The Easton Area School District is located on the eastern boundary of Pennsylvania. Located 20 miles east of Allentown, the Easton Area School District is at the forks of the Delaware and Lehigh Rivers. It borders the state of New Jersey and is just over a one-hour drive from either New York City or Philadelphia. It lies within Northampton County and encompasses the City of Easton, the townships of Palmer, Forks and Lower Mount Bethel.
The population of approximately 64,380 people in the community reside in a mixture of rural, industrial, college, urban, and residential-suburban areas. Easton Area School District takes great pride in its history of tradition, its appreciation and celebration of diversity, and its inclusive environment. The district provides educational opportunities for students in kindergarten through grade twelve. As of February, 2017, the district served approximately 9,000 students. They are subdivided into groupings of the K-5, grades 6-8 and grades 9-12 schools. The population is racially and culturally diverse, with representation of approximately 53.5% Caucasian, 17.6% African-American, 20.9% Hispanic, and 5.0% Asian.
There has been a changing demographic in recent years with a change from a predominantly middle class population to one that is more diverse across all socio-economic designations. The student population ranges from low economic status to upper class with 47.7% qualifying for free or reduced lunch. Additionally, the district also encompasses rural, suburban, and urban settings.
The District is comprised of nine schools: Easton Area High School, Easton Area Middle School, and seven elementary schools: Ada B. Cheston, Forks, Francis A. March, Palmer, Paxinosa, Shawnee and Edward Tracy. Each of our primary elementary schools currently house kindergarten through fifth grade.The middle school houses sixth through eighth grade. Easton Area High School houses ninth through twelfth grade. In addition, Easton Area Academy, the district’s alternative education program, serves students in grades six through twelve.
In terms of student growth, approximately 40% of graduating seniors currently go on to a four-year institution of higher learning, with 42% choosing to go on to a two-year institution of higher learning. Another 1.4% enter the military, and the remainder enters the local Lehigh Valley workforce.
Full day kindergarten is implemented in three elementary schools: Cheston, March, and Paxinosa. Full day kindergarten should be in place in all 7 elementary buildings in the future. Another area of focus within the school district is the pre-school transition to elementary school.