Old Forge School District
Introduction The '''Old Forge School District''' is a diminutive, suburban, public school district serving the municipality of Old Forge, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Scranton in Lackawanna County. The district is one of the 500 public school districts of Pennsylvania. The district encompasses . According to 2000 federal census data, it served a resident population of 8,798.By 2010, the district's population declined to 8,310 people. The educational attainment levels for the Old Forge School District population (25 years old and over) were 89.4% high school graduates and 22.6% college graduates.According to the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, 41.7% of the district's pupils lived at 185% or below the Federal Poverty level as shown by their eligibility for the federal free or reduced price school meal programs in 2012.In 2009, the Old Forge School District residents' per capita income was $19,228, while the median family income was just $46,152.In Lackawanna County, the median household income was $43,673.In the Commonwealth, the median family income was $49,501  and the United States median family income was $49,445, in 2010.Old Forge School District has a cooperative agreement with Luzerne County Community College.Old Forge School District operates two schools: Old Forge Elementary School (K–6th) and Old Forge Junior Senior High School (7th-12th).The Northeastern Educational Intermediate Unit IU19 provides the district 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. Old Forge High School students have access to Wilkes Area Career and Technology Center which is the neighboring region's vocational technical school.
History Since 1910, the town of Old Forge has had its own school district. Originally, there were several elementary schools throughout Old Forge serving each section of town, such as ''Central'', ''Lawrenceville'', ''Moosic Road'', ''Sussex'', ''Sibley'', and ''Rendham''. The high school was located on South Main Street (the site of the recently closed Ace Hardware, now Driscoll's), which housed grades 9–12.A separate building in the rear of the main high school served as another elementary school and a gymnasium. This structure was destroyed by fire in the late 1950s.In 1956, it was decided that all schools should be consolidated into one large building. Many feel that it was the building of a new school that saved Old Forge from the growing trend of jointures that was taking place throughout the area in the 1960s and 1970s. Groundbreaking began on July 21, 1956, at the current site located on Marion Street. The new school opened for the 1960–1961 school year and is still in use to this day, receiving major renovations during the 1990s and 2020s. All the old schools have since been demolished.
Extracurriculars Old Forge School District offers a variety of clubs, activities and sports.
Sports The district funds:;Varsity:;Boys:*Baseball - AA*Basketball- AA*Football - A*Golf - AA*Soccer - AA;Girls:*Basketball - AA*Golf - AA*Softball - AA;Junior high school sports:;Boys:*Baseball*Basketball*Cross country*Football*Golf*Soccer;Girls:*Basketball*Softball According to PIAA directory July 2014The Blue Devil;HistoryThe '''Old Forge Blue Devils''' of Old Forge High School have a long, rich history in the area of sports. During the 1950s and 1960s, Old Forge dominated the area in football and basketball, winning several league championships and conference titles. During the 1950s, Old Forge compiled the highest winning percentage for football in the entire state.The school has been to the state championship game five times and has won twice. In 1932, Old Forge beat St. Vincent High from Erie 24-19 for the state basketball championship. At the time, schools were not divided by class, thus there was only one state champion in the entire state. Sixty years later in 1992, Old Forge won the Class "AA" state championship in baseball by beating Ridgway 15–5.In 2009, the girls softball team reached the state championship game, only to lose 1–0 to Curwensville. In the 2013–2014 school year, the Old Forge football team and the girls basketball team both reached the state finals, with the girls basketball team repeating a trip to the state finals in the 2014–2015 season.Old Forge has had a long-standing rival with neighboring town Taylor that goes back to 1939 when Old Forge beat the Taylor Trojans 2–0 in the first meeting of the two teams on the football field. Thus began the "Old Forge-Taylor Football Rivalry". A tradition began in 1940 of the two teams meeting on Thanksgiving Day. This continued until 1974.The rivalry was on hiatus from 1988 until 2000, when the two teams met renewing the heated rivalry between the two neighboring towns.Below is a partial list of the achievements made in basketball, football and baseball/softball.=== Basketball ===1975-76 Varsity Basketball Year Award Additional awards, and notes 1924 Suburban County League champions 1930 District 2 - Class "A" champions Anthracite League champions/Eastern Class "A" State Semi-Finalists 1932 District 2 - Class "A" champions/Anthracite League champions '''Pennsylvania State Champions''' 1941 Lackawanna League champions 1948 Lackawanna League champions 1949 District 2 - Class "A" champions Lackawanna League champions/Eastern Class "A" State Semi-Finalists 1951 Lackawanna League champions 1952 Lynett Invitational Tournament champions 1952 Lackawanna League champions 1953 District 2 - Class "A" champions Eastern Class "A" State Quarter-Finalists 1958 District 2 - Class "A" champions Lynett Invitational Tournament champions 1959 District 2 - Class "A" champions PIAA Inter-District Champions/Eastern Class "A" State Semi-Finalists 1985 District 2 - Class "A" champions Eastern Class "A" State Semi-Finalists 1988 District 2 - Class "A" champions (Girls) Eastern Class "A" State Semi-Finalists 1989 District 2 - Class "A" champions (Girls) Eastern Class "A" State Finalists 1992 District 2 - Class "A" champions Eastern Class "A" State Semi-Finalists 1992 District 2 - Class "A" champions (Girls) Eastern Class "A" State Quarter-Finalists 2001 District 2 - Class "A" champions Eastern Class "A" State Finalists 2004 Lackawanna League - Division 2 South champions 2005 Lackawanna League - Division 2 South champions 2007 District 2 Class "A" champions/Lackawanna League Champions Eastern Class "A" State Semi-Finalists/Season record 28-1 2008 District 2 Class "A" champions Eastern Class "A" State Quarter-Finalists 2008 District 2 Class "A" champions (Girls) Eastern Class "A" State Semi-Finalists 2009 District 2 Class "A" champions 2009 District 2 Class "A" champions (Girls) 2010 District 2 Class "A" champions 2010 District 2 Class "A" champions (Girls) 2011 District 2 Class "A" champions 2012 District 2 Class "A" champions (Girls) Eastern Class "A" State Semi-Finalists 2013 District 2 Class "A" champions (Girls) Lackawanna League Div. III/IV Champions - Season Record 25-1 2014 District 2 Class "A" champions 2014 District 2 Class "A" champions (Girls) Eastern Class "A" Champions 2015 District 2 Class "A" champions 2015 District 2 Class "A" champions (Girls) Eastern Class "A" Champions 2016 District 2 Class "A" champions 2017 District 2 Class "AA" champions (Girls)  2018 District 2 Class "AA" champions (Girls)  2020 District 2 Class "AA" champions (Girls)  2021 District 2 Class "AA" champions Eastern Class "AA" State Finalists=== Football ===1931 Football team1961 Eastern Conference Lineman Year Award Additional awards, and notes 1912 Anthracite Conference champions 1949 Lackawanna Conference champions 1952 Lackawanna Conference champions Eastern Conference champions (Old Forge 6 - Sunbury 0) 1954 Lackawanna Conference champions 1955 Lackawanna Conference champions 1956 Lackawanna Conference champions 1958 Lackawanna Conference champions Eastern Conference champions (Old Forge 21 - Shenandoah 0) 1961 Eastern Conference champions Old Forge 13 - Coal Township 6 1975 PIAA Bowl champions Big 11 vs. Wyoming Valley Conference 1987 Suburban Conference champions Eastern Conference - Div. III North champions 1988 Suburban Conference champions Eastern Conference - Div. III North champions 1989 Suburban Conference champions Eastern Conference - Div. III champions (Old Forge 26 - Nativity 7) 1993 District 2 - Class "A" champions 1998 Lackawanna Conference champions (Freshman) 1999 Lackawanna Conference champions (Freshman) 2002 Lackawanna Conference champions (Freshman) 2005 Eastern Conference - Division I champions Old Forge 40 - Bishop O'Hara 28 2006 District 2 - Class "A" champions Lackawanna Division III champions 2009 Lackawanna Division III Champions Undefeated regular season (10-0) 2011 District 2 - Class "A" champions Old Forge 47 - Riverside 6 2013 District 2 - Class "A" champions Pennsylvania Class "A" Eastern Champions 2014 District 2 - Class "A" champions  2015 District 2 - Class "A" champions  2017 District 2 - Class "A" champions  2020 District 2 - Class "A" champions  2021 District 2 - Class "A" champions === Baseball/softball === Year Award Additional awards, and notes 1981 Lackawanna League champions (Girls Softball) 1984 Lackawanna League Southern Division champions (Boys Baseball) 1989 Lackawanna League Southern Division champions (Boys Baseball) 1991 Lackawanna League Southern Division champions (Boys Baseball) District 2 Class "AA" champions 1991 Lackawanna League champions (Girls Softball) 1992 Lackawanna League Southern Division champions (Boys Baseball)  1992 District 2 Class "AA" champions (Boys Baseball)'''Pennsylvania State Champions''' - Class "AA"  2000 District 2 Class "A" Silver Medal (Girls Softball) 2006 Lackawanna League Division IV champions (Boys Baseball) 2007 Lackawanna League Division IV champions (Boys Baseball) 2007 District 2 Class "A" champions (Boys Baseball) 2008 District 2 Class "A" champions (Boys Baseball) 2008 District 2 Class "A" champions (Girls Softball) 2009 District 2 Class "A" champions (Boys Baseball) State Class "A" Semi-Finalists 2009 District 2 Class "A" champions (Girls Softball) State Class "A" Finalists 2010 District 2 Class "A" champions (Boys Baseball)  2010 District 2 Class "A" champions (Girls Softball)  2011 District 2 Class "A" champions (Boys Baseball) Fifth straight division title 2011 District 2 Class "A" champions (Girls Softball) Fourth straight division title 2013 District 2 Class "A" champions (Boys Baseball)  2013 District 2 Class "A" champions (Girls Softball)  2014 District 2 Class "A" champions (Girls Softball)  2017 District 2 Class "AA" champions (Boys Baseball)  2019 District 2 Class "A" champions (Boys Baseball)  2019 District 2 Class "A" champions (Girls Softball) 2021 District 2 Class "A" champions (Girls Softball)2022 District 2 Class "A" champions (Girls Softball)2023 District 2 Class "A" champions (Girls Softball)
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