FAST FACTS

1971: Pennsylvania Legislature creates Berks County Intermediate Unit and 28 other intermediate units throughout the state. Intermediate units provide seven mandated (essential) services to school districts, thus sharing resources and reducing costly duplication of services. The seven services are:

Curriculum Development and Instructional Improvement Services
State and Federal Agency Liaison Services
Instructional Technology Services
Continuing Professional Education Services
Pupil Personnel Services
Educational Planning Services
Management Services

The BCIU also serves as a liaison between the county’s schools and the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Almost 40 years since its founding, the BCIU still provides these services, as well as others undreamed of back in the early 1970s, such as safe schools initiatives, video-on-demand, the Internet, and more.

1,248: Number of employees (as of June 30, 2010)

$196,000,698: budget (as of June 30, 2010)

18: Number of public school districts in Berks County

105: Number of public schools in Berks County

797: number of guest (substitute) teachers trained in 2009-10

10,991: Number of students transported by BCIU school buses in the 2009-10 school year.

368: Number of BCIU bus drivers and assistants

4,632,387: Number of miles driven by BCIU buses transporting students in the 2008-09 school year

3,875: Number of homeless students served by the BCIU’s Homeless Children’s Initiative, which provides educational assistance for Berks County students who have been uprooted from a stable housing situation

787: number of children participating in the Head Start program

13.3: Percentage of the BCIU budget used for management and administrative services

30.8: Percentage of budget used for student and social services

54: Percentage of BCIU’s services that are delivered to children

20,000: Number of students who participated in the BCIU's Student Enrichment events in the 2009-10 school year

758: number of teens in 2009-10who learned how to drive via the BCIU’s driver education program

77: Number of children who received child care subsidy funding

18: Number of school district representatives serving on the BCIU’s board of directors, including the following:

Timothy M. Heffner, president (Fleetwood Area School District)
Robert H. Quitner, vice president (Exeter Township School District)
Ralph C. Richard, secretary (Oley Valley School District)
Beverly W. Daniels, treasurer (Antietam School District)
John R. Crossley (Boyertown Area School District)
Robert F. Lowry (Brandywine Heights Area School District)
Tammy Starner Wert (Conrad Weiser Area School District)
Jo Ann Hartzell (Daniel Boone Area School District)
Brent G. Worley (Governor Miffln School District)
Brian R. Specht (Hamburg Area School District)
Carl H. Ziegler (Kutztown Area School District)
Donald B. Raifsnider, Jr. (Muhlenberg School District)
Yvonne Stroman (Reading School District)
Joseph C. Buda (Schuylkill Valley School District)
Evelyn F. Fox (Tulpehocken School District)
Gary McEwen (Twin Valley School District)
Carol C. Reid (Wilson School District)
Carolyn Bamberger (Wyomissing Area School District)