Some time ago we applauded the Columbia Borough School District for being forthright with information at the district’s Website. Other are recognizing this, too.

The Sunshine Review Website grades Columbia Borough School District’s Website as a B-, which is the highest grade awarded. A listing of the grades awarded to selected area public school districts follows.

SCHOOL DISTRICT	WEBSITE GRADE
Cocalico	D
Columbia	B-
Conestoga Valley	C-
Donegal	D-
Garden Spot	B-
ELCO	D
Eastern	D
Elizabethtown	C-
Ephrata	C
Lampeter Strasburg	C
Lancaster	C-
Manheim Central	B-
Manheim Township	D
Norlebco	F
Octorara	D-
Penn Manor	B-
Pequea Valley	F
Solanco	D-
Warwick	F
Wilson	C-

The Website shows the grades for all the public schools in Pennsylvania, though there is a slight problem. The Website does not have Hempfield’s site posted. There is another Hempfield in the Western part of the State; we have emailed Sunshine Review for clarification.

A B- rating is at the very top of the scale; here is the evaluation process checklist used for grading school Website transparency.

Achieving a B- grade is very good. Well done, Columbia Borough School District!

[NOTE: It would be very helpful for citizens if the Borough of Columbia Website adopted some of the information suggested by Sunshine Review.

Residents and taxpayers need to be able to adequately gauge whether a city government is:

• Effective.
• Competent.
• Frugal with tax revenues
• In compliance with all expectations and relevant laws about public records and open meetings.

In order for this to happen, residents and taxpayers should expect to find key information on any (municipality’s) website. The complete checklist of informational items is listed here.]