Great Valley School District Might Not Raise Taxes

Administrators cited progress at Uptown Worthington as one reason for economic optimism.

Back in January, Great Valley School District applied for the option to raise taxes beyond the 1.7-percent cap imposed by state law for the 2013-14 school year. At Monday night's school board meeting, district leaders discussed the possibility of not raising taxes at all. What changed? According to a post on the district website, health care costs are lower than expected and revenue projections are looking up.  And the Uptown Worthington development's long-awaited progress is also expected to bear fruit, with the majority of commercial space already leased: “Based on the revised projections and the outlook for the future, we could go lower—even to zero—if the Board would desire,” Lonoconus said, according to the district website. One of …

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Rep. Milne Endorses 3 School Board Incumbents

In the Great Valley School Board primary, State Rep. Duane Milne endorsed Dave Barratt, Pat Gillespie and Andy Daga.

Is Your Alma Mater Represented?

Great Valley graduating seniors are showing off their college selections in style.

It's that time of year, and many Great Valley High School seniors have decided where they'll head next year. The district has a collage of photos on its website showing the students repping their chosen schools.  Click through to see if your alma mater is among the names displayed.

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Newsweek Ranks Great Valley Among US High Schools

The magazine's 2013 rankings came out Monday.

On mobile? You can see interactive map here. Newsweek has ranked Great Valley High School as the #359 best high school in the country. Locally, Conestoga High School in Berwyn was ranked #124, Harriton High School #219, Radnor High School #255, Strath Haven High School #291, Lower Merion High School #321, Springfield High School #648, Haverford High School #742 and Marple Newtown High School #1096. For its rankings, Newsweek sent out a survey to more than 5,000 high schools in the U.S., with about 2,500 schools responding in 2013. You can see the details about Springfield High School's ranking, and every other ranked high school by clicking on the markers in the interactive map above. The survey scores were then weighted and calculated …

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School Board Candidates Want Civil Election Season

In an open letter, the candidates running for Great Valley School Board urge their supporters to be honest and respectful.

Editor's note: The following message comes from the seven undersigned candidates on the primary ballot for Great Valley School Board.

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Tom Gunderson

11:19 pm on Friday, May 17, 2013

Perhaps I am biased as the husband of one of those "miserable people" on the board that you hope to join, but somewhere around "I broke this down into terms that you two can understand," I came to the conclusion that you might not have the temperament for public service.   more ›

Great Valley Ranks 21st in Top PA High Schools, Mag Says

U.S. News and World Report released its annual school rankings this week.

Great Valley High School ranked number 21 in a new list of about 200 Pennsylvania High Schools by U.S. News and World Report. The school, Great Valley School District's only high school, ranked number 710 in the magazine's nationwide standings. More than 21,000 public high schools were evaluated as the list was created. The magazine's website gives statistics for the school along with the ranking: "The AP® participation rate at Great Valley High School is 43 percent. The student body makeup is 52 percent male and 48 percent female, and the total minority enrollment is 14 percent." Among the other academic metrics that were taken into consideration, all of which were above the state average in Great Valley's case: See the full ranking entry…

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8 Days Left: Foundation at Great Valley Looks to Raise $250K

The foundation hopes to raise $200,000 in the final eight days of its spring campaign—a daunting task, but they did it last year.

'Once Upon a Mattress' Runs Through April 27 at GVHS

Tickets to the show, a retelling of 'The Princess and the Pea,' cost $12.

Great Valley Drama Guild will stage Once Upon a Mattress at the high school through April 27. The play is a "hilarious retelling of the classic fairy tale, The Princess and the Pea," according to the Great Valley School District website: When Sir Harry brings back the most unlikely Princess in the land, the queen is horrified and immediately begins to scheme, but Princess Winnifred, with some help from Sir Harry, the King, and the Jester, isn't going to be quite so easy to get rid of. Performances will be at Great Valley High School on April 19, 20, 21, 26 and 27. All shows are at 8 p.m., except the matinee on Sunday, April 21, which is at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $12 and are available via Ticket Turtle. Senior citizens will be admitted free to…

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'Poem In Your Pocket' Returns to Malvern Borough

Here's why you might hear poetry as you shop in Malvern stores.

You might be surprised to overhear children reciting poetry in local stores this weekend. Think of it as an arts-based Halloween in April. The verses are part of Poem in Your Pocket Day—a program that General Wayne Elementary School launched last year. The 'Day' is a bit of a misnomer, this year's program actually stretches from April 18 to 20.  General Wayne students are encouraged to visit these businesses to share a poem and receive a treat from store owners, according to a press release from Great Valley School District: This year's participating stores aren't listed on the school's website, but you can see which businesses participated in last year's program here.

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Great Valley Offering English-as-Second-Language Classes for Adults

The classes are designed for adults and begin April 22.

Great Valley School District will host English as a Second Language classes for the family of students in the district. The classes are being provided as a collaborative effort between the school district and Delaware County Community College. "Funds for this program come from Title III, so there is no cost to community members who want to participate," GVSD Communications Director Jenn Blake said. "[Students and] teachers from the high school are volunteering to support the class and provide child care for participants with children."  Babysitting is available for children ages 3 and older at no cost for class participants. Classes are held 6:30 to 9 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, from April 22 to June 17. For more information, contact …

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