icip ation ▁required ▁the ▁administration , ▁the ▁school ▁board ▁and ▁the ▁local ▁teachers ' ▁union ▁to ▁sign ▁an ▁agreement ▁to ▁prior it ize ▁impro ving ▁student ▁academic ▁success . ▁In ▁Pennsylvania , ▁ 1 2 0 ▁public ▁school ▁districts ▁and ▁ 5 6 ▁char ter ▁schools ▁agreed ▁to ▁particip ate . ▁Pennsylvania ▁was ▁not ▁approved ▁for ▁the ▁grant . ▁The ▁failure ▁of ▁districts ▁to ▁agree ▁to ▁particip ate ▁was ▁c ited ▁ ▁as ▁one ▁reason ▁that ▁Pennsylvania ▁was ▁not ▁approved . ▁ ▁Common ▁C ents ▁state ▁initi ative ▁W allen p au pack ▁Area ▁School ▁Board ▁did ▁not ▁particip ate ▁in ▁the ▁Pennsylvania ▁Department ▁of ▁Education ' s ▁ ▁Common ▁C ents ▁program . ▁The ▁program ▁called ▁for ▁the ▁state ▁to ▁aud it ▁the ▁district , ▁at ▁no ▁cost ▁to ▁local ▁tax pay ers , ▁to ▁identify ▁ways ▁the ▁district ▁could ▁save ▁tax ▁dollars . ▁After ▁the ▁review ▁of ▁the ▁information , ▁the ▁district ▁was ▁not ▁required ▁to ▁implement ▁the ▁recommended ▁cost ▁sav ings ▁changes . ▁ ▁Real ▁estate ▁tax es ▁Property ▁tax ▁rates ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1 - 1 2 ▁were ▁set ▁by ▁the ▁school ▁board ▁at ▁ 1 2 . 7 7 9 2 ▁mill s ▁in ▁Wayne ▁County ▁and ▁ 6 3 . 4 7 7 4 ▁mill s ▁in ▁Pi ke ▁County . ▁A ▁mill ▁is ▁$ 1 ▁of ▁tax ▁for ▁every ▁$ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁of ▁a ▁property ' s ▁ass essed ▁value . ▁Ir regular ▁property ▁re ass ess ments ▁have ▁become ▁a