McCaskey’s “unique” class of 2025 reflects on moments that “only exist as our memories”
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“For your last assignment,” she said, “you have the rest of your life to complete it. What story will you leave behind and what will your next chapter hold? What will you write next?”
“It’s in all of our differences—our various backgrounds, personalities, and stories—that have allowed us to find our strengths,” said senior Christopher Cruz-Hernandez, who was the first speaker to address the class during the ceremony program.
“Our individuality isn’t what isolates us,” he added. “It’s what connects us—because by embracing who we are, we’ve built a class that’s truly unique.”
Lancaster Mayor Danene Sorace gave her final commencement address before she steps down as Mayor at the end of her term in January.
“Thank you, SDoL, for the opportunity to be a parent, and also to walk alongside the leadership team to build a better Lancaster, block by block,” she said. “Class of 2025, you will hold a special place in my heart.”
A musical quartet of Jessa Groff, Annika Locke, Lauren Snell, and Sophia Thompson performed ABBA’s “Thank You for the Music” as a tribute to the school’s music faculty and programs.
The program concluded with a brief fireworks display as graduates tossed their caps in the air and posed for selfies and pictures with friends—savoring a moment to live as a memory.
Class of 2025 Profile
More than half of the Class of 2025 plans to attend college in the fall, attending schools such as Bryn Mawr, Carnegie Mellon, Franklin & Marshall, Millersville, NYU, Vassar, and the University of Pennsylvania. Others are joining the U.S. military, including the Army and the Marines.
A large number of students, nearly one in three, plans to enter the workforce, in careers ranging from the skilled trades to live events to healthcare.
676
Graduates
20
Distinguished Honors
85
High Honors
87
Honors
33
Dual Enrollment
24
IB Diploma Candidates
34
AP Scholars
55%
Plan on Postsecondary Education
"Kind, caring, and thoughtful"
Castro is McCaskey's 51st Hall of Honor inductee
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“My friends were all making bets on who they thought it was going to be,” she said. “I couldn’t believe it, but some of them said they weren’t surprised.”
In announcing the award, McCaskey principal Dr. Justin Reese referred to Castro’s “kind, caring, and thoughtful demeaner” her participation in the Principal’s Cabinet, Eco Club, and her selection as Homecoming Royalty in the fall. She graduated with a 3.77 weighted GPA.
Castro’s also a decorated athlete, winning gold in discus at the 2024 PIAA state championships.
“Her journey through high school has been marked by not only notable achievements, but by the character she demonstrated in every challenge and triumph along the way,” Reese said. “Genesis led with authenticity and grace, inspiring those around her with her quiet strength and unwavering dedication.”
She credits her support system while in high school with helping her overcome her personal challenges to achieve so much success by the time she earned her diploma.
“My relationships, 100%,” she said. “Dr. Reese, my counselors, my friends—these are really good bonds that I can take into my college career.”
Castro’s mother, who immigrated to the United States form the Dominican Republic before Genesis was born, took a video of her family when the award was announced.
“My mom was crying, so were all of my cousins, my aunt, everyone was so emotional,” she said.
Castro plans to attend Monmouth University in the fall on an academic and athletic scholarship. She expects to compete for Monmouth’s NCAA Division I track and field team, hoping to throw both shot put and discus.
She plans to major in criminal justice, saying she was inspired by watching episodes of “Forensic Files” with her mother.
“Cold cases always intrigue me,” she said. “I always wanted to be that person who can help a family who has lost loved ones but have no details on what happened.”
A message from superintendent Dr. Keith Miles
Dear SDoL Community,
As you may be aware, we are entering a period of fiscal challenge and significant uncertainty across public education. For nearly a decade, we have been addressing a growing structural deficit, and this year’s budget represents a major step toward realigning our fiscal trajectory.
In the pages that follow, you’ll find an overview of the key factors driving these financial pressures—including shifting student enrollment, rising healthcare costs, and the continued lack of adequate state and federal funding—along with our outlook for the years ahead.
We are mindful of both the tax burden on our residents and the impact that necessary budget adjustments may have on our dedicated staff . Our school board and administration remain committed to making thoughtful, responsible decisions that place our district on solid financial footing—guided always by our core principles: ensuring every student has what they need to succeed, closing achievement gaps, and fostering a sense of belonging for all students.
As we move forward, we will continue to adapt, support one another, and meet these challenges with resilience, clarity, and a shared sense of purpose.
Sincerely,
Keith Miles, Ed.D
Superintendent of School
School District of Lancaster
SDoL's budget at a glance
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Structural Deficit
Our district has what financial analysts call a “structural deficit,” meaning our expenses—absent any changes—are naturally growing faster than our revenues and have been for most of the last decade. Our costs, including salaries, benefits, and all other purchased services, grow by an average of 4.5% per year. Our revenues increase by less than 2% annually.
The American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ARP-ESSER) gave us significant relief from this reality over the past few years, but those funds expired in September 2024. The structural portion of the deficit we worked to close this year was $16 million.
State and federal funding
In 2024, the PA General Assembly and the governor admitted that Pennsylvania underfunds its schools by more than $4.5 billion and took the first step toward fixing it, allocating $500 million to the state’s most underfunded districts, including SDoL. These were necessary steps to respond to a Commonwealth Court decision declaring Pennsylvania’s school funding system inequitable, inadequate, and unconstitutional.
For 2025-2026, Gov. Josh Shapiro proposed another increase in funding, consistent with that agreement (an increase of $4.1 million for SDoL), but that requires legislative approval, and the current timeline for reaching adequacy remains slow.
Changing enrollment
While our overall enrollment is declining, our student population is changing. Nearly one in four students will receive special education services next year, and nearly 25% of our students are English Language Learners. These services are more costly than regular education and require, often by law, more specialized and skilled staff in smaller classes. Next year, we project an increase in special education staff and services, just for new students, of nearly $2.7 million. At the same time, our special education subsidy from the state increased by only $400,000.
Employee healthcare
Our school district health insurance is self-funded. We deposit funds in an assigned healthcare account and pay employee claims as they are made. Next year, we anticipate paying more than $36.2 million in healthcare claims, an increase of $4.5 million. That increase our projected deficit to more than $20 million, leading to the budget adjustments outlined above.
School construction
The district has $248 million in debt outstanding in order to finance its master facilities plan. Annual debt payments will rise from approximately $16 million this year to $24 million by 2029.
SDoL budget by the numbers
In June, the school board approved a budget of $281.5 million for the 2025-2026 school year.
Even though our expenses continue to rise, the overall budget only increased by $1.9 million, or 0.68%. That’s because the budget also includes more than $17 million in adjustments, including an increase in employee health insurance premiums, a freeze on overnight travel for professional development, a reduction of teaching positions that are or will become vacant, a reduction of nine administrative positions, and a partial hiring freeze aff ecting another four positions.
The budget also raises school real estate taxes by 4.25%, or about $15 per month for the average homeowner.
$281.5m
Total Expenditures
$283.0m
Total Revenues
$4.5m
Anticipated increase in state funding
4.25%
Proposed tax increase
$15
Monthly tax increase for average homeowner
Achievements & Innovations
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Standout Students & Staff
Congratulations to the cast and crew of McCaskey’s spring musical, The Wedding Singer, which made history in its first year competing in the Hershey Theater Apollo Awards, a Broadway Tony Award-style competition for regional high school theater.
McCaskey’s production won the Apollo in every category for which it was nominated: Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Lead Actor (Callaghan Petrosky), Outstanding Lead Actress (Annika Locke), Outstanding Supporting Actress (Celia Keener), Outstanding Featured Performer (Lydia Corvino) and
Outstanding Dance Number (“It’s Your Wedding Day”). Kudos to director Kristin Wolanin and musical director William Broaddus for their outstanding leadership of these talented students.
Congratulations to Lafayette ES kindergarten teacher Teresa Ashby, who was named the Grand Prize Winner for Lancaster County in the 2025 Citadel Heart of Learning Awards. Each year, Citadel Credit Union honors educators across six counties who go above and beyond for their students and communities. Out of thousands of nominations, Teresa was selected for her impact, dedication, and heart.
Kudos to staff members at Smith-Wade-El ES, who designed and painted the school’s first mural, located in one of their open shared spaces. The mural features the school’s bear mascot, along with the Lancaster City skyline, and symbols representing music, gym, its community garden, and more.
Congratulations to the SDoL students who advanced to the state finals in the National History Day Competition. At the regional competition, Saurab Ghimire (Wheatland MS) placed first in the Junior Individual Website category with the project, “I’m not missing a minute of this, It’s the revolution!” : Stonewall Riots of 1969. Silas Slein, Ceasar Rivera-Altruz, Ben Gilburg, and August Eskered-Kroll (Reynolds MS) placed fi rst in the Junior Group Performance Division with their project, The Tale of Two Bootleggers. And Marcos Blanco (McCaskey HS) finished first in the Senior Individual Documentary category with the project Displacement of Puerto Ricans in Vieques and the Aftereffects.
The Harvard University Center for Education Policy Research highlighted SDoL Director of Data Analytics and Strategy Dr. Jeremy Raff for his work building customized dashboards that make data accessible for teachers to use and improve student outcomes. Dr. Raff is a Strategic Data Project Fellow at Harvard.
Yearbook publisher Jostens featured McCaskey’s 2024 yearbook, The ECHO, in its annual “LookBook” which celebrates the best yearbook design, themes, coverage, storytelling, and photography. It’s the second year in a row The ECHO has earned the honor. Congratulations to editors Jenny Ward (Class of ’26) and Yani Rodriguez (’25), the ECHO staff , and advisor Gabrielle Mappone.
Congratulations to SDoL’s media production specialist Tim Mercandetti, who won four awards from the Pennsylvania School Public Relations Association (PennSPRA) for video production, including three Awards of Excellence, the program’s top award.
Congratulations to Lafayette ES fifth-grader Vivia Gordon, who was selected to participate in the Junior National Young Leaders Conference this summer at the University of Maryland. The JrNYLC is the premier leadership development program for middle school students. Vivia was nominated by her teacher, Mr. Tyler Turpin.
McCaskey teachers Carlos Cruz (biology) and Kai Barclay (math and computer science) were named 2025 STEM Ambassadors by the Lancaster County STEM Alliance. The competitive honor goes to educators who will lead community engagement eff orts, develop capstone projects addressing real-world issues, and represent Lancaster County STEM Alliance’s four pillars: Career Exploration, In-School Project-Based Learning, Out-of-School STEM Opportunities, and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging in STEM.
McCaskey social studies teacher and head football coach Dr. Todd Mealy published a new children’s book he co-authored with his son, Carter Lee. The book, 52 Seconds, tells the story of a young boy named Champion who overcomes his fear of heights. Dr. Mealy has published multiple works on subjects ranging from Muhammed Ali to the use of athletics in military training during the world wars.
Tornado Time
McCaskey’s Class of 2025 had a record 14 seniors commit to intercollegiate athletic programs in the largest signing day in school history. Special commendations to Emery Plaza, who committed to NCAA Division I Duquesne in track and field, and Journie Rodriguez, who committed to NCAA Division II Lock Haven in women’s wrestling.
The McCaskey Girls Track & Field team ended an historic season by finishing second in team scoring at the PIAA championships. The team won its fourth-consecutive Section 1 title, the L-L League championship, and its third-consecutive District 3 title.
Congratulations to the girls track & field athletes who medaled in the state championships: Genesis Castro (discus), Jada Lubin (javelin), Ella Petrosky (100m and 200m), Vivian Salerno (800m), and the girls 4×400 relay team of Alondra Grover, Corrine Miller, Salerno, and Shiloh Tebie.
Kudos also to the Boys Track & Field team, which won the L-L League championship and claimed its third Section 1 title in the last five years, and the Unified Track & Field team, which won the Lancaster-Lebanon League and finished eighth in Pennsylvania.
Congratulations to senior Jurelys Peguero del Rosario (below left), who took bronze at the PIAA Girls Wrestling Championships. Rosario finished the season ranked #22 in the United States at 190 lbs. by USA Wrestling and plans to wrestle collegiately for Ursinus College.
Innovative Education
McCaskey alumnus David Green, a former NPR host and journalist, country singer Ketch Secor and fi lmmaker Doug Pray visited McCaskey High School in March to discuss their documentary Louder than Guns and the use of music to navigate difficult conversations around gun violence in America.
For the 15th year in a row, the School District of Lancaster has received national recognition as one of the Best Communities for Music Education from The NAMM Foundation. This distinction places us among a select group of over 1,000 districts and schools across the United States who have made a clear and consistent effort to provide accessible, high-quality music education for all students.
The Big, Big Buddy Program, a literacy and mentorship initiative co-led by mother-daughter teaching team Pam and Jillian Black, paired Jillian’s sixth-grade ELA students at Wheatland MS with Pam’s Pre-K students at Smith-Wade-El ES to co-author and illustrate children’s books.
The program is in its second year. Carter & MacRae ES added a cultural flair to its annual Panoply arts night. Students created 13 individualized stations, each featuring art and musical activities rooted in the countries of origin of Carter & MacRae students, including Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Afghanistan, and more.
More than 200 middle school students from across SDoL attended the sixth annual Teenage Girls Empowerment Summit in May at the Ware Center in Lancaster. The summit, founded by Vondol Hammond, featured a keynote by Dr. Amber Sessoms and her 10-year-old daughter Emma, along with panel discussions and workshops. The goal is to affirm and equip teen girls with tools to better understand who they are and who they can become.
Franklin & Marshall College football players visited Burrowes ES fourth and fifth graders in April to run students through agility, flexibility, and conditioning drills and talk about the importance of teamwork, discipline, and academics in their athletic careers.
Students in multiple disabilities classrooms (MDS) across SDoL enjoyed a fishing trip in April, thanks to a partnership between Springside Trout Farm in New Holland and the district’s adaptive physical education team. The students used custom-built casting devices and switch-adapted electric reels to catch fish—all on their own. The devices were engineered and built locally, in collaboration with McCaskey robotics and building trades programs.
Author Diana Jules Peen visited Wickersham ES first graders to share her book The Little Brown Seed as part of a learning series led by Let’s Go 1-2-3, a nonprofit serving families in Lancaster and Philadelphia. Let’s Go 1-2-3 offers free nature-based programming to ensure that all children have access to outdoor learning without barriers.
SDoL piloted a program called “Genius Hour,” inspired by Google’s 20% time, to give fifth-grade students at Carter & MacRae ES and Ross ES dedicated time to dive into topics they care about. Students crafted a driving question and, for up to an hour each week, researched and experimented with the topic.
Strong Community
McCaskey students researching slavery in Lancaster County were the first to identify four individuals of African descent to be memorialized as part of the Lancaster City Witness Stones Project. The four, who were enslaved at the Rock Ford Plantation owned by Revolutionary War figure Edward Hand, are commemorated by stones capped with engraved brass plates and embedded in the plaza across from Penn Square. The students, part of the Buddy Glover Public Service Project coordinated by social studies teacher Dr. Todd Mealy, combed through 18th and 19th century letters, bills of sale, newspaper ads, and estate documents to recreate the lives of the four former slaves.
Students at Buehrle Academy raised money for Autism Awareness Month through Penny Wars during the month of May. First, students collected pennies to raise money for the cause then, in a twist, used silver coins to sabotage the other teams’ totals. In all, the students collected more than 10,000 pennies.
Wheatland MS held its first-ever Mental Health Awareness Fair, offering students activities designed to support mental wellness by teaching new coping strategies, sharing local resources, and exploring what mental wellness looks like in real life.
Glam U helped make McCaskey’s prom special for 20 lucky students who received free head-to-toe makeovers, ensuring they felt celebrated and confident attending this year’s gala event. Glam U is a non-profit dedicated to removing barriers for students facing additional hardships.
Many thanks to Willow Valley Communities, which raised more than $11,000 to help graduating SDoL seniors heading to college and trade schools through its annual “Cornhole for a Cause” tournament.
Kudos to Wickersham ES students in Mr. Alex Aronson’s fourth-grade class for collecting more than 820 boxes of cereal and other non-perishable food items for the Crispus Attucks Community Center. Mr. Aronson challenged the class with the question: How can you better your community using the resources you have access to?
Wharton ES students in March collected more than 1,500 nonperishable food items and toiletries for the Lancaster County Food Hub as part of their monthly theme program. Wharton’s theme for the month was leadership and service. Last year, students collected just over 900 items.
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