Northern Lehigh School District is located on the northern tip of Lehigh County in Eastern Pennsylvania. The district is a suburban district comprised of approximately 13,000 citizens residing in the boroughs of Walnutport, Slatington, and Washington Township (per 2000 census data). Northern Lehigh is an area of limited economic means. The median household income in the district ranges from approximately $28,000 to $36,000 with an average of 2.53 persons per household. Approximately, 8.7% of the citizens are described as being below the poverty level. When compared to the 63 boroughs and townships in Lehigh and Northampton Counties, Slatington and Walnutport are in the bottom 25% for average household income. At 14.4%, Slatington has the second highest percentage of persons living below the poverty level. The median age is 38.7 years with only 4% of the population being non-white. Approximately 30% of the residents do not have a high-school degree.

Without a significant industrial presence in the district, homeowners pay the highest milage rate of all districts in Lehigh and Northampton Counties. While the district must face many significant obstacles, one of the great opportunities for growth lies in the amount of undeveloped land within the district.

Since 1999 the NLSDEF has provided funding to support the following programs in the Northern Lehigh School District:

• $6,000 Fine Arts Grant for NLHS.
• $40,000 for counseling services in partnership with Valley Youth House for students K-8.
• $5,000 in textbooks
• Over $200,000 collected for the new Herman P. Snyder Science Lab and enhanced science curriculum at NLHS.
• Funding of the Bigs and Littls Program at Peters Elementary
• Funding for AG-Day at Slatington Elementary School

• Eight Board Members – Volunteers
• One School Board Director – Liaison to the School Board
• Superintendent of The Northern Lehigh School District