Mifflin County School District

Mifflin County School District
"Educate each student to meet life's challenges."
Address
201 Eighth Street Lewistown , Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, 17044 United States
District information
Type	Public
Established	1966
Students and staff
District mascot	Huskies
Colors	Purple, Black, and silver
Other information
Website	mcsdk12.org

The Mifflin County School District is a midsized, rural public school district located in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The district boundaries coincide with the boundaries of Mifflin County, minus the southwestern municipalities of Kistler and Newton Hamilton boroughs and Wayne Township, which are part of the Mount Union Area School District. Mifflin County School District encompasses approximately 362.3 square miles. According to 2010 federal census data, it served a resident population of 43,607. Based on 2020 federal census data, the district's resident population shrank to 43,285. The educational attainment levels for the Mifflin County School District population (25 years old and over) were 81.4% high school graduates and 11.1% college graduates.^[1]

According to the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, 48.9% 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.^[2] In 2009, the district residents’ per capita income was $15,612, while the median family income was $38,723.^[3] In the Commonwealth, the median family income was $49,501^[4] and the United States median family income was $49,445, in 2010.^[5] In Mifflin County the median household income was $37,539.^[6] By 2013, the median household income in the United States rose to $52,100.^[7]

According to District officials, in the 2013-2014 school year, Mifflin County School District provided basic educational services to 5,436 pupils through the employment of 400 administrators and teachers and 214 full-time and part-time non-instructional staff. The superintendent is Vance Varner. In 2011-12, the District provided basic educational services to 5,336 pupils. It reported employing: 384 teachers, 229 full-time and part-time support personnel, and increasing to 30 administrators. The District received $30.9 million in state funding in the 2011-12 school year. In school year 2007-08, the MCSD enrollment was 5,691 pupils.^[8] In 2008, the District employed: 460 teachers, 402 full-time and part-time support personnel, and 27 administrators. Mifflin County School District received more than $28.7 million in state funding in school year 2007-08.

Due to decreasing enrollment, rising operating costs, and aging facilities that required significant upgrades, on January 13, 2011, the Mifflin County School Board approved a consolidation plan to combine the high schools and reduce the total schools in the district from 15 to 10. These changes went into effect during the 2011-2012 academic year.^[9]

Mifflin County School District consists of 5 elementary schools, 2 intermediate,1 middle school,1 junior highschool, and 1 high schools and a distance learning program for grades 6 through 12. High school students may choose to attend The Mifflin County Academy of Science and Technology, formerly known as Mifflin-Juniata Career and Technology Center for training in the construction and mechanical trades. The Tuscarora Intermediate Unit 11 provides the district with a wide variety of services like specialized education for disabled students and hearing, speech and visual disability services and professional development for staff and faculty.