In 2016, Shamokin Area High School remained on the state's lowest academic achievement list. In May 2015, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) released a report identifying one Shamokin Area School District school was among the lowest achieving schools for reading and mathematics in the state. Included on the list was Shamokin Area High School. One hundred four (104) Pennsylvania public school districts had one or more schools on the list. Parents and students may be eligible for scholarships to transfer to another public or nonpublic school through the state's Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit Program passed in June 2012. The scholarships are limited to those students whose family's income is less than $60,000 annually, with another $12,000 allowed per dependent. Maximum scholarship award is $8,500, with special education students receiving up to $15,000 for a year's tuition. Parents pay any difference between the scholarship amount and the receiving school's tuition rate. Students may seek admission to neighboring public school districts. Each year the PDE publishes the tuition rate for each individual public school district. Funding for the scholarships comes from donations by businesses which receive a state business tax credit for donating.