident population of 18,665. The educational attainment levels for the Big Spring School District population (25 years old and over) were 84.3% high school graduates and 14% college graduates. The District is one of the 500 public school districts of Pennsylvania.
  According to the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, 29.8% of the district's pupils lived at 185% or below the Federal Poverty Level  as shown by their eligibility for the federal free or reduced price school meal programs in 2012. In 2009, the resident's per capita income was $18,057, while the median family income was $47,347. In the Commonwealth, the median family income was $49,501 and the United States median family income was $49,445, in 2010. By 2013, the median household income in the United States rose to $52,100. The Big Spring School District is one of the 500 public school districts of Pennsylvania.
  According to district officials, in school year 2007-08, Big Spring School District provided basic educational services to 3,082 pupils through the employment of 257 teachers, 175 full-time and part-time support personnel, and 18 administrators. In school year 2009-10, Big Spring School District provided basic educational services to 2,945 pupils. The District employed: 257 teachers, 194 full-time and part-time support personnel and 16 administrators. Big Spring School District received more than $15.9 million in state funding in school year 2009-10. The District enrollment declined to 2,846 pupils in 2011-12. It employed: 228 teachers, 168 full-time and part-time support personnel, and retained sixteen (16) administrators during the 2011-12 school year. The District received $15.7 million in state funding in the 2011-12 school year.
  Big Spring School District operates five schools: Newville Elementary School, Oak Flat Elementary School, Mount Rock Elementary School, Big Spring MIddle School and Big Spring High School. High School students may choose to attend Cumberland Perry Area Vocational Technical School for training in the trades. The Capital Area Intermediate Unit IU15 provides the district with a wide variety of services like specialized education for disabled students and hearing, speech and visual disability services, a completely developed K-12 curriculum that is mapped and aligned with the Pennsylvania Academic Standards (available online), shared services, a group purchasing program and professional development for staff and faculty.
  Big Spring School District completed construction of a new high school (grades 9-12) in 2003, a new middle school (grades 6-8) in 2005, and operates three elementary schools (grades K-5). One of these elementary schools has recently been renovated, being the middle school, now being an elementary school.  Total enrollment as of 2005-06 was 3,200 students. Enrollment declined to 3,064 pupils in 2009. Enrollment is projected to further decline to 2561 by 2019. In June 2011, the School Board closed Plainfield Elementary School.
  In 2011, Big Spring School District agreed to participate in a pilot program to develop a new way to evaluate teachers that, in part, takes into account student achievement. Several other Cumberland County school districts also participated, including Cumberland Valley School District, Carlisle Area School District, East Pennsboro Area Elementary School, Cumberland Perry AVTS, and Camp Hill School District. The pilot program had 104 K-12 entities, including: nine career and technical centers, nine charter schools and nine intermedi
caption: Map of Cumberland County Pennsylvania School Districts
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