About OpenCampus PA

Open Campus PA is a unique collaboration between Manheim Township, Hempfield, and Penn Manor School Districts in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Open Campus PA, the first initiative of its kind in the state, makes optimal use of collective resources to blur the lines between school districts. High School students have gained greater choice in the courses they take and method of delivery to break down barriers of time and space.

Open Campus PA was launched in the summer of 2011 with a common vision of providing increased opportunities in an era of decreasing revenue through shared district resources. The board, administration, and faculty of each of the three districts have played a central role throughout the development and implementation of the partnership. The steering committee,  comprised of the Open Campus PA director; superintendents, high school principals, technology directors, and union presidents from each school district; and the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA/NEA) uniserv representative meet on a regular basis and serve as the decision making body for Open Campus PA. The three school boards provide oversight, approve policy and legal agreements, and meet jointly to review progress and discuss their shared vision.

The program has enjoyed strong support from the Pennsylvania State Department of Education as well as Senator Lloyd Smucker and other members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Senate Bill 1492 was introduced by Senator Smucker in spring 2012 to provide legislative support for the initiative and was enacted into law as part of the Omnibus School Code legislation passed by the Pennsylvania General Assembly in 2012.