'The Shape of Things to Come' In Lower Merion Schools

ARDMORE, PA -- What does the future of the Lower Merion School District look like?

At an upcoming presentation, the district will answer questions regarding enrollment growth trends and how to accomodate more students in existing buildings. It's part of the district's "Our Schools, Our Future: The Shape of Things to Come" presentation, scheduled for November 14 at 6:30 p.m.

The event will be held in the Administration Board Room, located at 301 East Montgomery Avenue in Ardmore.

During the meeting, community members will hear the results of two independently-conducted enrollment studies. The first report will be presented by Sundance Associates, a demographic consulting firm located in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, the district said.

This presentation will be followed by an updated demographic report from the Montgomery County Planning Commission (MCPC). The District said that they received an enrollment study from MCPC in April of 2015, with an update in November 2016, A discussion on what the findings from both reports mean for the future of Lower Merion School District and its facilities will follow at a later date.

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Lower Merion has been under fire in recent weeks after a court ordered the district to reverse a 4.4 percent tax hike, saying the increase was too steep and over legal limitations.

According to Superintendent Robert Copeland, the enrollment reports will enable the District to make informed decisions based on two distinct sources of data. "Information is power," said Copeland. "I am glad we have chosen a path that equips us with enrollment reports from two expert sources."

The District said that they encourages community participation. "Decisions about Lower Merion's facility needs cannot and will not be made hastily. We encourage our community to be part of this process by joining us on November 14 and continuing to take part in the conversation moving forward," said Copeland.

This article includes information gathered by Leza Raffel.

Patch file photo.