Partner School Info

Q: What is Partner Schooling?

A: In an effort to maintain favorable class sizes, preserve programs, maximize existing resources and provide planning flexibility at the elementary level, the District is introducing a "partner school" plan. The plan would cap certain sections of grade levels in elementary schools that have reached pre-determined class size targets. When those sections are capped, students who register thereafter will be enrolled at a "partner school" – a Lower Merion elementary school that can accommodate further enrollment in that class section. For example, if a new student registers for first grade, but there are no open first grade seats in his/her "home school," the student would be assigned to first grade in the "partner school" where there are open seats. When a child is enrolled in a partner school, he/she will receive all the benefits of attending the home school, including transportation, etc. and have the opportunity to return to the home school once space becomes available. Although this is a new plan in LMSD, many local districts already utilize similar strategies to help maintain appropriate class sizes.

Q: Why is Partner Schooling necessary?

A: As has been reported, LMSD enrollment is at its highest levels in more than 40 years. Across the District, many elementary classrooms are at or nearing capacity in certain grade levels and sections. While expanding classroom capacity is one strategy to address enrollment growth, the Board is sensitive to the potential costs of temporary classrooms and new construction. Short-term, these costs include design, engineering and construction. Long-term, these projects also result in additional operational costs, staffing, etc. In many cases, these investments are necessary and worthwhile; they do, however, require careful planning and cost-benefit analysis. Thus, the Board is considering short-term strategies that would provide more time for the District to review enrollment projections and less costly alternatives to construction. Partner schooling will help alleviate the immediate impact of enrollment growth on elementary school classrooms and support the District's efforts to maintain favorable class sizes, preserve programs, maximize existing resources and provide planning flexibility at the elementary level.

Q: Will any current students be moved to a Partner School next year?

A: No. No student currently assigned to a school will need to move schools – even if the school reaches maximum capacity; this policy is strictly for new registrants and families that move between catchments in the District.

Q: How will I know if my child will attend a Partner School or our home school for the 2022-23 school year?

A: First, we will collect the customary registration information from you and confirm that you have completed the process. If there is room in an appropriate section in your child’s home school, they will be assigned to their home school. If that section has already reached its cap, the student will be put on the partner school list. If subsequent openings occur at the home school, prior to the start of the school year, children will be reassigned back to the home school in the order in which their registrations, including the in-person presentation of necessary documents, were completed. Until the start of the school year, the goal is to place as many students as possible back in their home school.

Q: If my child is on the Partner School list, when do they get their school assignment?

A: Partner school assignments will be made over the summer, prior to the start of the 2022-2023 school year. Families will be notified once an assignment has been made. Every effort will be made to complete assignments prior to the August school orientation activities, so that students can meet their new classmates and teachers.

Q: What are some of the benefits of partner schooling for the school community?

A: • Partner schooling impacts a relatively small number of students and alleviates the need for community-wide redistricting.
• As referenced above, partner schooling helps minimize disruptions to the school program and helps to preserve dedicated classroom space for music, art, physical education, etc.
• Partner schooling is a fiscally-responsible strategy, enabling the District to maximize existing classroom capacity and staff resources.

Q: Is there a Board policy related to the partner school plan?

A: Yes, Board Policy 206 (AR 206-4) is on the District website. Click here to view.

• The Board has reviewed a number of strategies to assist in alleviating the impact of enrollment growth on elementary school classrooms. One such strategy described herein is “partner schooling,” which provides the following advantages:
  • Partner schooling impacts a relatively small number of students and alleviates the need for community-wide redistricting.
  • Partner schooling helps minimize disruptions to the school program and helps to preserve dedicated classroom space for music, art, physical education, etc.
  • Partner schooling is a fiscally-responsible strategy, enabling the District to maximize existing classroom capacity and staff resources.

• The "partner school" plan caps certain sections of grade levels in elementary schools that have reached class size targets. Once those sections are capped, “new” students (either new to the District or new to the school as a result of an intra-District move) will be enrolled at a "partner school," which is a Lower Merion elementary school that can accommodate further enrollment in that class section. For example, if a new student registers for first grade, but there are no open first grade seats in their "home school," the student will be assigned to first grade in the "partner school" where there are open seats. When a child is enrolled in a partner school, they will receive all the benefits of attending the home school, including transportation, etc.

• If there is room in an appropriate section in their home school, they will be assigned to their home school. If that section has already reached its cap, the student will be assigned to a partner school. If subsequent openings occur at the home school, prior to the start of the school year, children will be reassigned back to the home school in the order in which their registrations, including the in-person presentation of necessary documents, were completed.

• Whenever possible, students will have the opportunity to attend the home school once space becomes available. Prior to the beginning of the school year, the District reserves the right to reassign partner school students back to their home school should space become available prior to the first day of school. Thereafter, families of partner school students in grades K-4 will be afforded a one-time option to return to their home school if space becomes available. Thereafter, the District may, but is not required, to offer an opportunity for Partner School students to return to their home school. Families of students who are subject to partner schooling in grade 4 will only be offered the opportunity to return to their home school at the ole discretion of the District.

It is important to note that no student currently assigned and attending a school will need to move schools - even if the school reaches maximum capacity; this plan is strictly for new registrants and families that move within the District to another attendance area.

To the greatest extent possible, students who are assigned to a partner school will be assigned to one within their current feeder pattern.

Important Note for Families Who Disenroll with Intent to Return to District: Any time a family disenrolls their student(s), they are considered a new registrant upon return and are subject to the timelines set forth herein. The District reserves the right to consider non-attendance or disenrollment of a temporary duration (less than 45 calendar days) as one that is not subject to this partner school plan. In order to qualify as a temporary disenrollment, the family must document their intent to return within a 45-day period to the building principal. Failure to provide advance notice will disqualify families from any such guaranteed right to return to their home school.

Important Note for Families Moving within the District: These assignment guidelines also apply to students that move between attendance areas within the District (for example, a 2^nd grade student attends Belmont Hills Elementary School during the 2022-23 school year and her family intends to move to the Merion Elementary School attendance area for the 2022-23 school year). Throughout the school year, we encourage prompt notice (generally within 10 days of the change of residence) of a change of address within the District’ boundaries to be directed to the District’s Central Registration Office in the District’s Administration Building.

The District will provide resources on the District website, including a complete list of Frequently Asked Questions, and will provide information to a variety of interested stakeholders, including parents, Pre-K providers, realtors, etc. Questions may be directed to info@lmsd.org.

Q: What is Partner Schooling?

A: In an effort to maintain favorable class sizes, preserve programs, maximize existing resources and provide planning flexibility at the elementary level, the District is introducing a "partner school" plan. The plan would cap certain sections of grade levels in elementary schools that have reached pre-determined class size targets. When those sections are capped, students who register thereafter will be enrolled at a "partner school" – a Lower Merion elementary school that can accommodate further enrollment in that class section. For example, if a new student registers for first grade, but there are no open first grade seats in his/her "home school," the student would be assigned to first grade in the "partner school" where there are open seats. When a child is enrolled in a partner school, he/she will receive all the benefits of attending the home school, including transportation, etc. and have the opportunity to return to the home school once space becomes available. Although this is a new plan in LMSD, many local districts already utilize similar strategies to help maintain appropriate class sizes.

Q: Why is Partner Schooling necessary?

A: As has been reported, LMSD enrollment is at its highest levels in more than 40 years. Across the District, many elementary classrooms are at or nearing capacity in certain grade levels and sections. While expanding classroom capacity is one strategy to address enrollment growth, the Board is sensitive to the potential costs of temporary classrooms and new construction. Short-term, these costs include design, engineering and construction. Long-term, these projects also result in additional operational costs, staffing, etc. In many cases, these investments are necessary and worthwhile; they do, however, require careful planning and cost-benefit analysis. Thus, the Board is considering short-term strategies that would provide more time for the District to review enrollment projections and less costly alternatives to construction. Partner schooling will help alleviate the immediate impact of enrollment growth on elementary school classrooms and support the District's efforts to maintain favorable class sizes, preserve programs, maximize existing resources and provide planning flexibility at the elementary level.

Q: Will any current students be moved to a Partner School next year?

A: No. No student currently assigned to a school will need to move schools – even if the school reaches maximum capacity; this policy is strictly for new registrants and families that move between catchments in the District.

Q: How will I know if my child will attend a Partner School or our home school for the 2023-24 school year?

A: First, we will collect the customary registration information from you and confirm that you have completed the process. If there is room in an appropriate section in your child’s home school, they will be assigned to their home school. If that section has already reached its cap, the student will be put on the partner school list. If subsequent openings occur at the home school, prior to the start of the school year, children will be reassigned back to the home school in the order in which their registrations, including the in-person presentation of necessary documents, were completed. Until the start of the school year, the goal is to place as many students as possible back in their home school.

Q: If my child is on the Partner School list, when do they get their school assignment?

A: Partner school assignments will be made over the summer, prior to the start of the 2023-2024 school year. Families will be notified once an assignment has been made. Every effort will be made to complete assignments prior to the August school orientation activities, so that students can meet their new classmates and teachers.

Q: What are some of the benefits of partner schooling for the school community?

A: • Partner schooling impacts a relatively small number of students and alleviates the need for community-wide redistricting.
• As referenced above, partner schooling helps minimize disruptions to the school program and helps to preserve dedicated classroom space for music, art, physical education, etc.
• Partner schooling is a fiscally-responsible strategy, enabling the District to maximize existing classroom capacity and staff resources.

Q: Is there a Board policy related to the partner school plan?

A: Yes, Board Policy 206 (AR 206-4) is on the District website. Click here to view.

• The Board has reviewed a number of strategies to assist in alleviating the impact of enrollment growth on elementary school classrooms. One such strategy described herein is “partner schooling,” which provides the following advantages:
  • Partner schooling impacts a relatively small number of students and alleviates the need for community-wide redistricting.
  • Partner schooling helps minimize disruptions to the school program and helps to preserve dedicated classroom space for music, art, physical education, etc.
  • Partner schooling is a fiscally-responsible strategy, enabling the District to maximize existing classroom capacity and staff resources.

• The "partner school" plan caps certain sections of grade levels in elementary schools that have reached class size targets. Once those sections are capped, “new” students (either new to the District or new to the school as a result of an intra-District move) will be enrolled at a "partner school," which is a Lower Merion elementary school that can accommodate further enrollment in that class section. For example, if a new student registers for first grade, but there are no open first grade seats in their "home school," the student will be assigned to first grade in the "partner school" where there are open seats. When a child is enrolled in a partner school, they will receive all the benefits of attending the home school, including transportation, etc.

• If there is room in an appropriate section in their home school, they will be assigned to their home school. If that section has already reached its cap, the student will be assigned to a partner school. If subsequent openings occur at the home school, prior to the start of the school year, children will be reassigned back to the home school in the order in which their registrations, including the in-person presentation of necessary documents, were completed.

• Whenever possible, students will have the opportunity to attend the home school once space becomes available. Prior to the beginning of the school year, the District reserves the right to reassign partner school students back to their home school should space become available prior to the first day of school. Thereafter, families of partner school students in grades K-4 will be afforded a one-time option to return to their home school if space becomes available. Thereafter, the District may, but is not required, to offer an opportunity for Partner School students to return to their home school. Families of students who are subject to partner schooling in grade 4 will only be offered the opportunity to return to their home school at the ole discretion of the District.

It is important to note that no student currently assigned and attending a school will need to move schools - even if the school reaches maximum capacity; this plan is strictly for new registrants and families that move within the District to another attendance area.

To the greatest extent possible, students who are assigned to a partner school will be assigned to one within their current feeder pattern.

Important Note for Families Who Disenroll with Intent to Return to District: Any time a family disenrolls their student(s), they are considered a new registrant upon return and are subject to the timelines set forth herein. The District reserves the right to consider non-attendance or disenrollment of a temporary duration (less than 45 calendar days) as one that is not subject to this partner school plan. In order to qualify as a temporary disenrollment, the family must document their intent to return within a 45-day period to the building principal. Failure to provide advance notice will disqualify families from any such guaranteed right to return to their home school.

Important Note for Families Moving within the District: These assignment guidelines also apply to students that move between attendance areas within the District (for example, a 2^nd grade student attends Belmont Hills Elementary School during the 2023-24 school year and her family intends to move to the Merion Elementary School attendance area for the 2023-24 school year). Throughout the school year, we encourage prompt notice (generally within 10 days of the change of residence) of a change of address within the District’ boundaries to be directed to the District’s Central Registration Office in the District’s Administration Building.

The District will provide resources on the District website, including a complete list of Frequently Asked Questions, and will provide information to a variety of interested stakeholders, including parents, Pre-K providers, realtors, etc. Questions may be directed to info@lmsd.org.