School News
- Last Updated on Wednesday, 26 March 2025 14:40
Canon-McMillan School District was recently designated a Great Pennsylvania School (GPS). The GPS designation recognizes Pennsylvania public schools that provide students access to rigorous programming, are community-centric, demonstrate financial well-being and display resilience.
“This Great Pennsylvania School designation is a testament not only to the hard work of Canon-McMillan School District’s educators, administrators and staff but also speaks to how special this community truly is,” said Dr. Greg Taranto, Superintendent of the Canon-McMillan School District. “We are proud to see a prestigious organization recognize our community's vibrant nature and dedication to educating the whole child.”
To receive this designation, districts must meet the criteria established in each of the four categories. Districts that provide students with academically rigorous programming must confirm that 100% of their teachers are certified and that students have access to career and technical education, gifted education, advanced placement or international baccalaureate courses.
To demonstrate its position as the community's centerpiece, a district must exemplify innovation in school programming, regularly celebrate students' and staff's successes and provide academic and extracurricular offerings that benefit students.
The final criteria – resilience and fiscal health – measure a district’s planning efforts that ultimately lead to successful academic programming. To meet the resilience criteria, a district must implement an emergency preparedness plan and provide mental health support to students.
A district meets the financially healthy criteria by having an elected or independent auditor conduct a financial audit annually, making the final district budget available for public review prior to adoption, and following School Code requirements for bids and quotations when purchasing goods and services.
In addition to the GPS designation and success stories from schools across the state, the campaign website also houses information about the role 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.
The Canon-McMillan School District community is encouraged to visit cmsd.k12.pa.us to learn more about the great things happening in their schools.