Antietam School District

Antietam School District is a public K-12 school district serving approximately 1,065 students in Berks County, Pennsylvania. The district office is located at 100 Antietam Road in Reading, PA 19606, and can be reached at 610-779-0554. Covering roughly 5.3 square miles immediately southeast of and adjacent to the City of Reading, Antietam is one of the smaller districts in the county by both geography and enrollment, serving a resident population of about 7,500 people.

The district's attendance area encompasses two municipalities: Mt. Penn Borough and Lower Alsace Township. Both communities sit along the slopes of Mount Penn, the landmark ridge that rises above downtown Reading, and the compact size of the district means that families, schools and municipal services operate in close proximity to one another.

History

Public education in the area traces back to the 1880s and the Wentzel Public School, making Antietam one of the longer-established educational communities in eastern Berks County. The district has consolidated and rebuilt its facilities several times over the intervening decades. The current Middle/Senior High School building opened in 1989 and continues to house the district's older students. A new elementary building is scheduled for completion in 2027, which will mark the next significant chapter in the district's facilities history.

Schools and Grade Structure

Antietam operates three school facilities, each serving a distinct grade band:

• Stony Creek Elementary School, serving kindergarten through grade 3. The elementary program is currently housed in modular units while a new permanent building is under construction, with completion scheduled for 2027.
• Kerry C. Hoffman Intermediate School, serving approximately 450 students in grades 4 through 8. The wide grade span allows the district to coordinate curriculum and student supports across the elementary-to-middle transition within a single building.
• Antietam High School, located in Mount Penn Borough, serving approximately 400 students in grades 9 through 12.

The district's small enrollment produces class sizes and building populations that are modest by Pennsylvania standards, and scheduling at the high school level is handled on an individualized basis with input from students, parents and staff rather than through a rigid track system.

Academic Programs

Antietam High School offers an academic course sequence with Honors and Advanced Placement levels available in core subject areas. Students who complete AP coursework have the opportunity to sit for College Board examinations and potentially earn college credit.

Beyond AP, the district is an approved Dual-Enrollment grant participant with Reading Area Community College. Through this arrangement, high school students can enroll in college-level coursework and accumulate transferable credits before graduation, reducing both the time and expense associated with postsecondary education. The partnership with RACC is a practical fit given the college's proximity to the district.

Career and technical education is delivered through the Berks County Career and Technical Centers, which operate campuses in Oley and Leesport. Antietam students have access to thirty-five technical career areas through these centers, covering fields such as skilled trades, health occupations, information technology, culinary arts and transportation technology. Students typically split their day between the career center and their home high school, allowing them to pursue technical certification while completing graduation requirements.

Seniors are also encouraged to participate in Career Awareness Internships with local businesses and professional offices. These placements give students direct exposure to workplace expectations and specific occupational fields during their final year of high school.

Special Education and Gifted Services

Antietam provides a free and appropriate public education to students with identified disabilities, with programming determined by Individualized Education Program teams. The district emphasizes instruction within the general education curriculum wherever appropriate, using supplementary aids and services to support student participation. Approximately 19.22 percent of district students are identified for special education services, a figure that reflects a substantial commitment of staffing and resources relative to the district's overall size.

The district also maintains a gifted education program for identified students, operating alongside the Honors and Advanced Placement course offerings at the secondary level.

Intermediate Unit Membership

Antietam is one of 18 public school districts within the service area of Berks County Intermediate Unit #14. Through this membership, the district participates in collaborative staff development programming and joint purchasing arrangements with other member districts. For a district of Antietam's size, intermediate unit membership provides access to specialized services and economies of scale that would be difficult to achieve independently.

Student Services and Safety

The district participates in Safe2Say Something, the statewide anonymous tip reporting program administered through safe2saypa.org. Students, staff and community members can report threats to school safety through the system, and the district makes informational brochures available in both English and Spanish.

Antietam operates a school lunch program that supports students in need, with more than 52 percent of district students currently qualifying for meal assistance. The program is a significant component of the district's student support services.

Athletics and Activities

Antietam fields athletic teams and sponsors extracurricular activities that compete and perform under the Mountaineer name. Offerings include mountain biking, soccer, band and the National Honor Society, among others. The mountain biking program is a somewhat distinctive offering for a Pennsylvania district and reflects the terrain surrounding Mount Penn. Participation rates in small districts like Antietam often mean that individual students take part in multiple activities across seasons.

Public Records and Administration

Requests for public records are handled under the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law, 65 P.S. Section 67.101, and Board Policy #801. The District Open Records Officer is Superintendent Dr. Timothy Matlack. Request forms are available at the District Office and online through the district website at www.antietamsd.org.

Mission and Community Role

The district states its mission as: Together We: Encourage Learners, Inspire Growth, Foster Community. In a district this compact, the schools function as a central institution for both Mt. Penn Borough and Lower Alsace Township, hosting events, performances and athletic contests that draw participation from across the community.

Families seeking enrollment information, transportation details, academic calendars, board meeting schedules or district policies can contact the District Office at 100 Antietam Road in Reading or consult the district website, where current announcements and forms are posted.