Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do students have a right to attend a specific school if they live in that school's "walk zone"? (12/12/08)

A: Walk zones are determined by attendance areas, not the other way around. Attendance areas determine where students are assigned to attend schools. Once those attendance areas are determined for a particular school, then students assigned to that school who live within a certain distance (one mile of a secondary school or 3/4 mile of an elementary school) are not entitled to District transportation unless they meet certain exceptions such as hazardous walking conditions. This is what is being referred to as that school's "walk zone." There is no requirement that a student be assigned to a school because they live within that school's walk zone. The proposed zone around Lower Merion High School in Plan 3 is a proposed "choice" attendance area. If students residing in that area choose to attend Lower Merion High School, they will not be provided transportation unless they meet a Board-established exception. If those students choose to attend Harriton High School, they will be provided transportation because they do not reside in the Harriton High School walk zone.

Q: Don't the walk zones for private schools need to be the same for private school students as they are for District students? (12/12/08)

A: Yes, and under the current proposed plan they are the same. Transportation is not provided for any private school student who resides within the prescribed distance from the private school they attend (one mile for secondary private schools or 3/4 mile for private elementary schools) unless they meet certain exceptions such as hazardous walking conditions. The same is true for all District students under the current proposed plan.

Q: What are the times, in minutes, of the average, shortest and longest bus routes for each of the District's ten schools? How many current runs take more than 40 minutes? (12/12/08)

A: See table:

Q: How does the current proposed plan (3) reflect the community value that "students' social networks expand as they grow older"? (12/5/08)

A: Social networks expand as elementary school students join with students from other schools at the middle school level. As middle schools students move to high school, they transition to classes and activities that are multi-grade. Social networks further expand as a result of participation in more activities.

Q: Does the current proposed plan (3) ensure a move towards more balanced enrollments at both high schools? (12/5/08)

A: Yes, more balanced enrollments will be attained once the grandfathering of high school students is complete. The Board made a commitment to enable all current high school students to remain in their school until graduation.

Q: Can the Board maintain its "non-negotiable" of no new buses with the current, proposed plan (3)? (12/5/08)

A: The proposed plan does not require new buses. The District may choose to add additional runs and change routes to accommodate student and family needs, but new buses will not be required in this effort.

Q: How does the current proposed plan (3) address/balance the community value of "those who walk should continue to walk, while the travel time for non-walkers should be minimized."? (Updated: 12/6/08) (12/5/08)

A: The proposed plan abbreviates the Lower Merion High School walk zone, but it is designed to minimize travel time by enabling students living closer to Harriton to attend Harriton.

Q: How will the current proposed plan (3) impact the student parking situation at Lower Merion HS? (12/5/08)

A: It is anticipated that LMHS will be able to accommodate student parking as planned as some additional spots that had been identified for administrative staff may be designated for student use, particularly with the move of Technology and Operations functions to the District's office on Rock Hill Road. Under any circumstances, student parking will be limited to the number of spaces available on site. There is no plan to revise site plans for parking.

Q: How do you determine school capacities? Do our middle schools have enough capacity to accommodate enrollment under the current proposed redistricting plan (3)? (12/5/08)

A: School capacity is determined by the number of students attending a school, the types of classed that are offered and in middle and high schools the kinds of schedule that is put in place for students and teachers. The middle school with the larger projected enrollment under the current proposal (3) for redistricting is Bala Cynwyd. It is projected to have an enrollment of 910 students in the 2013-2014 school year. In the 2003-2004 school year Bala Cynwyd had an enrollment of 882 students. An examination of room utilization indicates that the additional student population projected for Bala Cynwyd can be accommodated.

Q: How did the District move towards developing a 3-1-1 plan (three elementary schools feeding to one middle school and one high school)? Based on earlier data, this option seemed to present a number of logistical challenges. (12/3/08)

A: The push toward the development of 3-1-1 proposals was based initially on community input during the redistricting process and an increasing emphasis on minimizing social transitions. At the start of the process, the administration and the redistricting consultant viewed the 3-1-1 option as not possible without some compromises and prioritization among a set of conflicting community values. Exploring this option required a willingness to reduce the walk zone or have students travel to Harriton from the City Avenue Area. In discussing the 3-1-1 scenario as a possibility, the administration supported minimizing the disruption of students transitioning in smaller groups as proposed in Draft Plan #2. From an educational perspective, a 3-1-1 feeder has benefits for K-12 articulation and student supports.

Q: How many Lower Merion High School students are currently not assigned to a bus and are designated "walkers"? (12/3/08)

A: Currently, there are 155 students designated as "walkers" to LMHS.

Q: What is LEED certification and does the number of walkers to a school affect a project's "LEED" status? (12/3/08)

A: According to the US Green Building Council website, LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) is "a third-party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED gives building owners and operators the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings' performance. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality."

LEED points may be earned for proximity to public transportation, bicycle-friendly and carpooling features, but the number of walkers does not impact certification status.

Q: Would students who currently reside in the proposed, abbreviated LMHS/HHS choice attendance area have a choice of middle schools? (12/3/08)

A: To ensure balanced enrollments and adequate classroom space at the middle school levels, middle school "choice" will not be an option.

Q: How will the impact of fewer walkers and more students bussed to Harriton affect transportation in the District? (12/3/08)

A: Route development for the new high schools has not yet taken place. It is a labor-intensive process that will occur after the Board adopts a plan for redistricting. That said, we are working with the target of 30-35 minutes or less in travel time. The average route time to Harriton is 29 minutes. The average route time to LM is currently 19 minutes. These times represent the time between first pick-up and drop- off at school.

We currently have 116 unassigned seats on routes going to Harriton and 67 unassigned seats on routes scheduled for Lower Merion. These unassigned seats are the result of a number of factors including student driving and parental choice to transport. High school bus scheduling is a much more difficult process than that of elementary and middle school. At those levels the only unpredictable factor is parents driving. High school is a very different issue.

In all cases, we will continue to have reserve buses and back-up drivers available should a bus break down or return late from another run or activity.

Q: If the administration were not able to redistrict this year, or if the transition is slower than anticipated, what would be the impact on the high school programs? (12/3/08)

A: There are two considerations for ensuring equitable programs and course offerings. The first is the availability of staff and the second is having enough students who want the course available at the time that the class is scheduled. If redistricting were delayed, however, there would be a negative impact at both high schools. Lower Merion is functioning well, but not operating under ideal conditions at this time and the willingness to "live with" these conditions was based on the fact that there would be one transition year (08-09) and that as enrollments shifted program options would expand at Harriton.

When the district decided to build two high schools of equal size it was based on the belief that we are creating two better high schools with more personalized leaning environments, state-of-the-art facilities and comparable programs at each of the schools.

Q: What steps will be taken to ensure effective transitions for those communities most impacted by redistricting? (12/3/08)

A: The administration is committed to supporting students who are transitioning to a new school and that process will begin as soon as a plan is adopted. The administration is open to working with communities that are impacted by the plan that is finally adopted. The administration is particularly concerned with ensuring and facilitating student and parent access and is looking at options in the regard.

Q: If my child is a 9th grader at Lower Merion and we move to a home in the new Harriton attendance area, would he have to transfer to Harriton? (11/20/08)

A: Currently, students who attend Lower Merion High School and move to the Harriton attendance area during their four years of high school have the choice to remain at Lower Merion High School until graduation. The Board has not determined whether this policy would continue after the new redistricting plan is announced.

Q: After redistricting, when we have two schools of equal size, will LMHS continue to offer the number and breadth of classes, including elective and AP classes, that it has in the past? Conversely, will Harriton’s course offerings be expanded to equal the current offerings at LM? (11/20/08)

A: The goal is to create two schools with comparable curricular and co-curricular programming. Harriton’s course offerings and the number of sections of specific courses will expand with increased enrollment. Harriton will continue to maintain the District’s IB program; a number of IB courses are already available to all Harriton students, providing additional options in the course menu. At Lower Merion, the curriculum will be maintained, though it is possible that fewer sections of a particular course may be offered. The District will seek to preserve all course options, including electives, though even at a larger school some courses may change or be dropped from year-to-year depending on the number of students who choose to enroll.

Q: How will the faculty of the two schools will be allocated? More specifically, will some of the current LMHS faculty be reassigned to Harriton, and what will the process be for determining which teachers stay at LMHS and which teachers go to Harriton? (11/20/08)

A: The process of staffing the two buildings will occur after a redistricting plan has been developed, as part of a transition plan. The District will need to determine the number of staff required to accommodate the new enrollments, and the timing and scope of the increase/reduction of students in the buildings.

Q: Will there will be any impact on the academic program at LMHS during the period of construction? My concern is whether space issues during construction will necessitate a reduction in the number and/or type of classes offered. (11/20/08)

A: Lower Merion High School will continue to offer a full menu of courses during construction. Scheduling strategies and the re-allocation of space will alleviate most facility constraints in the short term (through the end of construction.)

Q: Could there be some differential in the student enrollments at the new high schools, while still ensuring equity in programs? Is there an enrollment threshold that the District must achieve? (11/20/08)

A: The schools will be able to offer outstanding, equitable curricular and co-curricular opportunities even if there remains a slight imbalance between enrollments at the two high schools. The District has determined that an enrollment of at least 1,000 students per school is the minimum to ensure that generally appropriate and equitable curricular and co-curricular opportunities can be maintained. It should be noted, however, that a plan with equalized enrollments will enable the District to more fully maximize the use of facilities.

Q: I'm concerned that redistricting will negatively impact music ensembles, academic teams and athletic programs, particularly at Lower Merion. Couldn’t teams at Harriton and Lower Merion be combined so they remain more competitive after redistricting? Couldn't music ensembles at both schools be combined for certain, community-wide performances? (11/12/08)

A: The District recognizes the community’s desire to bridge divides between the Lower Merion and Harriton communities and bring students from both schools together for certain programs and events. There may be significant opportunities with music and the arts and the potential exists to create exciting "partnership" opportunities for our students. There would, however, be challenges in combining efforts in athletics and for sanctioned academic competitions (Science Olympiad, Academic Decathlon, Speech & Debate, etc.). In the case of athletics, the state’s governing athletic body (PIAA) does not permit combined school teams schools to participate in PIAA-sanctioned events without a special exception for extraordinary circumstances. A combined football team, for example, could not participate in District or State playoffs. Currently, the District has two combined Harriton/Lower Merion teams – squash and ice hockey. Neither of these sports, however, is PIAA sanctioned. Similar rules apply to national governing bodies for academic competitions like Science Olympiad, etc. Another consideration for athletics is classification. Classifications are determined by enrollment. Throughout its history, Lower Merion has competed as a AAAA school (the top PIAA size classification). Harriton has competed at AAA and AA, depending on sport. Under this scenario, both schools have had success with teams qualifying for postseason play. Under the current proposal, balanced enrollments would mean that both schools would compete at the AAAA level and be among the smallest AAAA schools in the state. It is possible, however, that in certain years when enrollments are slightly lower that teams from both schools could compete in AAA, which could enable teams to be more competitive at the District and State level.

Q: Why was keeping the K-8 cohort together abandoned in lieu of keeping the 6 - 12 cohort together? Is there any social/educational rationale behind this switch? (11/4/08)

A: There is research that shows the importance of elementary/middle transitions and middle/high transitions. Because there is no workable K-12 solution (see 3-1-1 question below), the District sought to preserve as much continuity among student cohorts as possible in creating the revised, current plan. The proposed plan enables the District to maintain current elementary school boundary areas and create common cohorts, moving together through middle and high school. The first proposed plan assumed that the elementary school cohort was the most essential social cohort as students move through their schooling. However, during the process of exploring community values earlier this year, one of the guiding community values was that "social networks are at the heart of where people live, and those networks expand as they grow older." Participants in the value exploration process agreed that "natural boundaries" should be consulted, but that neighborhoods are mostly about the social networks that children form – which widen for children and parents as children grow older. Thus, middle school and high school students form friendships and bonds that go well beyond traditional "neighborhood" definitions – they join counterparts from throughout the township in class, on teams, in co-curricular activities and study groups, etc. Generally, these relationships do not exist on the same scale during the elementary years; the bonds are more transient and temporary.

Q: By simply reviewing the web sites of the middle schools, it appears that, at least, the extracurricular activities at the schools are not the same. Are there plans to make any assessments of the curriculums and/or program of activities at the schools to make them more similar? (10/30/08)

A: With the exception of a few interdisciplinary programs unique to both middle schools, the curriculum at both schools and the core co-curricular programs are generally equivalent. It is impossible to create two exactly “equal” schools. Co-curricular clubs, in particular, are driven by the expertise and interest of individual staff members. Both middle schools offer unique and outstanding programs and both foster top-notch educational environments. There is an ongoing effort to assess curriculum to ensure that all students at both schools are receiving the same opportunities for academic and social growth.

Q: Why do the schools need to be exactly equal? (10/30/08)

A: As per the question above, it is impossible to create “exactly equal” schools, but an effort to balance enrollments will help ensure that students have more equitable access to educational opportunities. Historically, there have been differences between Harriton High School and Lower Merion High School, in large part due to the fact that Harriton is approximately half the size in population of Lower Merion High School. This had caused some constraints on certain programs and had contributed to differences in "culture" and "climate" between the two schools. The CAC recommended, and the Board approved, the creation of two schools of equal size to help eliminate these differences.

Q: Other than the need to organize staff assignments, develop transition plans within the schools , etc., are there any reasons beyond the Administration’s control that prevent a final decision from being pushed to January or early February? What decisions does the Administration absolutely have to make in December that can’t wait? (10/30/08)

A: Organizing staff assignments and developing transition plans are two critical areas that must be effectively addressed and given appropriate and timely consideration. The state-mandated budgeting process (a preliminary budget must be adopted by the Board in February) also dictates that staffing decisions and associated costs be considered in the next few months.

Q: When he presented on October 20th, the superintendent noted that the District is proposing one draft plan at this point – the current proposed plan -- and that this plan will be the basis for comment and feedback leading into the third revision/refinement period. Will the foundations of this plan (for example: minimized travel time, grandfathering high school students, preserving walk zones, preserving 6-12 continuity) be maintained moving forward? (10/30/08)

A: With each iteration, the District has attempted to respect the Board non-negotiables and layer in the core values and public feedback; these are the foundations that we will continue to maintain moving forward. The core values report itself notes the internal conflict present within most, if not all, of the community values and the impossibility that all the values be fully incorporated. Public feedback can also be in conflict. The community can expect that the foundations of any plan will come primarily from these three sources with the understanding that balancing them to everyone's satisfaction is an impossible task.

Q: Can you clarify current assumptions for grandfathering children in high school and middle school? Do you expect these grandfathering decisions to vary as future revisions to the plan are developed and finally decided? (10/30/08)

A: The current proposed plan enables all students who are currently attending a school to remain at that school until the time of natural transition (5/6, 8/9). The District is exploring the potential impacts of enabling current middle school to attend the high school for which they are currently zoned. A variety of factors, including costs, transportation logistics, building utilization and capacity, and programmatic impacts will be analyzed before an answer to this question can be offered.

Q: My question concerns my daughter, who is in the Wynnewood walk zone for Lower Merion. She is currently in 8th grade at Welsh Valley. In anticipation of possible application to the International Baccalaureate program, we were told she would be advised to matriculate at Harriton instead of Lower Merion, such that she wouldn't have to transfer in her junior year if she were accepted. If she attends Harriton for this reason, would transportation be available for her? (10/30/08)

A: It is anticipated that students participating in the IB program will continue to receive transportation.

Q: Has the Administration ever considered any scenarios that provided for a "3-1-1" solution? (10/30/08)

A: Yes, one of the first options tested by the District's consultant was the possibility of creating direct feeder patterns from the elementary schools to the middle schools to the high schools. Unfortunately, due to the geography of the township and the location of schools, it became clear very early on in the project that there is no "3-1-1" solution that either balanced the schools or kept the two high schools and two middle schools within their own attendance zones.

Q: In presenting the revised plan, the District suggested that the walk zones around Lower Merion High School may be reassessed based on issues of safety, and that changes to the walk zones might create changes in the enrollment at the high schools. When will these assessments be complete? (10/30/08)

A: The District’s transportation department will review the current walk zones in conjunction with Township officials to determine if any changes might need to be made. Any changes to the walk zone would be completed by the next presentation of a refined redistricting plan.

Q: What rationale was used in expanding the Harriton attendance area? (10/30/08)

A: Because the community will now have two schools of equal size, there is a need to move more students from the more densely populated eastern part of the township to Harriton in order to ensure effective utilization of both high school facilities. Inevitably, many families will be affected by new feeder patterns. The current plan preserves official walking zones for all schools while more effectively minimizing travel times for middle and high school students by shifting the Harriton attendance area away from the City Avenue corridor.

Q: Have you considered keeping siblings together in the redistricting plan? (10/30/08)

A: While the District recognizes the benefits of keeping siblings together as they move through school, the proposed plan does not make accommodations in this respect. Just as students of different ages may attend different schools (elementary, middle and high), it is possible that students of high school age may attend different schools in the first few years of plan implementation.

Q: How do you define walking boundaries? (9/26/08)

A: The Board’s policy is that any secondary school students residing within one mile of school are designated as walkers; however, if a roadway on which a student must walk has been certified as hazardous by PennDOT, the student is provided transportation regardless of how close they reside to the school. (At Harriton High School for example, Ithan Avenue has been certified as hazardous; as a result, Harriton has no walkers.) Another possibility could be that the one-mile distance could fall in the middle of a block. Rather than splitting a block in half, the lines have been drawn at the nearest major intersection resulting in a distance of slightly less than one mile in some cases.

Q: How are school capacities determined? (9/26/08)

A: The District does not set specific school capacities. “Capacity” is determined by a school’s ability to ensure that all students are in classes of appropriate size. While there is no written policy that dictates a maximum class size, there have been guidelines that have been consistently applied by the administration. For budget purposes and staffing, the number of new elementary positions (2008-09) were determined by using the following guidelines:

1. Kindergarten: at or under 20
2. Grade 1: at or under 22
3. Grade 2: at or under 22
4. Grade 3: at or under 23
5. Grade 4: at or under 25
6. Grade 5: at or under 25

Q: How do you develop 5-year enrollment projections? (9/26/08)

A: Several years ago, the District developed a projection model to predict future enrollments, called the "Retention Method." This model is based on the idea that students move routinely from one grade to another and that any internal policies and external factors that influenced grade progression in the past will continue to influence the progression of students from grade to grade in the future. An important factor for predicting Kindergarten and first grade enrollments in the model is live birth information, which is obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Health Statistics.

Analysis of past trends indicates that the Retention Method has been very effective in projecting enrollment. Enrollment trends in the non-public schools may impact the enrollment in LMSD. Historically, the non-public enrollment percentages have ranged from 35 -40% of the total school age population. Our enrollment projections do not take into account possible opening or closing of non-public schools or other factors that may impact the transition to or from non-public schools. Our practice has been to create a budget on the basis of projected enrollments, with the understanding that additional adjustments may be necessary if enrollments change significantly.

Q: In conjunction with re-districting and the opening of the new schools, would the District consider a name change of the schools to Lower Merion HS East & West to symbolically address perceptions about the differences between the two schools? (9/26/08)

A: The District will consider a variety of strategies to address perception issues as part of any re-districting transition plan. Planning for the transition will take place once a redistricting proposal has been approved in December ‘08, and is part of “Phase 4” of the redistricting process. Re-naming the schools is just one of a number of strategies and ideas that have been proposed.

Q: What is the longest current high school bus run in the District? (9/26/08)

A: Currently, there are several high school bus runs that have 40-45 minute scheduled drive times. One bus run, for example, begins at Merion Road & Sycamore Avenue at 6:35 AM and concludes at Harriton at 7:20 AM.

Q: How are we able to maintain the current elementary school boundaries and accommodate future population increases? I thought there were concerns about overcrowding at Penn Wynne and Gladwyne that needed to be addressed through redistricting. (9/19/08)

A: Actions taken last year by the District such as removing MELC child care classrooms from elementary schools have helped to ensure that all elementary school programs can be accommodated. Projections indicate that the elementary schools can accommodate current and future enrollments for at least the next five years, while maintaining appropriate class sizes for each grade (based on existing LMSD guidelines).

Q: I live in Penn Wynne. Under the currently proposed plan, my child would transition from Penn Wynne to Welsh Valley and Harriton. What is the distance between Penn Wynne and these schools and how much farther are these schools from the current feeder schools of Bala Cynwyd and Lower Merion? (9/19/08)

A: The distance between Penn Wynne and Welsh Valley is 4.6 miles, an increase of just over one mile in comparison to Bala Cynwyd (3.4 miles from Penn Wynne). The distance between Penn Wynne and Harriton is 5.2 miles, an increase of 3.2 miles in comparison to Lower Merion (2 miles to Penn Wynne). Distances are calculated between schools.

Q: My family lives in Penn Valley and my child attends Penn Valley Elementary School. Currently, my child would now transition from Penn Valley to Welsh Valley and Harriton. Under the proposed plan, most Penn Valley students would end up at Lower Merion, but my child would be part of a small group of students transitioning from Penn Valley, to Bala Cynwyd to Harriton. Why can’t my child and other children in this situation attend Welsh Valley so that they can move to Harriton with a larger cohort? (9/19/08)

A: The District recognizes that under the proposed plan there are two groups of students –one from Penn Valley (referenced above) and another from Narberth – that would stay with one cohort in grades K-8 and transition to a new cohort for high school. (The Narberth group would begin at Belmont Hills, transition to Welsh Valley and then attend Lower Merion High School, while the majority of their cohort would transition to Harriton.) The District is exploring whether it would be feasible to redirect the Penn Valley and Narberth groups so that both groups could begin middle school with a cohort they could maintain through high school (if this plan for redistricting becomes the one adopted in December).

Q: I am concerned that the current proposed plan would limit my child’s opportunities to participate in after-school programs and employment because he/she would not be able to walk to and from school and our family cannot provide transportation. In conjunction with any final redistricting plan, would the Board consider running shuttles and additional late bus runs to accommodate our needs? (9/19/08)

A: Yes, under any plan, the District would consider a variety of transportation strategies to accommodate the needs of families and to ensure that all students can fully participate in co-curricular programs and activities.

Q: Can you please provide data regarding the ethnic and socio-economic make-up of our schools? (9/19/08)

A: Click here to view an "Ethnicity by School" chart for more information.

Q: Can you please define what you mean by "socio-economic" diversity? (9/19/08)

A: The "socio-economic" data in the redistricting chart (see slide 22 of the proposed redistricting plan presentation) refer to the number of students who qualify for free-and-reduced school meals as per federal guidelines. For more information on eligibility guidelines, visit: http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Governance/notices/iegs/IEGs.htm.

Q: Is the District currently reviewing redistricting options that do not include Penn Wynne students transitioning to Welsh Valley and Harriton? (9/17/08)

A: The District will continue to consider options and variations for redistricting that are different than the first draft plan presented on September 8th. The goal is to have a final plan approved by the Board in December.

To date, the District has reviewed a number of "alternative" scenarios presented by consultant Ross Haber that have incorporated a variety of feeder patterns and configurations. The central goal in the development of any scenario is achieving equalized enrollments at the high schools. Several scenarios have been immediately rejected on the basis of significant enrollment imbalances. Other scenarios have been rejected because they were not consistent with the "non-negotiables" established by the Board of Directors, the Report on Community Values and other geographical limitations. The fact that 50% of the District's students reside in the "lower" third of the Township (closest to City Ave.) and the current locations of the high schools present significant challenges for developing alternatives. With that in mind, all communities that do not currently transition to Harriton High School were given consideration.

One of the first options tested by the District's consultant was the possibility of creating direct feeder patterns from the elementary schools to the middle schools to the high schools. It became clear very early on in the project that there is no "3-1-1" solution that either balanced the schools or kept the two high schools within their own attendance zones.

The District's consultant developed the following scenarios which were fully considered and evaluated. In all of these scenarios, children were kept together in K – 8 cohorts. The elementary schools and the middle schools were not redistricted. Once a determination was made that elementary redistricting would not be necessary, the scenarios that were developed used elementary school communities as a unit for building feeder patterns. While these scenarios kept children together K-8, each of the high schools would draw some population from both middle schools.

Scenario 2

Scenario 2 had the following feeder patterns:

The problem with the scenario and the reason it was not moved forward was because in its first year Harriton would have 100 students fewer than Lower Merion High School. The enrollment imbalance between the two schools would continue to increase during the five years of the projected period. This outcome would limit the District's ability to create the equalized program offerings and opportunities that were envisioned when the commitment was made for two schools of equal size. It would not maximize the use of the Harriton school site and could have a negative program impact at both locations.

Scenario 2A

Scenario 2A is very similar to Scenario 2. In this revision of Scenario 2, the only change was to move a small section attending Belmont Hills (area bounded by South Woodbine, E Montgomery Ave, Maplewood Ave, Hamilton Rd, and Bryn Mawr Ave) and move it from its path to LMHS to HHS. While this changed the enrollment differential, it resulted in approximately 100 more students attending HHS than LMHS in year one. This scenario would have presented challenges similar to those noted above.

Scenario 3A

Scenario 3A was a revision of Scenario 3 (the currently proposed scenario).

The difference between this and the currently proposed scenario is that students living in the Ardmore section who attend Penn Valley would attend Harriton High School. This was rejected because it increased the difference between the two schools to 153 students, with Lower Merion HS having the higher population.

 Scenario 4

This scenario was rejected for several reasons. The first is that it split Penn Wynne Elementary students at the high school with the Ardmore section attending HHS and the Wynnewood section attending LMHS. This also created an imbalance in enrollment, with HHS beginning with 157 more students than LMHS.

Scenario 4A is a revision of Scenario 4. The difference is that the Ardmore section of Penn Wynne is placed in LMHS. The problem was that it reversed the loads and gave LMHS approximately 157 more students to begin with than HHS.

Scenario 4B

Scenario 4B and Scenario 3 (the current proposed) provide for very similar high school enrollments. In this scenario the two high schools are approximately 30 students apart which was viewed as coming very close to meeting the equalized enrollment "non-negotiable." This scenario had more children changing schools and integrating with new populations after grade eight than the scenario that was proposed to the Board and public on September 11 (Scenario 3).

Q: Can you please provide a map that shows walking zones for the middle schools and high schools? (9/17/08)

A: Click here to view a map of middle school and high school walking zones.

Q: I currently live in the proposed Lower Merion High School attendance area. Under any redistricting plan, would my child still have the option of attending Harriton if he/she is interested in participating in the International Baccalaureate program? (9/15/08)

A: Yes, the District will ensure that all students interested in participating in the IB program will have the ability to do so – regardless of the final outcome of the redistricting plan. The IB program formally begins in 11th grade; under any plan, the District would need to address the timely transition of students into the program and the impacts of this transition on enrollment and the overall high school program.

Q: Can you please provide a map of the District that shows where the boundary line would be drawn if we simply divided the school district in half to determine high school boundary areas? (9/15/08)

A: Click here to view a map illustrating this scenario.

Q: What components reflect a high achieving high school and how do Lower Merion and Harriton compare? (9/15/08)

A: According to an October 2006 report by the National High School Center,  a framework for higher performing high schools contains the following elements:

1. They set explicit academic goals that are aligned with and often exceed state standards.
2. Their focused professional development activities support a culture of collaboration.
3. Educators embrace broader learning objectives than just their own subject matter and use differentiation strategies to reach students at all levels.
4. Teachers interpret student achievement data to make decisions about teaching.
5. Schools recognize student and teacher achievement within a context of support.

We believe both Harriton and Lower Merion High Schools, as guided by our Strategic Plan, equally adhere to a framework which addresses these elements.

Historically, there have been differences between Harriton High School and Lower Merion High School, in large part due to the fact that Harriton is approximately half the size in population of Lower Merion High School.  This had caused some constraints on certain programs and had contributed to differences in "culture" and "climate" between the two schools.   Historically, as well, schools have had a great deal of autonomy in how their programs were run.  In recent years, however, much effort has gone into creating equal schools in terms of curriculum, scheduling and programs available to students.  We look forward to the elimination of former constraints when both high schools are of equal size.

This data suggests that both schools are well above the state and national averages in these areas.

Q: Has the district calculated travel times from the Penn Wynne area to Harriton at various times of day? (9/15/08)

A: Yes. The District has made timed bus runs to assess questions about travel time to and from Penn Wynne and Harriton. Bus runs from the Penn Wynne area to Harriton took place 9/8 (M) and 9/15-9/17 (M-W). Travel times and route information as follows:

Notes on Data:

1. Distances vary due to drivers using most favorable routes given time of day and road conditions.
2. The "test stop" (City Ave./Overbrook Pkwy) was selected as a "worst case scenario" in that it represents the farthest distance between the Penn Wynne area and Harriton.
3. The bus runs followed existing routes, but were completed without students and stops. Drivers estimate an additional 10-20 minutes per run with students on the bus. Actual drive times under a worst-case scenario could be up to 45 minutes.

Q: My child is a current middle school student who under the proposed plan would have a new feeder pattern for high school. Would the Board consider "grandfathering" or providing choice to my child so that he/she could have the option of attending the high school for which we are currently zoned? (9/13/08)

A: Members of the Board raised this concern when the plan was presented on September 11. It should be noted that the current plan to grandfather all high school students delays the full utilization of Harriton High School and maintains tight conditions at LMHS. The administration will work with the consultant to review the potential impact of allowing middle school students to attend the high school for which they are currently zoned. A variety of factors, including costs, transportation logistics, building utilization and capacity, and programmatic impacts will be analyzed before an answer to this question can be offered.

Q: Haven't the lines and maps already been drawn and isn't this process a sham? (7/29/08)

A: No. The lines haven’t been drawn yet. The Board is currently working with experts to use the values-based principles from Phase 1 to guide the process of developing an initial redistricting proposal.

Q: What was the purpose of the first round of forums? How will the results impact the drawing of the lines? (7/29/08)

A: The purpose of the first round of forums was to empower community members to develop a set of community values and direct how those values should be applied in the redistricting work. These values-based principles have been given to the Board and experts who are developing the initial redistricting plan.

Q: When will I be able to bring my specific questions and concerns to the Board? (7/29/08)

A: The public is encouraged to share comments and questions with the Board anytime via email at capitalcomments@lmsd.org. Community members are also welcome to attend and provide public comment ant any upcoming Board meetings. (Visit the Board of Directors section of the District website -- www.lmsd.org -- for a complete schedule.) Additionally, the Board plans to host a number of public forums specific to the redistricting process in the coming months. These meetings will be advertised on the District website, in local newspapers, on Cable Channel 6 and via notices home to parents.

Public comment at board meetings will come at the end of each meeting, during a designated comment period. Depending on the number of speakers, the board reserves the right to limit the amount of time allotted each speaker.

Q: My child is a freshman at one of the high schools and I don't think it good educational practice for children to switch high schools in 11th grade, which is possible given the Board's "non-negotiable" about grandfathering only those who will graduate in the class of 2010. Can that be extended to the class of 2011? (7/29/08)

A: The Board will review data compiled by the District regarding building capacities, enrollment projections and educational programs to assist in making any final decisions about “grandfathering.” The Board has expressed an understanding of parental and student concerns and is making efforts to explore the feasibility of granting this request.

Q: What are the plans for transitioning the "new" students - elementary level? (7/29/08)

A: If it is necessary to redistrict students at the elementary level, the District will develop a year-long transition plan that will include the last semester and at the student’s old school and first semester at the student’s new school. The District will put into place programs and services to ease the transition process.

The Board will consult extensively with parents, staff, administrators and educational experts in developing student transition plans at all levels. These plans will be clearly communicated and feedback will be sought prior to implementation.

Q: Why are we redistricting the elementary schools? Do other towns do this and if so how often? (7/29/08)

A: The need to redistrict students commonly results from demographic changes in a community. As populations grow and decline and as population centers shift, redistricting is often required to help balance enrollments. One of the goals of redistricting is to stabilize feeder patterns to middle and high schools. Another goal is to balance district-wide enrollments in an effort to maintain and preserve ideal class sizes and learning environments. Currently, there are several elementary schools that are nearing maximum classroom capacity. The Board and experts are analyzing whether this trend necessitates redistricting at the elementary level (and middle school level). No decision has yet been made as to whether students will be redistricted at these levels.

Q: How will my child/neighborhood be affected by redistricting? (7/28/08)

A: We really don’t know yet. We are in the second stage of a multi-stage process. In April, the Board approved a multi-stage process for redistricting with the goal of adopting a plan by January, 2009. The process includes four basic stages: (1) facilitated community engagement to develop a set of value-based principles to help guide the experts in developing an initial plan (a report on values is now posted in the redistricting section); (2) developing an initial plan; (3) public plan presentation and refinement; and (4) adoption and implementation.

The Board is working with a consultant, Dr. Ross Haber, and District staff to analyze community demographic data and trends, transportation resources and needs and a variety of other information to develop an initial redistricting plan within the framework of the community values gathered in Phase 1.

Q: How will the values developed at the Phase 1 community forums be used? (7/28/08)

A: The values from each of the four community forums in Phase 1 were consolidated by volunteers from each of those forums into a final set of values. That set of values has been provided to the experts who are developing the redistricting plan who will use them as part of the information used in developing the plan. As part of the plan, they will describe how the plan addresses those values, including what trade-offs they are proposing and why.

Q: Where can I find current attendance maps? (6/19/08)

A: To view school boundaries, click here.

Q: What are "non-negotiables" and what does that mean to the process? (6/19/08)

A: At the start of the public redistricting discussion, the Board approved a set of "non-negotiables" to be utilized throughout the redistricting process. Non-negotiables are a limited set of parameters that must be a feature of any plan the Board will ultimately accept. The non-negotiables for LMSD redistricting include:

1. The enrollment of the two high schools and two middle schools will be equalized.
2. Elementary students will be assigned so that the schools are at or under the school capacity.
3. The plan may not increase the number of buses required.
4. At a minimum, the class of 2010 will have the choice to either follow the redistricting plan or stay at the high school of their previous year.
5. Redistricting decisions will be based upon current and expected future needs and not based upon past redistricting outcomes or perceived past promises or agreements.