High-School Partner-School Plan Paused for New 2024-2025 Enrollments

District Policy 206 and its accompanying Administrative Regulation 206-4 Assignment of Students within the District allow “Partner-Schooling.” Partner-schooling, which has been in place at elementary schools for many years, allows students to be assigned to a school outside of their catchment, or home school, to alleviate overcrowding. Recently, for the reasons shared as “Background” below and included in the 2024-2025 Registration FAQs, the Administration announced expanding partner-schooling to the high school level.

Since announcing that plan, the Administration has been able to further review enrollment projections from the Montgomery County Planning Commission, as well as recently collected data from students in the high school “choice zone.” There was also a review of high school partner-schooling’s impact on transportation in light of the two major initiatives beginning in September 2024 – LMSD Smart Start and universal full-day kindergarten.

As a result of this review, it has been determined that high school partner-schooling is not immediately necessary. While partner-schooling may be reinstated as the start of the 2024-2025 school years draws closer and additional students enroll, for now, the plan is being paused.

This means that students who live in the Lower Merion High School catchment and choose to attend Lower Merion High School will be assigned there. Again, the District reserves the option to reinstate high school partner-schooling at such time that enrollment levels make it prudent to do so.

Students transitioning from an LMSD middle school (Bala Cynwyd, Black Rock or Welsh Valley) would not be subject to partner-schooling if the plan is reinstated. 

Background:

The student populations at Lower Merion and Harriton high schools differ, with LMHS having more than 500 more students than Harriton. This can result in some classes at LMHS being much more crowded than corresponding classes at Harriton. Under the expansion of partner-schooling to the high school level, the administration planned to assign any newly enrolling high school students to Harriton High School (with transportation provided) to help address crowding concerns at LMHS.