Governor Mifflin School District

Governor Mifflin School District (GMSD) is a public school district in Berks County, Pennsylvania, serving students from Pre-K through grade 12. The district administration office is located at 10 South Waverly Street in Shillington, adjacent to the high school campus, and can be reached at (610) 775-1461. The district operates six school buildings spread across Shillington and Mohnton, with enrollment drawn from the surrounding suburban and rural communities southwest of the City of Reading.

The district identifies itself publicly as Mustang Nation, a reference to its longtime athletic nickname, and it functions as a community hub well beyond the school day through athletics, performing arts, aquatics programming, and public events.

Schools and Attendance Areas

Governor Mifflin organizes its buildings by grade band rather than by neighborhood alone, which means students typically move through several campuses over the course of their education. The six schools are:

• Cumru Elementary School, 601 Philadelphia Avenue, Shillington, serving Pre-K through grade 4 and housing the district's Pre-K program
• Mifflin Park Elementary School, 598 Governor Drive, Shillington, serving kindergarten through grade 4
• Brecknock Elementary School, 1332 Alleghenyville Road, Mohnton, serving kindergarten through grade 4
• Governor Mifflin Intermediate School, 600 Governor Drive, Shillington, serving grades 5 and 6
• Governor Mifflin Middle School, 130 East Lancaster Avenue, Shillington, serving grades 7 and 8
• Governor Mifflin High School, 101 South Waverly Street, Shillington, serving grades 9 through 12

Families new to the area can determine their assigned elementary building by entering their home address into the district's InfoFinder tool, which is available through the district website. Because elementary attendance zones are tied to residency, this is often the first step for parents relocating into the district.

Mission, Vision, and Values

The district's stated mission is Educating, Inspiring, and Empowering Every Student, Every Day. That mission is paired with a vision centered on helping each student discover their passion, purpose, and path, along with a set of shared values summarized by the acronym W.I.S.E.: World Class, Intentional, Supportive, and Engaged. These statements guide strategic planning, staff development, and the way the district frames its academic and support programming.

Leadership and Administration

Dr. Lisa Hess serves as Superintendent of Schools, having been appointed to the position effective July 1, 2023. Dr. Hess is a 1992 graduate of Governor Mifflin High School, giving her a direct connection to the community she now leads. Dr. Erin Anderson serves as Assistant Superintendent.

Beyond the superintendent's office, the district maintains a leadership team covering finance, human resources, operations and facilities, teaching and learning, technology, special education, athletics, food services, communications, and safe schools. Each school building is led by its own principal and administrative staff, and district-level supervisors coordinate programs that span multiple campuses.

Academic Support and Intervention Services

Governor Mifflin provides a layered set of academic supports designed to identify student needs early and respond within the general education setting whenever possible.

• Reading Specialist Support: Reading specialists deliver remedial instruction, co-teach alongside classroom teachers, and provide professional development for staff on best practices in reading and language arts.
• Response to Instruction and Intervention (RtII): A school-wide, three-tiered framework that addresses academic and behavioral needs. It begins with universal screening of all students and uses research-validated interventions with regular progress monitoring. RtII also coordinates special education, Title I, and ESL services within general education, with the goal of reducing unnecessary special education referrals.
• English as a Second Language (ESL): Students are screened based on the Home Language Survey completed at registration. Those identified receive individual and small-group instruction from a dedicated ESL teacher.
• Speech, Hearing, and Vision Services: Specialists work directly with students who have documented impairments in any of these areas.

Special Education

Special education is overseen by a Director of Special Education, with dedicated supervisors assigned to grades K through 6 and grades 7 through 12. The department also includes a Supervisor of Behavioral Mental Health focused on student well-being, reflecting the district's effort to connect academic programming with mental health support.

School Safety and Security

Safety is one of the district's clearly articulated operational priorities, and Governor Mifflin maintains a program that is more developed than what is found in many districts of similar size.

• School Police: Four certified School Police Officers are assigned across the district's campuses. Each officer is a retired Pennsylvania municipal police veteran and is certified through the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO). The officers follow the NASRO TRIAD model, which defines their role as educator, mentor, and law enforcement officer.
• Behavioral Threat Assessment: Every building has a multidisciplinary, evidence-based team composed of principals, school psychologists, social workers, counselors, and nurses. The teams emphasize prevention and support rather than punishment, and they use ongoing monitoring and individualized management plans.
• Safe2Say Something: The district participates in Pennsylvania's anonymous reporting system, allowing students and community members to report concerns confidentially.
• Emergency Preparedness: The district maintains a comprehensive Emergency Operations Plan and conducts monthly fire drills, two bus evacuation drills annually, and up to three security drills per building each year under 24 P.S. Section 15-1517. Drills use the I Love You Guys Foundation Standard Response Protocol, the Standard Reunification Method, and the Run-Hide-Fight model. Parents receive advance notification of scheduled security drills.
• Visitor Management: All guests must check in at the main office of the building they are visiting and present state-issued identification for scanning and registration through the Verkada Visitor Management System.

Athletics, Activities, and Aquatics

District athletics are overseen by Athletic Director John Guiseppe and span a full slate of interscholastic sports at the middle and high school levels. The GMHS Marching Band is a visible presence at games and community events, and the district hosts traditional seasonal programming such as Homecoming.

Governor Mifflin also operates a district pool that supports both student and community aquatics. Offerings include morning swim sessions, aqua walking, and swim lessons, making the facility one of the more accessible points of contact between the district and residents who do not have children enrolled.

Recognition

Governor Mifflin High School has been named a Special Olympics Unified Champion School, a designation tied to inclusive sports and student leadership programming that brings together students with and without intellectual disabilities. The district has also received the Great PA School Award.

Food Services and Employment

A district-wide school nutrition program is managed by a Director of Food Services and operates across all six buildings. For job seekers, the district posts teaching, support staff, and administrative openings on its website and uses a streamlined online application process for candidates interested in joining the staff.

Contact and Resources

The district office is located at 10 South Waverly Street, Shillington, PA 19607. General inquiries can be directed to (610) 775-1461, and detailed information on enrollment, calendars, board meetings, building-level staff directories, athletics schedules, and district policies is available at www.gmsd.org.