August 2026 Technology Use Update from Dr. Ranelli

On August 24, 2026, Dr. Ranelli shared the letter below with LMSD families.

Dear LMSD Families,

New Policies

In this letter, I will be sharing some important information and updates about technology use in LMSD. As mentioned in the Board Meeting Highlights that were shared last week, the Lower Merion Board of School Directors approved two new policies related to technology use in our District. You can read the policies and their accompanying Administrative Regulations, as well as the “plain language” explanations in the attachments, by clicking on the links below.

·      141 K-12 Technology Use

·      141 Admin Regs - K-12 Technology Use

·      141 Admin Regs - Attachment A - K-12 Technology User Implementation Summary

·      142 K-12 Technology: Safety, Monitoring and Privacy

·      142 Admin Regs - K-12 Technology: Safety, Monitoring and Privacy

·      142 Admin Regs - Attachment A - K-12 Technology: Safety, Monitoring and Privacy Implementation Summary

Additional information related to these policies can be found on the newly updated Technology Use page of the District website. There you can find out more about how device use will be differentiated by grade bands, personal device use in our schools (Off and Away) and links to the privacy information for the platforms used in our schools.

Securly

One of the new tools that LMSD is implementing under these new policies is Securly. Securly Classroom will be used by our educators to monitor and control use of District devices during class time. Another part of that tool, Securly Home, will be available to LMSD parents and guardians, and will enable you to:

·      See your student’s online activity, including sites they have searched and visited, while they are at school

·      Set time limits on District devices when students are on your home network

Parents and Guardians can opt in to Securly Home via a form in the PowerSchool Parent Portal. Once you’ve enrolled, you’ll receive a welcome email from Securly. Then you can follow this link for step-by-step directions on how to set-up your Securly Home account.

We value our ongoing partnership with you, our students’ parents and guardians, in building a healthy and balanced approach to technology use in our schools. I look forward to welcoming our students back to class on September 8, 2026, for another year of learning and growth.

Sincerely,

Dr. Frank Ranelli
Superintendent