More than 50 students, staff members, parents, guardians and community members spent Wednesday evening, October 28, 2025, in the Lower Merion High School cafeteria sharing their thoughts and ideas about LMSD's Mission and Vision statements, which will guide the goals of the District's 2026-2031 Strategic Plan. 

During a variety of activities led by a team of strategic planning consultants from the Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU), participants reviewed data gathered from more than 2000 responses to the October 2025 community strategic planning survey.

That survey showed a generally positive view of the current Mission and Vision statements, with 77% and 76% of participants agreeing or strongly agreeing respectively.

Those present at the community meeting noted that some terms in the current statements may mean different things to different people and also emphasized that new statements should include accountability for student outcomes, transparency and community involvement. 

The current Mission statement is: 

Committed to excellence and continuous improvement, the Lower Merion School District strives to ensure that all students achieve their highest level of critical thinking and creativity, that they value themselves and the diversity of others, and that they are knowledgeable, contributing citizens capable of excelling in a rapidly changing world. This is accomplished by individuals engaging in innovative, active experiences tailored to myriad ways of learning and in partnership with our community. 

The current Vision statement is: 

Students are our reason for being. We create environments designed to fulfill the individual learning needs and aspirations of each student. Lower Merion School District develops active partnerships at all levels of our learning community and values the individual contributions of each member. We view learning as a dynamic, innovative collaboration. Individuals learn best when their hearts, minds, and spirits are intimately engaged in the learning process.

Participants shared their thoughts about three new proposed Mission statements and three new proposed Vision statements, which were developed in response to the feedback shared in the survey.

The three draft Mission statements are:

• The Lower Merion School District cultivates excellence in all students by fostering creativity [critical thinking], kindness, and adaptability, preparing them as contributing citizens and lifelong learners in a rapidly changing world.
• We cultivate critical thinkers and creative problem-solvers in an inclusive community that values academic rigor, well-being, and social responsibility. Through continuous improvement and a commitment to excellence, we prepare students to lead with adaptability and purpose in a rapidly changing world.
• We prepare knowledgeable, contributing citizens who think critically and creatively. In a community committed to excellence, we foster the academic rigor, well-being, and social responsibility needed to thrive and lead through change.

The three draft Vision statements are: 

• Together, we will create a learning community where every student discovers their potential and graduates ready to positively impact our interconnected world.
• We envision an inclusive learning community where every student develops critical thinking, creativity, and character to lead and innovate in a technology-driven world—prepared not just for the future, but to shape it.
• We aspire to be a model learning community where academic excellence, inclusive values, and innovative thinking converge—developing students of strong character who are equipped to thrive, lead, and make a positive impact in a rapidly evolving world.

The CCIU team's next steps will be to collate the live feedback shared at the meeting with the survey data to craft new statements for review at the next community meeting, which will be held on November 19, 2025, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Lower Merion High School cafeteria. 

Special thanks go out to student volunteers from the Harriton High School National Honor Society, who helped the facilitators set up the room, greeted participants, shared their technological expertise and helped organized the feedback materials. 

To see a slide show of photos from the evening, please click below.