History

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 August, 2021, the district served approximately 9,900 students. They are subdivided into groupings of elementary K-5, middle grades 6-8 and high school grades 9-12. The population is racially and culturally diverse, with representation of approximately 43.4% Caucasian, 14.7% African-American, 24.3% 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 44.3% 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 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 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 each of our seven elementary schools.

Additionally, we are committed to ensuring a smooth transition from preschool to elementary school for our youngest learners. To support this, we offer several pre-kindergarten programs within our schools. Pre-K Counts, in partnership with the Lehigh Valley Children's Centers (LVCC), is available at Palmer Elementary School and March Elementary School. Additionally, Head Start programs are located at Cheston Elementary School and Paxinosa Elementary School.