Simpson, Pennsylvania

Simpson is a census-designated place[1] located in Fell Township, Lackawanna County in the state of Pennsylvania. Its location is approximately 2 miles north of the city of Carbondale on Pennsylvania Route 171. As of the 2010 census the population was 1,275 residents.[2]

Simpson, Pennsylvania
CDP
Simpson, Pennsylvania
Coordinates: 41°35′40″N 75°28′53″W
CountryUnited States
StatePennsylvania
CountyLackawanna
Elevation
1,197 ft (365 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total1,275
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
GNIS feature ID2630039

Simpson, a community in Fell Township, was settled in 1818 and organized in 1845. It is named after Clarence D. Simpson, who was one of the large independent coal magnates in the Northern Anthracite Region. Early industries included trapping, tanning and lumbering. Later, coal mining and railroading became dominant professions. The coal miners were often immigrants from Russia, Poland, and Slovakia. Local businesses include Fell Brewing Co., makers of Pennsylvania Pioneer Beer, Mirtz Premium Ale and Fell Porter. The Klotz Throwing Company and Empire Silk Mill, merged to become General Textile Mills or Gentex, another important local business. To these jobs and new quarters, working men brought their families. Many churches and schools were built by these new, proud, industrious Americans. The crowning sports achievement came in 1946 when the Fell High School basketball team won the state championship. The final class graduated from Fell High School in 1976 when a merger formed the Carbondale Area District.[3]

Schools

Simpson is home to Fell Charter Elementary School a public charter school which serves all children kindergarten through 8th grade. It employs 24 teachers, including art, music and physical education. Fell Charter Elementary School has a longer school day; class begins at 7:45 am and ends at 3:15 pm. It moved into a former elementary school in August 2011. Six area school districts provide bussing to the school, including Carbondale Area School District. The school made AYP in 2009 and 2010. The attendance rate in 2010 was 94%.[4][5] The U.S. Department of Agriculture approved the charter school's grant and loan application in January 2010. The school received a $5 million loan to build a new school facility.[6]

Fell Charter School has consistently academically outperformed the local traditional public elementary school: Carbondale Area Elementary School.

  • 2016 - Fell CS - 72 out of 100 points. Carbondale Elementary School was just 56.6 points.[7]
  • 2015 - SPPs for all PA public schools withheld by PDE
  • 2014 - Fell CS - 79.6,[8] Carbondale ES - 62.5[9]
  • 2013 - Fell CS - 73.4,[10] Carbondale ES - 58.5[11]
  • 2012 - Fell CS - Warning AYP status,[12] Carbondale ES Warning AYP status[13]

The opening of the charter school was aggressively opposed by the Carbondale Area School Board. When the application to open the Fell Charter Elementary School was denied by the Board in 2002, an appeal was made to the State Charter Appeals Board (CAB). The CAB approved the charter school. The Carbondale Area School Board unsuccessfully sued against the opening.[14] Commonwealth Court of PennsylvaniaCommonwealth Court of Pennsylvania affirmed the order of the Charter Appeals Board.

Residents may also choose to attend the local public schools operated by Carbondale Area School District. The District provides preschool through 12th grade. In 2016, the Pittsburgh Business Times ranked Carbondale Area School District declined to 417th out of 493 public school districts for academic achievement of its pupils.[15]

VoTech School

High school aged students can attend the taxpayer funded Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County, for training in the building trades, auto mechanics, culinary arts, allied health careers and other areas.

Simpson residents may also apply to attend any of the Commonwealth's 13 public cyber charter schools (in 2015) at no additional cost to the parents. The resident’s public school district is required to pay the charter school and cyber charter school tuition for residents who attend these public schools.[16][17] The tuition rate that Carbondale Area School District must pay was $8,999 in 2015. In 2014-15, Carbondale Area School District reported spending $13,401.58 per pupil.[18] By Commonwealth law, if the District provides transportation for its own students, then the District must provide transportation to any school that lies within 10 miles of its borders. Residents may also seek admission for their school aged child to any other public school district. When accepted for admission, the student's parents are responsible for paying an annual tuition fee set by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Northeastern Educational Intermediate Unit IU#19 provides a wide variety of services to children living in its region, which includes Carbondale. Early screening, special education services, speech and hearing therapy, autistic support, preschool classes and many other services like driver education are available. Services for children during the preschool years are provided without cost to their families when the child is determined to meet eligibility requirements. Intermediate units receive taxpayer funding: through subsidies paid by member school districts; through direct charges to users for some services; through the successful application for state and federal competitive grants and through private grants.[19]

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References
  1. https://www.census.gov/2010census/
  2. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
  3. "Historical Marker website". Historical Marker Database. Retrieved 2017-06-17.
  4. Pennsylvania Department of Education (2010). "FELL Charter School - School AYP Data Table". Archived from the original on 2012-07-15.
  5. "Fell Charter School Academic Achievement Report Card 2010" (PDF). 2010.
  6. Steve McConnell (June 16, 2010). "Fell Charter School receives $5M federal grant for new facility". News Valley Advantage.
  7. PDE, Lackawanna County Schools School Performance Profile Report, 2016
  8. PDE, Fell CS SPP 2014, 2014
  9. PDE, Carbondale ES SPP 2014, 2014
  10. PDE, Fell CS SPP 2013, 2013
  11. PDE, Carbondale ES SPP 2013, 2013
  12. PDE, Fell Charter School AYP 2012, 2012
  13. PDE, Carbondale Area Elementary School AYP 2012, 2012
  14. Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania (July 23, 2003). "Carbondale Area School District V Fell Charter School".
  15. Pittsburgh Business Times, Guide to Pennsylvania Schools Statewide ranking 2016, April 5, 2016
  16. Pennsylvania Department of Education (2013). "Charter Schools".
  17. Pennsylvania Department of Education (2013). "What is a Charter School?".
  18. PDE (2016). "Finances Elements 2014-15 Selected Data".
  19. Northeastern Educational Intermediate Unit 19 Administration, About the NEIU 19, 2016
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