The Pleasant Valley School District has been designated as a Great Pennsylvania School by the Pennsylvania School Boards Association.

On Nov. 25, Becky Dussinger, the senior director of Member Outreach at PSBA, presented the school board and district administration with a banner recognizing their award.

PSBA’s chief executive officer Nathan Mains said, “We are grateful to have had the opportunity to be present with Pleasant Valley School District’s school board, administration and community for their Great PA Schools ribbon celebration.

“We were truly honored to bestow over 25 Pennsylvania public school districts with the Great PA Schools ribbon in 2024. These moments, and many others, make us proud of the focus and dedication of our members to create a world-class public education for all Pennsylvania students.”

The Great PA Schools is a new campaign that began in 2024, explained Megan Orehek, the chief membership officer for PSBA. So far this year, 25 schools have received the designation. In Monroe County, Pocono Mountain School District also received the designation in February. Schools have to apply for the designation and meet specific requirements.

Orehek said, “The Great PA Schools designation recognizes Pennsylvania public schools that provide students with access to rigorous programming, are community-centric, demonstrate financial well-being, and display resilience. Schools are awarded a ribbon valid for a four-year term through an application and review process.”

In order to be considered academically rigorous, school districts must have 100% of their teachers certified, and provide students access to gifted education, advanced placement or international baccalaureate courses, career and technical education, and JROTC programming, Orehek explained.

To show that the school district is community centric, it must demonstrate innovation in school programming, celebrate the successes of students and staff on a regular basis, and provide academic and extracurricular programs to benefit the students.

For financial health, Orehek said the district has to show “planning efforts that ultimately lead to successful academic programming.”

In order to do this, the district must have an auditor, either elected or independent, that conducts a financial audit annually; the final budget must be available for the public to review before it is adopted; and it must follow the School Code requirements for bids and quotes for goods and services.

As for resilience, the school district must have an emergency preparedness plan and provide mental health support to the students.

Pleasant Valley’s Superintendent James Konrad said, “We are so incredibly proud of the progress our school district is making and are excited to continue building on the positive momentum we’ve established.”

The Great PA Schools website also has a variety of data including academic outcomes, property tax information, Keystone and Pennsylvania System of School Assessment test scores for school districts throughout the state, as well as information about school board members.

Orehek said the website also has information about “the roles and responsibilities of a school board, how to run for a position on a local school board, and a collective vision for the future of public education in Pennsylvania.”