Southern Columbia Area High School



Southern Columbia Area High School is a small, rural public high school located in Catawissa, Pennsylvania. It is the sole high school operated by Southern Columbia Area School District. In 2013, Southern Columbia Area High School reported an enrollment of 437 pupils in grades 9th through 12th. The school employed 33 teachers. Southern Columbia Area High School students may choose to attend Columbia-Montour Area Vocational-Technical School for training. The Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit IU16 provides the school 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.

Graduation rate
In 2013, Southern Columbia Area High School's graduation rate was 97%. In 2012, Southern Columbia Area School District's graduation rate was 98%. In 2011, the district had a 98% graduation rate. In 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a new, 4-year cohort graduation rate. Southern Columbia Area High School's rate was 91% for 2010.

Dual enrollment
The Southern Columbia Area High School offers the Pennsylvania dual enrollment program. This state program permits high school students to take courses, at local higher education institutions, to earn college credits. The students continue to have full access to activities and programs at their high school, including the high school graduation ceremony. Classes from Bloomsburg University and Luzerne County Community College are typically available to the students.

U.S. News & World Report award
In 2014, Southern Columbia Area High School was recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a bronze-level high school in a nationwide school ranking. Among Pennsylvania high schools (traditional, charter and private) 56 achieved gold or silver medals. Another 103 high schools achieved bronze rating out of 698 Pennsylvania high schools reviewed.

Extracurricular activities
The Southern Columbia Area School District offers a variety of clubs, activities and an extensive sports program. The sports programs are through the Pennsylvania Heartland Athletic Conference and the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. The Pennsylvania Heartland Athletic Conference is a voluntary association of 25 PIAA High Schools within the central Pennsylvania region. Southern Columbia currently holds the Pennsylvania state record for consecutive and total state football championships, with 7 and 14 respectively.

Sports
The district funds:


 * Boys:
 * Baseball - AA
 * Basketball- AA
 * Bowling - AAAA
 * Cross country - A
 * Football - AA
 * Golf - AA
 * Soccer - A
 * Track and field
 * Wrestling - AA


 * Girls:
 * Basketball - AA
 * Bowling - AAAA
 * Cross country - A
 * Field hockey - AA
 * Golf
 * Soccer - A
 * Softball - AA
 * Track and field - AA


 * Junior high school sports:


 * Boys:
 * Basketball
 * Cross country
 * Football
 * Wrestling


 * Girls:
 * Basketball
 * Cross country
 * Field hockey
 * Soccer

According to PIAA directory July 2012