| William Penn School District | |
|---|---|
 Map of public school districts in Delaware County, PA | |
| District information | |
| Type | Public |
| Grades | K-12 |
| Established | 1972; 54 years ago (1972) |
| Superintendent | Dr. Eric J. Becoats[1] |
| Schools | Aldan Elementary, Ardmore Avenue Elementary, Bell Avenue Elementary, Colwyn Elementary, East Lansdowne Elementary, Evans Elementary, Park Lane Elementary, Walnut Street Elementary, Penn Wood Middle School, Penn Wood Ninth Grade Academy, Penn Wood High School |
| NCES District ID | 4226390[2] |
| Students and staff | |
| Students | 4,543[3] |
| Other information | |
| Website | https://williampennsd.org/ |
TheWilliam Penn School District is a publicschool district located inDelaware County, Pennsylvania. It comprises eightelementary schools, onemiddle school, and onehigh school, based on two campuses. The district serves theboroughs ofAldan,Colwyn,Darby,East Lansdowne,Lansdowne, andYeadon. The district is adjacent to the City ofPhiladelphia.[4] As of 2024, the total enrollment was 4,543.[3] The district administration offices are located in Lansdowne.
The district was created in 1972 from the consolidation of three smaller, local districts (Darby-Colwyn, Lansdowne-Aldan, and Yeadon).[5] The consolidation was one of many mergers mandated by thePennsylvania Human Relations Commission during this era to facilitate theracial integration of schools in thePhiladelphia area.[6]
The William Penn School District has faced budgetary shortfalls throughout its history. In 2014, the district partnered with thePublic Interest Law Center along with several other school districts, parents, and advocacy groups to file a lawsuit saying that the state's process for funding schools, which relies heavily on local taxes, thereby creating significant per-student funding gaps between wealthy districts and low-wealth ones, is tantamount to discrimination.[7]
In 2023, theCommonwealth Court of Pennsylvania ruled that thePennsylvania General Assembly had created “manifest deficiencies” between high-wealth and low-wealth school districts with “no rational basis” for the funding gaps. The ruling stated that thePennsylvania Constitution's Education Clause was “clearly, palpably, and plainly violated because of a failure to provide all students with access to a comprehensive, effective, and contemporary system of public education that will give them a meaningful opportunity to succeed academically, socially, and civically.”[8]
In spite of the precedent-setting success of this lawsuit, the state has been slow to provide relief to the district, which has compounded its financial challenges.[9]
Delaware County, Pennsylvania schools | |||||||||||||||
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