The Old Forge School District is a diminutive, suburban, public school district serving the municipality of Old Forge, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Scranton in Lackawanna County. The district is one of the 500 public school districts of Pennsylvania. The district encompasses 3 square miles (7.8 km2). According to 2000 federal census data, it served a resident population of 8,798. By 2010, the district's population declined to 8,310 people.[1] The educational attainment levels for the Old Forge School District population (25 years old and over) were 89.4% high school graduates and 22.6% college graduates.[2]
According to the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, 41.7% of the district's pupils lived at 185% or below the Federal Poverty level as shown by their eligibility for the federal free or reduced price school meal programs in 2012.[3] In 2009, the Old Forge School District residents' per capita income was $19,228, while the median family income was just $46,152.[4] In Lackawanna County, the median household income was $43,673.[5] In the Commonwealth, the median family income was $49,501 [6] and the United States median family income was $49,445, in 2010.[7]
Old Forge School District operates two schools: Old Forge Elementary School (K–6th) and Old Forge Junior Senior High School (7th-12th).
The Northeastern Educational Intermediate Unit IU19 provides the district with a wide variety of services like specialized education for disabled students and hearing, speech and visual disability services and professional development for staff and faculty. Old Forge High School students have access to Wilkes Area Career and Technology Center which is the neighboring region's vocational technical school.[9]
History
Since 1910, the town of Old Forge has had its own school district. Originally, there were several elementary schools throughout Old Forge serving each section of town, such as Central, Lawrenceville, Moosic Road, Sussex, Sibley, and Rendham. The high school was located on South Main Street (the site of the recently closed Ace Hardware, now Driscoll's), which housed grades 9–12. A separate building in the rear of the main high school served as another elementary school and a gymnasium. This structure was destroyed by fire in the late 1950s.
In 1956, it was decided that all schools should be consolidated into one large building. Many feel that it was the building of a new school that saved Old Forge from the growing trend of jointures that was taking place throughout the area in the 1960s and 1970s. Groundbreaking began on July 21, 1956, at the current site located on Marion Street. The new school opened for the 1960–1961 school year and is still in use to this day, receiving major renovations during the 1990s and 2020s. All the old schools have since been demolished.
Extracurriculars
Old Forge School District offers a variety of clubs, activities and sports.
The Old Forge Blue Devils of Old Forge High School have a long, rich history in the area of sports. During the 1950s and 1960s, Old Forge dominated the area in football and basketball, winning several league championships and conference titles.[11] During the 1950s, Old Forge compiled the highest winning percentage for football in the entire state.
The school has been to the state championship game five times and has won twice. In 1932, Old Forge beat St. Vincent High from Erie 24-19 for the state basketball championship. At the time, schools were not divided by class, thus there was only one state champion in the entire state. Sixty years later in 1992, Old Forge won the Class "AA" state championship in baseball by beating Ridgway 15–5. In 2009, the girls softball team reached the state championship game, only to lose 1–0 to Curwensville. In the 2013–2014 school year, the Old Forge football team and the girls basketball team both reached the state finals, with the girls basketball team repeating a trip to the state finals in the 2014–2015 season.
Old Forge has had a long-standing rival with neighboring town Taylor that goes back to 1939 when Old Forge beat the Taylor Trojans 2–0 in the first meeting of the two teams on the football field. Thus began the "Old Forge-Taylor Football Rivalry". A tradition began in 1940 of the two teams meeting on Thanksgiving Day. This continued until 1974. The rivalry was on hiatus from 1988 until 2000, when the two teams met renewing the heated rivalry between the two neighboring towns.
Below is a partial list of the achievements made in basketball, football and baseball/softball.[12]
Basketball
1975-76 Varsity Basketball
Year
Award
Additional awards, and notes
1924
Suburban County League champions
1930
District 2 - Class "A" champions
Anthracite League champions/Eastern Class "A" State Semi-Finalists
1932
District 2 - Class "A" champions/Anthracite League champions
Pennsylvania State Champions
1941
Lackawanna League champions
1948
Lackawanna League champions
1949
District 2 - Class "A" champions
Lackawanna League champions/Eastern Class "A" State Semi-Finalists
1951
Lackawanna League champions
1952
Lynett Invitational Tournament champions
1952
Lackawanna League champions
1953
District 2 - Class "A" champions
Eastern Class "A" State Quarter-Finalists
1958
District 2 - Class "A" champions
Lynett Invitational Tournament champions
1959
District 2 - Class "A" champions
PIAA Inter-District Champions/Eastern Class "A" State Semi-Finalists
1985
District 2 - Class "A" champions
Eastern Class "A" State Semi-Finalists
1988
District 2 - Class "A" champions (Girls)
Eastern Class "A" State Semi-Finalists
1989
District 2 - Class "A" champions (Girls)
Eastern Class "A" State Finalists
1992
District 2 - Class "A" champions
Eastern Class "A" State Semi-Finalists
1992
District 2 - Class "A" champions (Girls)
Eastern Class "A" State Quarter-Finalists
2001
District 2 - Class "A" champions
Eastern Class "A" State Finalists
2004
Lackawanna League - Division 2 South champions
2005
Lackawanna League - Division 2 South champions
2007
District 2 Class "A" champions/Lackawanna League Champions
Eastern Class "A" State Semi-Finalists/Season record 28-1
2008
District 2 Class "A" champions
Eastern Class "A" State Quarter-Finalists
2008
District 2 Class "A" champions (Girls)
Eastern Class "A" State Semi-Finalists
2009
District 2 Class "A" champions
2009
District 2 Class "A" champions (Girls)
2010
District 2 Class "A" champions
2010
District 2 Class "A" champions (Girls)
2011
District 2 Class "A" champions
2012
District 2 Class "A" champions (Girls)
Eastern Class "A" State Semi-Finalists
2013
District 2 Class "A" champions (Girls)
Lackawanna League Div. III/IV Champions - Season Record 25-1
2014
District 2 Class "A" champions
2014
District 2 Class "A" champions (Girls)
Eastern Class "A" Champions
2015
District 2 Class "A" champions
2015
District 2 Class "A" champions (Girls)
Eastern Class "A" Champions
2016
District 2 Class "A" champions
2017
District 2 Class "AA" champions (Girls)
2018
District 2 Class "AA" champions (Girls)
2020
District 2 Class "AA" champions (Girls)
2021
District 2 Class "AA" champions
Eastern Class "AA" State Finalists
Football
1931 Football team1961 Eastern Conference Lineman
Year
Award
Additional awards, and notes
1912
Anthracite Conference champions
1949
Lackawanna Conference champions
1952
Lackawanna Conference champions
Eastern Conference champions (Old Forge 6 - Sunbury 0)
1954
Lackawanna Conference champions
1955
Lackawanna Conference champions
1956
Lackawanna Conference champions
1958
Lackawanna Conference champions
Eastern Conference champions (Old Forge 21 - Shenandoah 0)
1961
Eastern Conference champions
Old Forge 13 - Coal Township 6
1975
PIAA Bowl champions
Big 11 vs. Wyoming Valley Conference
1987
Suburban Conference champions
Eastern Conference - Div. III North champions
1988
Suburban Conference champions
Eastern Conference - Div. III North champions
1989
Suburban Conference champions
Eastern Conference - Div. III champions (Old Forge 26 - Nativity 7)
1993
District 2 - Class "A" champions
1998
Lackawanna Conference champions (Freshman)
1999
Lackawanna Conference champions (Freshman)
2002
Lackawanna Conference champions (Freshman)
2005
Eastern Conference - Division I champions
Old Forge 40 - Bishop O'Hara 28
2006
District 2 - Class "A" champions
Lackawanna Division III champions
2009
Lackawanna Division III Champions
Undefeated regular season (10-0)
2011
District 2 - Class "A" champions
Old Forge 47 - Riverside 6
2013
District 2 - Class "A" champions
Pennsylvania Class "A" Eastern Champions
2014
District 2 - Class "A" champions
2015
District 2 - Class "A" champions
2017
District 2 - Class "A" champions
2020
District 2 - Class "A" champions
2021
District 2 - Class "A" champions
2024
Eastern Conference - Class "1A/2A" champions
Baseball/softball
Year
Award
Additional awards, and notes
1981
Lackawanna League champions (Girls Softball)
1984
Lackawanna League Southern Division champions (Boys Baseball)
1989
Lackawanna League Southern Division champions (Boys Baseball)
1991
Lackawanna League Southern Division champions (Boys Baseball)
District 2 Class "AA" champions
1991
Lackawanna League champions (Girls Softball)
1992
Lackawanna League Southern Division champions (Boys Baseball)
1992
District 2 Class "AA" champions (Boys Baseball)
Pennsylvania State Champions - Class "AA"
2000
District 2 Class "A" Silver Medal (Girls Softball)
2006
Lackawanna League Division IV champions (Boys Baseball)
2007
Lackawanna League Division IV champions (Boys Baseball)
2007
District 2 Class "A" champions (Boys Baseball)
2008
District 2 Class "A" champions (Boys Baseball)
2008
District 2 Class "A" champions (Girls Softball)
2009
District 2 Class "A" champions (Boys Baseball)
State Class "A" Semi-Finalists
2009
District 2 Class "A" champions (Girls Softball)
State Class "A" Finalists
2010
District 2 Class "A" champions (Boys Baseball)
2010
District 2 Class "A" champions (Girls Softball)
2011
District 2 Class "A" champions (Boys Baseball)
Fifth straight division title
2011
District 2 Class "A" champions (Girls Softball)
Fourth straight division title
2013
District 2 Class "A" champions (Boys Baseball)
2013
District 2 Class "A" champions (Girls Softball)
2014
District 2 Class "A" champions (Girls Softball)
2017
District 2 Class "AA" champions (Boys Baseball)
2019
District 2 Class "A" champions (Boys Baseball)
2019
District 2 Class "A" champions (Girls Softball)
2021
District 2 Class "A" champions (Girls Softball)
2022
District 2 Class "A" champions (Girls Softball)
2023
District 2 Class "A" champions (Girls Softball)
2024
District 2 Class "A" champions (Girls Softball)
State Class "A" Semi-Finalists
References
^US Census Bureau, 2010 Census Poverty Data by Local Educational Agency, 2011
