School Profile 2023-2024
LOWER MERION HIGH SCHOOL
Lower Merion School District
Nationally recognized for excellence in education
315 E. Montgomery Avenue, Ardmore, PA 19003
Phone: (610) 645-1838 Fax: (610) 658-8720 CEEB/ACT Code: 390105
Administration
Dr. Steven Yanni
Superintendent of Schools
Richard Marta
Supervisor of K-12 Counseling, Testing & Holistic Supports
Dr. Michael Johnson
Principal
Karen deFranco
Assistant Principal - Grade 9
Jon Fadely
Assistant Principal - Grade 11
Olufemi Fadeyibi
Assistant Principal - Grade 10
G. Scott Kilpatrick
Assistant Principal - Grade 12
Jason Stroup
Director - Athletics/Activities
Porsche Johnson
Secretary - Registrar
Danielle Nunan
Secretary - Counseling
Counselors
Lower Merion School District serves the 62,000 residents of Lower Merion Township and Narberth Borough, a diverse, suburban community located just west of Philadelphia. The ethnic/racial composition of the school district is: 65% White/Caucasian, 8% Black/African-American, 11% Asian Pacific Islander, 6% Hispanic, and 10% Multi-Racial.
General Information
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 1780
- Graduating Class: 454
- Type of School: Public
- Full time Faculty: 156
- Teacher to Student Ratio: 1:11
- Length of Semester: 18 weeks
- Class Periods: 55 minutes
While students are encouraged to grow academically, we counsel
students to balance their course load with all their obligations
outside and beyond the classroom.
Advanced Placement Courses
- Art: 2D and 3D
- Biology
- Calculus: AB and BC
- Chemistry
- Computer Science A, Principles
- Economics: Macro, Micro
- English: Language and Composition; Literature and Composition
- Environmental Science
- French Language
- Human Geography
- Latin
- Music Theory
- Physics 1
- Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism; Mechanics
- Psychology
- Spanish Language
- Statistics
- United States History
- United States Government/Politics
Courses are designated on the student’s transcript with AP.
Calculation of Grade Point Average
Grade point average (GPA) is calculated at the end of each school year using only final grades in the five major academic areas: English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and World Languages. Honors, AP, and IB level courses are calculated on a weighted 5.0 scale and College Prep courses are calculated on a 4.0 scale. The GPA is reported on a weighted 5.0 scale.
Honors Courses
Art: Advanced Ceramics and Metal Arts 3/4/5, Advanced Film Photography 3/4/5, Art 1/2/3, Communication Design 3/4/5, 9th grade Art
English: 1/2/3; Creative Writing, Film and Literature, Heroes and Monsters: Classic British Lit, Journalism, Modern and Contemporary Literature, Reading and Writing Non-Fiction, Sports in Literature and Non-Fiction,Theater Arts: Drama Survey and Appreciation, Voices in African-American Literature and Non-Fiction
Mathematics: Advanced Topics in Linear Algebra and Discrete Mathematics, Computer Science 1/2, Computer Science Seminar, Integrated Math 2/3, Pre-calculus, Mathematics Seminar, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Cyber Security (H).
Music: Concert Band, Concert Choir, Symphony Orchestra, Music Major
Science: Foundations of Advanced Engineering & Design (H), Advanced Engineering & Design I, Architectural Design, Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Aided Drafting and Design, Foundations of Engineering and Design (Beg/Adv), Genetics, Geology, Human Anatomy/Physiology, Innovation and Invention Robotics, Meteorology, Physics, Oceanography, Organic Chemistry
Social Studies: Black Excellence: The Politics, Economics, and Culture of an American People, Economics, Global Studies I, Global Studies II, Global Citizenship, Philosophy and Modern Culture, Psychology, U.S. Government, U.S. History
World Languages: French 1/2/3/4/5/6 (for Global Competence), Japanese 1/2, Latin 1/2/3/4/6, Spanish 1/2 (Spanish Speaker) Spanish 1/2/3/4/5/6 (for Global Competence)
All courses designated on the transcript by the word Honors or the letter H are accelerated and enriched.
Class Rank
No class rank is recorded on a student’s transcript.
Any institution may request in writing from the School Counseling
Department the class rank of any student if class rank is required for
admission to that school or needed for any scholarship program. The
class rank reported is weighted and includes only major academic
subject courses completed in grades 9-11.
Grading System
- A+ = 97-100
- A = 93-96
- A- = 90-92
- B+ = 87-89
- B = 83-86
- B- = 80-82
- C+ = 77-79
- C = 73-76
- C- = 70-72
- D+ = 67-69
- D = 63-66
- D- = 60-62
- F = <60
- Floor = 50
- I = Incomplete
- M = Medical Excuse
- WP = Withdrew Passing
- WF = Withdrew Failing
- P = Passing in Pass/Fail
- F = Failing in Pass/Fail
- AU = Audit (no credit)
- NG = No Grade (no credit)
Minimum Graduation Requirements for Class of 2022
4.00 credits of English
(1 credit each year)
4.00 credits of Social Studies
(Global Studies I, Global Studies II, United States History, and United States Government)
3.00 credits of Mathematics
3.00 credits of Science
2.00 credits of Arts and Humanities
0.50 credit of Health
1.00 credit of Physical Education (all four years)
3.50 credits of Electives
A total of 21 credits are required, and completion of a Senior Project is mandatory
Advanced Placement Exams (2023)
Total Candidates: 553
Total Exams: 1,193
Grades of 5: 315
Grades of 4: 359
Grades of 3: 224
81% of all AP exam scores were 3, 4, or 5
Total exam score average of 3.6
National Merit, National Achievement Scholarship Program and National Hispanic Recognition Program (2022)
Finalists: 15
Semifinalists: 15
Commended: 26
On average more than 14% of each graduating class is recognized by the National Merit Program.
ACT Summary (2023)
Test | Middle 50% | Mean |
---|---|---|
English | 25-34 | 29.5 |
Math | 25-34 | 28.4 |
Reading | 24-34 | 29.2 |
Science | 25-34 | 28.7 |
STEM | 25-33 | 28.2 |
Composite | 25-33 | 28.8 |
SAT Summary (2023)
Testing Area | Middle 50% | Mean |
---|---|---|
Evidence Based Reading & Writing | 580-700 | 638 |
Mathematics | 560-700 | 631 |
Total | 1150-1400 | 1270 |
Continuing Education
Approximately 94% of Lower Merion High School graduates continue a program of higher education. Approximately 88% of the class enroll in 4 year colleges, 6% in 2 year colleges. The 6% that do not attend higher education enroll in the military, participate in a gap year, attend a career school, or are employed full-time.
A Sampling of Colleges Attended by Lower Merion students (2023)
American University, Bard College, Barnard College, Berea College, Boston College, Boston University, Bowdoin College, Brown University, Cabrini University, Carleton College, Champlain College, College of Charleston, Community College of Philadelphia, Cornell University, Davidson College, Delaware County, Community College, Delaware State University, Drexel University, Duke University, Fairfield University, Fordham University, Franklin and Marshall College, Georgetown University, Goucher College, Hampshire College, Howard University, Indiana University, Ithaca College, James Madison University, Lafayette College, Macalester College, Marist College, Michigan State University, Montgomery County Community College, Morgan State University, New York University, Norfolk State University, Northeastern University, Oberlin College, Ohio State University, Pennsylvania State University, Saint Joseph's University, Spelman College, Syracuse University, Temple University, The George Washington University, Thomas Jefferson University, Towson University, Tufts University, University of Arizona, University of Connecticut, University of Florida, University of Georgia, University of Hartford, University of Maryland, University of Michigan, University of North Carolina Wilmington, University of Pennsylvania, University of Pittsburgh, University of Portland, University of Rhode Island, University of Rochester, University of Southern California, University of Vermont, University of Virginia, Vassar College, Virginia Tech, Wagner College, Wake Forest University, Washington State University, Washington University in St Louis, West Chester University of Pennsylvania, West Virginia University, Widener University
Gwynedd Mercy University dual Enrollment
Juniors and Seniors have the opportunity to earn college credit through the dual enrollment program. College credit is offered in Introduction to Marketing Management (3 credits), and Introduction to Business Seminar (3 credits).
Recent Awards and Accomplishments
Fifteen students from Lower Merion High School were named Semifinalists by the 2023 National Merit Scholarship.
For the 13th consecutive year, LMSD earned a "Best Communities in Music Education" designation from the NAMM Foundation for providing outstanding music access and education to all students.
Niche ranked LMSD as the 4th best District in the state, noting our student population is larger than any other district in Top 15. LMSD and its ten rated schools all earned A+ Niche grades.
LMSD's Transportation Department won the 2023 Advanced Clean Tech (ACT) Leading School Fleet Award for leadership in sustainable transportation and a commitment to improving local air quality.
Lower Merion's Girls' Ultimate Frisbee team won the State Championship.
Students from the Harriton, Lower Merion, Bala Cynwyd, Black Rock and Welsh Valley TSA teams won 168 top-ten placements, including 26 first-place and 60 top-three finishes, at the State TSA Conference.
Lower Merion 11th grader Eilis Brannigan won the Kobe College Corporation-Japan Education Exchange (KCC-JEE) High School Essay Contest, earning her a summer trip to further studies in Kyoto.
ENTER TO LEARN, GO FORTH TO SERVE