The Parkland School District is located in a suburban-rural setting approximately 60 miles north of Philadelphia and 70 miles west of New York City in the semi-metropolitan region known as the Lehigh Valley. The regional population is approximately 600,000 including Allentown, the third largest city in Pennsylvania. The Lehigh Valley International Airport, Interstate 78 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike have attracted numerous industries and commercial businesses to the Lehigh Valley. With six major institutions of higher learning – DeSales University, Cedar Crest College, Lafayette College, Lehigh University, Moravian College, and Muhlenberg College – the Lehigh Valley maintains a strong commitment to educational excellence.The 72 square miles of the Parkland School District encompass three townships – North Whitehall, South Whitehall and Upper Macungie – with a total population of 50,000. The district's wide socio-economic range results from its bordering the city of Allentown on the southeast and extending to farmlands at the western and northern extremities