Our District
Mission Statement
Pottsville Area School District… Discover possibilities Uncover potential Develop purpose
Vision Statement
The Pottsville Area School District's vision focuses on students uncovering their potential and developing purpose. In collaboration with families and community partners, school staff will guide students to discover possibilities for becoming productive members of society.
Description of the Educational Community
The Pottsville Area School District (PASD) is located in central Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. PASD serves Kindergarten through 12th grade students residing in the City of Pottsville and five additional municipalities: the boroughs of Mechanicsville, Mount Carbon, Port Carbon, Palo Alto, and Norwegian Township. Additionally, PASD has had tuition-based agreements since the 1989-1990 school year with the Saint Clair Area School District (SCASD) for their 9th through 12th grade students to attend the Pottsville Area High School. The Pottsville Area School District encompasses 12 square miles and also serves the HS students residing within the approximately 48 square miles of SCASD from the boroughs of Middleport, New Philadelphia, and Saint Clair combined with the townships of Blythe, East Norwegian, and New Castle. The populations within both districts consist of urban, suburban and rural communities.
The City of Pottsville is home to approximately 13,475 residents as of 2019 with a median household income of $42,0831. As the county seat of Schuylkill County, Pottsville, along with the surrounding areas, has transitioned from the historical coal and textile industries to a workforce comprised of healthcare and service providers, distribution center employees, governmental agency workers and small business owners. The District’s proximity to transportation corridors Interstates 78, 80 and 81 allows for easy access to metropolitan areas.
The Pottsville Area School District has three schools: John S. Clarke Elementary Center (K-4th grades), DHH Lengel Middle School (5th – 8th grade) and Pottsville Area High School (9th – 12th grades). The high school, built in 1933 features a 1500 seat auditorium, a Little Theatre, a planetarium and two gymnasiums. The middle school, constructed in 1970, houses Martz Hall and is a premier sports venue in Pennsylvania. The John S. Clarke Elementary Center, formerly the Van Heusen plant, was constructed in 1982 and features an upper and lower campus. Due to the aging facilities that have not been renovated, the District is in the midst of work on the Martz Hall roof through a RACP grant and is in the planning process to use ESSER funds for HVAC upgrades in every building and possibly masonry work at PAHS.
The PASD has a one-to-one iPad program across all grade levels. Students have access to virtual learning through a combination of PASD faculty and third-party providers. Pottsville Area High School students also are able to apply for Schuylkill Technology Centers, which has 21 programs. The District has a partnership with Child Development, which educates preschool children within Pottsville and Schuylkill County. The Child Development program earned a PA Keystone STARS 4 Rating and progressively serves students and their families through Head Start and Pre-K Counts with a focus on Social-Emotional Learning and Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports in addition to academics. Local post-secondary options include Alvernia University - Pottsville CollegeTowne, Penn State Schuylkill Campus, Lehigh Carbon Community College, Empire Beauty School and Schuylkill Technology Centers.
District students, staff and families benefit educationally, financially and socially from relationships with local businesses and organizations located in the school district such as the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce, Northeast PA Manufacturers & Employers Association, CareerLink, Pottsville Business Association, Salvation Army, Schuylkill YMCA, Yuengling Brewery, Pottsville Housing Authority, CACL Financial, Explore Schuylkill, Schuylkill County Council for the Arts and many more. The District is experiencing growth and revitalization due to the addition of a variety of small businesses, Alvernia University’s Pottsville CollegeTowne, Pottsville Area Development Corporation and the planned Granbury Manor Estates in the Peach Mountain section of Norwegian Township.
A Variety of Athletics, Clubs, and Programs opportunities are offered to the Pottsville Area School District students including:
ACHIEVE After-School Program
* PIAA Athletics – Basketball, Baseball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Softball, Soccer, Swimming, Tennis, Track & Field, Volleyball and Wrestling
* Band (including Flags and Majorettes) and Chorus with additional small musical group opportunities
* Big Impact Group
* Cheerleading
* Clubs – AID, Alethea, Art, Astronomy, Interact-Key Club-Leo, Ecology, Lit/Art Magazine, Senior Mural, SADD, Sketch, Student Council, TKD and World Languages
* Career Programming including YES (Your Employability Skills) and Martz Hall serves as a hub for College & Career Fairs for Schuylkill County
* Field Trips
* National Honor Society
* Math 24 and Math Counts
* Musical Productions
* Local presenters including Clarissa from SARCC and Porcupine Pat
* Publications – Award winning Yearbook, TideLines and Lengel Lingo
* School Dances, Holiday Prom and Senior Prom
* Spelling Bee
* STEM – including Envirothon, K’nex competition, What’s So Cool About Manufacturing and Tech Club
* Tutoring
* Youth Summit and Junior Advisory
A greater focus on building positive relationships and decision making is reflected in the PRIDE Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports programming and reward system.
Along with these activities, the school buildings and facilities serve as the hub of our community. Family events to showcase student work and performances include the Art Show, Book Fairs, Title I Family Nights, Career programming and more. Various organizations such as Gabriel Youth Symphony Orchestra, Youth Basketball and Wrestling, Midget Football and Cheerleading, Parent-Teacher Organizations (PTO), Teener League Baseball and the Winter Carnival use the school grounds and facilities for activities throughout the year.
Resource links:
Big Impact (formerly Big Brothers/Big Sisters)
City of Pottsville
Child Development:
Port Carbon Public Library
Pottsville Area Little League Facebook
Pottsville Area Soap Box Derby
Pottsville Cruise
Pottsville Free Public Library
Schuylkill Intermediate Unit #29
Schuylkill Intermediate Unit#29 Facebook
Schuylkill Technology Centers
Schuylkill Technology Centers Facebook
(1) Data retrieved on October 20, 2021 from United States Census Borough