It is located at the southern end of the anthracite coal region in Northumberland County in central Pennsylvania with a population of approximately 21,000.

The district employed: 166 teachers, 126 full-time and part-time support personnel, and increased to 12 administrators during the 2009–10 school year.

The district employed: 193 teachers, 53 full-time and part-time support personnel, and increased to 11 administrators during the 2013–14 school year.

[11] Shamokin Area High School students may choose to attend Northumberland County Career Technology Center for training in the trades.

Special education services are provided by the district personnel and the Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit CSIU16, which provides the district with a wide variety of services like: specialized education for disabled students and hearing; state mandated recognizing and reporting child abuse training; speech and visual disability services; criminal background checks processing for prospective employees and professional development for staff and faculty.

The elementary houses a large combination auditorium/gymnasium, a tiered-seating vocal music classroom, a band and orchestra suite, and a library.

The building also houses administrative offices and a large gymnasium to provide accommodations for additional athletic activities.

A WAN/VPN connection links the remote elementary annex building to the main campus LAN to better utilize district resources and avoid duplication of services.

A closed-circuit television distribution system is also provided for the elementary and secondary buildings, with access points in every classroom.

Shamokin Area School District offers a variety of clubs, activities and an extensive sports program.

[15] Eligibility for participation in extracurricular activities is determined by the school board and the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association.

Kemp Memorial Stadium is a large football and track complex with a seating capacity of 6000, with artificial turf and lighting for night games.

The athletic facilities of the district are utilized heavily not only by the home teams, but also by various league organizations for hosting playoff games and events.