Neshaminy Coalition for Youth - Drug Free Communities Program - The Neshaminy Coalition for Youth serves the geographical area within the confines of the
Neshaminy School District. The Neshaminy School District is 27.6 miles in area within the
boundary of Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The area encompasses an estimated 71,164 residents,
nearly 9,000 of which are students. The Neshaminy School District is a public-school district
serving youth in grades K through 12 through one high school (9-12), three middle schools (5-8),
and six elementary schools (K-4). The geographic area of the Neshaminy School District also
includes two private Quaker Schools and three parochial schools. Further, the Bucks County
Technical High School is located on the border of the School District’s parameters, but does
include students who would otherwise be encompassed in the Neshaminy School District’s
schools. The Neshaminy School District is the 22nd largest among Pennsylvania’s 498 school
districts. Due to the size of the district, as well as its diversity and income level, the District
qualifies Title I funding. The public high school’s graduation rate is approximately 89%; 72% of
students score at or above proficiency for Reading Comprehension, while 52% scored at or
above this level for Math.
The population served by the Neshaminy School District is comprised of the following racial and
ethnic identifications: 86.0 percent White; 4.0 percent African American; 3.8 percent Hispanic or
Latino/a; 4.2 percent Asian (none identifying as Pacific Islander alone); 2.7 percent another race
or two or more races; and, 0.34 percent American Indian or Alaskan Native. The median income
of the geographic scope of the District is $82,679 among all households. However, this number
is significantly lower among minority households: African American households ($51,759) and
Hispanic and Latino households ($63,393). Similarly, the median income among single parent
families is also far below the median income: female-only householder ($59,841); and male-only
householder ($67,982).
The Neshaminy Coalition for Youth includes twelve local partners representing youth, parents,
private companies, media, education, service organizations, mental health and substance abuse
providers, religious groups, government agencies, and religious institutions. The strategy of this
groups’ service to the community is to provide information that helps youth make more informed
decisions about substance use. This is accomplished by enhancing their ability to use and access
information, shifting traditional consequences related to substance use, and designing programs
to modify and change traditional policies that do not result in minimized use of illicit substances
among youth. The service approach of the Neshaminy Coalition for Youth encompasses each of
the “Seven Strategies for Community-Level Change.”
