Schuylkill Valley School District

Schuylkill Valley School District is a public school district serving northern Berks County, Pennsylvania, with its administrative offices and high school located at 929 Lakeshore Drive in Leesport. The district sits roughly six miles north of Reading and covers approximately 53 square miles of rural and suburban territory in the southeastern part of the state. Its attendance boundaries take in Bern, Centre, and Ontelaunee townships along with the boroughs of Leesport and Centerport, an area that includes farmland, residential developments, and small commercial corridors along the Schuylkill River valley.

As of October 2025, the district enrolled approximately 2,127 students. Instruction is delivered across three buildings located on a shared campus: Schuylkill Valley Elementary School for grades K-4, Schuylkill Valley Middle School for grades 5-8, and Schuylkill Valley High School for grades 9-12. Staffing includes 28 administrators, 167 full-time professional staff members, and 48 full-time and 51 part-time support staff. The district operates on a budget of $50,735,730 for the 2026-2027 fiscal year.

The district mascot is the Panther, and the district motto is: In our schools, our future lies. Its stated mission is to provide a safe, nurturing environment in which each student is challenged to think critically, problem-solve, create, and communicate, with the goal of preparing graduates to be responsible and contributing members of society.

Schools and Grade Configuration

Each of the three school buildings serves a defined grade span, and families moving through the district remain on the same general campus from kindergarten through graduation.

• Schuylkill Valley Elementary School, 62 Ashley Way, Leesport, PA 19533, phone 610-926-4165. The elementary building serves grades K-4 and also hosts a YMCA of Reading and Berks County before and after-school program along with a summer day camp, which gives working families a childcare option on site.
• Schuylkill Valley Middle School, 114 Ontelaunee Drive, Leesport, PA 19533, phone 610-926-7111. The middle school houses grades 5-8 and includes a recently renovated indoor pool and locker rooms, a facility that also supports community aquatics programming.
• Schuylkill Valley High School, 929 Lakeshore Drive, Leesport, PA 19533, phone 610-926-1706. The high school serves grades 9-12 and contains the Pride of Schuylkill Valley Wall of Fame outside the gymnasium, as well as a library that maintains alumni resources and archival materials.

Registration and Enrollment

Families new to the area or transferring from another district can begin the enrollment process online. The district provides an online registration system for incoming and transferring students at all grade levels. Parents with questions about required documentation, proof of residency, or placement are directed to contact the appropriate building office, since each school handles grade-level specific details for its own students.

Athletics

Schuylkill Valley fields interscholastic teams across fall, winter, and spring seasons for both junior high and high school students. Competition schedules, including changes and cancellations, are published through ArbiterLive, which allows families and opposing schools to track game times and locations. Season passes for spectators are available each year through the Athletics Season Pass Form, with the 2026-2027 form covering the upcoming school year.

The athletics department can be reached at 610-916-5490. Athletic Director Jason Hansen and Athletic Secretary Nikki Rider handle scheduling, eligibility paperwork, pass sales, and general questions about team participation. Home events are played on the district campus, which includes a turf stadium with an all-weather track, baseball and soccer fields, and a field hockey pitch. A full-service concession stand and indoor restrooms serve spectators at athletic events.

Career and Technical Education

The district partners with the Berks Career and Technology Center (BCTC) to give high school students access to specialized career pathways that extend beyond what a district of this size could offer on its own. BCTC programs include hands-on training environments that are open to the public, such as student-run salons providing hair, nail, and facial treatments and student-run restaurants serving American cuisine. These programs allow students to earn industry-relevant experience while completing their high school coursework.

Community Aquatics and Facility Rentals

The indoor pool at Schuylkill Valley Middle School supports Schuylkill Valley Community Aquatics, a seasonal program open to residents. The pool can also be reserved for private use by groups and individuals through the district's facilities usage process.

Beyond the pool, civic organizations, youth sports leagues, and community groups can reserve district spaces through the ML Schedules system. Available spaces include two auditoriums, three cafeterias, large multi-purpose rooms, the turf stadium and all-weather track, baseball and soccer fields, and the field hockey pitch. Rental fees are established under district Policy 707, which sets rates according to the type of group and the space requested.

The district also makes its track available to the public during non-school hours for residents who obtain a district-issued track pass. Questions about buildings, grounds, and facility access can be directed to Director Michael Capogna or secretary Amanda Poland at 610-916-5435.

Pride of Schuylkill Valley Alumni Recognition

The Pride of Schuylkill Valley Wall of Fame is an annual recognition program honoring graduates who have earned national, state, or district-level distinction in their fields or communities. To be eligible, a nominee must have graduated at least eight years prior to nomination. Inductees receive a plaque displayed on the Wall of Fame outside the high school gymnasium. Nominations close on May 31 each year.

Employment Opportunities

The district uses a paperless application system for both instructional and non-instructional openings, covering teaching positions as well as support, clerical, maintenance, and food service roles. Prospective substitute teachers can pursue guest teacher opportunities through the Berks County Intermediate Unit 14 program. Melissa Manzer, Coordinator of Human Resources, can be reached at 610-916-5644 for questions about applications, certification requirements, and hiring timelines.

Yearbooks and Alumni Memorabilia

Current students and families can order Schuylkill Valley High School yearbooks through Jostens or by submitting a paper form, with early ordering discounts of up to $10. The high school office also sells class photographs and back-issue yearbooks dating to 1962, which can be of interest to alumni and local history researchers. A limited selection of yearbooks is periodically available free of charge from the SVHS librarian on a first-come, first-served basis.

Contact Information

The district's main office is located at 929 Lakeshore Drive, Leesport, PA 19533, and can be reached at 610-916-0957. Additional department contacts, calendars, board meeting information, and district announcements are published at www.schuylkillvalley.org.