Tinicum Elementary School, which includes kindergarten through fifth grade, is located in Pipersville, Tinicum Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The school has been open since 1958. Palisades School District serves a rural community of five townships in Northern Bucks County, encompassing 100 square miles just north of Doylestown, PA, the county seat. Although rural in nature, its economy is not agricultural. Many residents work outside the district in New York, New Jersey, and Philadelphia. Tinicum is one of three elementary schools, one Blue Ribbon middle school, and one high school in the district. Tinicum's staff of 41 full-time and part-time professionals provides the educational program for 300+ students. Supplemental programs include special education classes, an Instructional Support Team, Read to Succeed extended day kindergarten, gifted classes, Title I reading support, a summer support service, and an after-school "Meet the Standards" club.

Parents and community members participate in decision making and are a vital part of the everyday functioning of the school programs. Due to its rural location, Tinicum is the center for the community. The Home and School Association provides a summer camp program, an after-school activity program (REACH), playground volunteers, instructional assistance in classrooms, tutoring, a publishing center for student work, technology instruction and support, and community development activities. The staff hosts educational and entertaining Family Nights, workshops for parents, and celebrations of student performance. Partnerships are established with the Emmanuel Preschool, the Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, and the International Institute for Restorative Practices. The "Caring Children Make Caring Choices" format gives students a voice in all of these activities, and students, staff, parents, and community members pledge to further the mission of Tinicum to develop a community of lifelong learners. Continuous change is the result of our focus on analysis and interpretation of performance data, a shared commitment, and a shared leadership. Collaboration among students, faculty, administration, parents, and community members has resulted in changes in curriculum resulting in improvement in the performance of all.