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Lower Merion High School

Off-Canvas

Facts & Stats

Year opened: 1894 at Ardmore Avenue; Current site since 1910, with major alterations/additions in 1932, 1941, 1951, 1963. Capital Improvement Program completed with completion of construction of new LMHS in 2010.

Grade levels: 9-12

Type of school: Public

Number of students: 1,720

Teaching Faculty: 130.4 (Full time equivalent)

Student-Teacher Ratio: 12:1

Length of semester: 18 weeks

Campus Net Acreage: 38.33; 21.26 acres at high school site and 17.07 acres at Arnold Field

Facilities: State-of-the-art classrooms and science labs, lecture hall with tiered seating to help prepare students for the college environment, an 850-seat auditorium/theater, a greenhouse for environmental and horticultural studies, high-performance athletic facilities, a swimming pool, television studio, multi-media production facilities, a musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) lab, an open-air courtyard and a two story library that serves as the building's exterior focal point along Montgomery Avenue.

Percentage of minority students: 21.2% (9.6% Black/African-American, 8.8% Asian/Asian-American, 2.8% Latino/Hispanic, 0.3% Native American)

School colors: Maroon and white

School mascots: Aces; Bulldogs

Classes and Programs:
College Prep & Honors Courses: English, Mathematics, Science, World Language (French, Japanese, Latin, Spanish), Social Studies, Business, and Fine Arts.

Advanced Placement Courses: Biology, Chemistry, Physics C: Mechanics, Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism, Environmental Science, Calculus AB and BC, Statistics, Computer Science, English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition, Government and Politics: United States, U.S. History, French Language, Latin Literature, Spanish Language, and Music Theory.

Cooperative Work Experience Program: Provides students with part of the day in regular academic schedule and part of the day in meaningful work experience for pay.

Educational Field Experience Program: An internship program for students in their senior year to become actively involved in a business or community enterprise related to a career interest.

Community Service Program: Provides students with an opportunity to work in a volunteer capacity in a variety of community service organizations during the school year.

Scholar's Program of Studies: Intended to encourage students to pursue a broad liberal arts program of studies that exceeds the minimum high school school graduation requirements. A total of 14 credits in the four major academic disciplines (Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Foreign Language), distributed as 4 credits in two disciplines and 3 credits in other two disciplines, and 1/4 credit in a computer literacy course.

National Merit and National Achievement Scholarship Programs
Annually, approximately 11% of the LMHS graduating class is recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program.

Advanced Placement Exams
Annually, LMHS students earn a 3,4 or 5 on around 85% of AP exams.

Affiliations and Memberships
The College Board, Educational Records Bureau, American School Counselor Association, Pennsylvania School Counselors Association, National Association for College Admissions Counseling, Pennsylvania Association for College Admission Counseling

Notable Alumni

  • Charles "Chief" Anderson (1924) - "Father of Black Aviation," lead instructor of Tuskegee Airmen
  • Henry Harley "Hap" Arnold (1903) - Army General and founding father of the United States Air Force
  • Chuck Barris (1947) - TV writer/producer; Created The Dating Game, The Newlywed Game,The Gong Show
  • Julius W. Becton Jr. (1944) - Army General, Director of FEMA, and CEO of the Washington, DC public schools
  • Jim Brogan (1976) - Former NBA player; motivational speaker
  • James Billington (1946) - Librarian of Congress; Presidential Medal of Honor recipient
  • Kobe Bryant (1996) - NBA MVP, U.S. Olympian and member of the Los Angeles Lakers
  • Kenneth Derr (1955) - Former Chairman and CEO of Chevron
  • Robert Fagles (1951) - Princeton professor, poet, academic; Academy Award and National Book Award winner
  • Bobbito Garcia (1984) - Founder of Bounce Magazine; DJ/writer/producer/ESPN television host
  • Alexander M. Haig, Jr. (1942) - Army General and U.S. Secretary of State
  • Marshall Herskovitz (1969) - Emmy-award winning writer/director/producer
  • Wendell F. Holland (1970) - Chairman of the PA Public Utility Commission
  • Gerald Levin (1956) - Former Chairman and CEO of Time Warner
  • Nancy Meyers (1967) - Hollywood producer/director/writer; Father of the Bride, Something's Gotta Give
  • Michael Rosenfeld (1952) - Co-Founder of Creative Artists of America (CAA)
  • Lisa Scottoline (1973) - New York Times bestselling author
  • Behnaz Sarafpour (1987) - Fashion designer to the stars; Golden Thimble winner; CFDA member
  • Alec Scheiner (1988) - President of the Cleveland Browns
  • Lynn Sherr (1959) - ABC News, 20/20 Correspondent
  • Jay Sigel (1961) - Professional PGA golfer; 2-time US Amateur Champion
  • Jim Vance (LM 1960) - 19-time Emmy Award-winning news anchor, National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame