Lower Merion Among 'Most Envied' School Districts In US: New Survey

LOWER MERION TOWNSHIP, PA — The Lower Merion School District has earned many accolades over the years, and those laurels have made it the "most envied" district in the nation. That's according to a new ranking from an online company whose services include helping students prepare for college entrance exams and other educational and career guidance.

Test Prep Insight’s list of the “Most Envied School Districts in the US” is based on a survey of 3,000 parents who were asked about the learning environment they’d most like for their children if given a choice. The most desirable schools were in wealthy suburbs of major metropolitan areas, the survey showed.

The survey found LMSD as the most envied.

"In the Philadelphia area, Lower Merion offers a comprehensive educational program with a rich array of extracurricular activities, making it highly sought after by families," the website wrote.

Nearby, the Tredyffrin Easttown School District was ranked the 59th most envied and Radnor Township School District the 98th.

Other Pennsylvania district's that were ranked well included North Allegheny School District (No. 6) and Central Bucks School District (No. 146).

Nationally, all but three of the most envied school districts are located on the East Coast. Test Prep Insight said its survey results underscore disparities in educational opportunities across the country that are largely influenced by local economic health and the robustness of the tax base.

The survey showed the 10 most-envied schools in the country are:

1. Lower Merion School District, Pennsylvania
2. Great Neck Public Schools, New York
3. Jericho Union Free School District, New York
4. Eanes Independent School District, Texas
5. Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, North Carolina
6. North Allegheny School District, Pennsylvania
7. North Kingstown School Department, Rhode Island
8. Teton County School District #1, Wyoming
9. Ridgefield Public Schools, Connecticut
10. Scottsdale Unified School District, Arizona

The company said its survey not only highlights the most sought-after school districts but also brings to light the broader implications of how educational opportunities are distributed in society.

The company said respondents in its February survey were adults reflecting diversity in age, gender and geography, and that internal data sources were used to obtain population data. A two-step process was used to ensure representation through stratified sampling and post-stratification weighting, the company said.