Lower Merion SD operates 11 public schools serving 8,523 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Pennsylvania. The school portfolio breaks down into 9 elementary, 2 high schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 8,533 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Montgomery County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $38,384 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 83.7% local, 14.1% state, and 2.3% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $169,257 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 69/100, ranked #127 of 659 in Pennsylvania against a state average of 49 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 2 of 11 schools offering Advanced Placement (47 AP courses district-wide), a 298.3:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 7.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 63.6% White, 11.9% Asian, 8.5% African American across the district's schools.
Lower Merion Hs accounts for 19.6% of all Lower Merion SD student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Lower Merion SD-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
Lower Merion SD school enrollment varies 4.7× across entities
Lower Merion SD school enrollment ranges from 358 students (lowest) to 1,674 students (highest), a spread of 1,316 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio — most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Lower Merion SD student-counselor ratio is 298:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment — districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Variation between sub-units within Lower Merion SD is typically wider than the Lower Merion SD-aggregate figure suggests.
Lower Merion SD chronic absenteeism rate is 7.6% — low (typically associated with lower-than-average attendance disruption; districts in this range often have attendance interventions, robust transportation, or smaller catchments that reduce barriers)
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason — illness, family obligations, or disengagement Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.
Lower Merion SD has 11 schools, including 2 high, 9 elementary. Total enrollment is 8,523 students.
How much does Lower Merion SD spend per student?
Lower Merion SD spends $38,384 per student. The district has an equity score of 69/100, ranking #127 in Pennsylvania.
What is the average teacher salary in Lower Merion SD?
The average teacher salary in Lower Merion SD is $169,257 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Lower Merion SD?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Montgomery County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of Lower Merion SD?
Lower Merion SD students are 63.6% White, 11.9% Asian, 8.5% African American, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, averaged across 11 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Lower Merion SD?
Lower Merion SD has an equity score of 69/100, ranking #127 out of 659 districts in Pennsylvania. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.