Penn Valley Student Honored for School Safety Proposal

A fence around each Pennsylvania school? David Lu thinks it 'ought to be a law.'

Ah, the wisdom of children. David Lu, a fifth grader at Penn Valley Elementary, recently won Rep. Tim Briggs' annual "There Ought to be a Law" essay contest with a proposal on school safety. Lu suggested a law that would secure all school entrances, install fences along school property, and mandate all students and staff participate in regular safety drills. Lu's essay was selected from over 400 submissions. Briggs, who attended a recent Lower Merion School Board of Directors meeting to present David and the other finalists with an official citation from the state house celebrating their accomplishment, said the annual contest provides him with a valuable reminder: his constituents include children, as well as grownups. “I represent 62,000…

• Photos (1)

Lower Merion's Oldest School Gears Up for 100th Birthday

Cynwyd Elementary is hitting the century mark.

Cynwyd Elementary School is turning 100. And on Wednesday, the school will kick-off the yearlong celebration of its 100th anniversary with Cynwyd Community Day. The event, which runs from 9:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., will include track and field events for the students, sidewalk art, and games.  Students will also get a chance to choose one of four potential logos to appear on all promotional materials raising awareness of Cynwyd Elementary's milestone. The logos were designed by graphic artists, and Cynwyd parents, Christine Weatherwax and Ute Kraidy. “It’s wonderful that we’re the first school turning 100. I’m honored as co-president to be planning this year’s look into our history," said Cynwyd Elementary HSA Co-President Peg Wahrman. Funds …

• Photos (1)

'I'm Shmacked' Behind Chaos in West Chester, Partygoers Say

The production company, co-founded by a Lower Merion graduate, documents wild parties and posts the video online.

"I'm Shmacked," an increasingly popular production company that specializes in video of teens and college students having wild parties, has been implicated in the near riot that led to a flipped car on Walnut Street in West Chester this weekend, Action News is reporting. According to Philly.com, "I'm Shmacked" was co-founded by 2011 Lower Merion High School graduate Jeffrie Ray. West Chester Police broke up a party on Saturday that was attended by as many as 500 people, West Chester Patch is reporting. Party-goers reportedly paid $15 each to get into the private house near West Chester University's campus. According to reports, the party spilled out into the 400 block of Walnut Street after police broke it up, at which point a group …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)

Bradley Out as Welsh Valley Principal

Dr. Orathia Bradley, who was hired in June, will continue with the school in an administrative role.

After just 10 months at the helm of the school, Orathia Bradley was removed from her post as principal of Welsh Valley Middle School effective Tuesday, Lower Merion School District has confirmed. Bradley will be moved to an administrative role in the school while Chris Hall, formerly the LMSD supervisor of student achievement programs, will assume the responsibilities associated with the office. Bradley will, however, hold the title of principal until the close of the school year. According to district communications director Doug Young, Bradley was not suspected of wrongdoing or impropriety of any kind, the district simply decided to move in another direction. "Bottom line, the administration felt this was the best decision for the day-to…

•  20 Comments
• Photos (1)
• Documents (1)

rich dubby

1:14 pm on Sunday, May 5, 2013

this is the truth most of the school knows someone back me up   more ›

LMSD Parent: Music, Art, Languages at Risk for Young Students

A parent writes that the Lower Merion School District administration has been quietly aiming to pass a scheduling change that would significantly reduce class time allotted to 'Specials' at the elementary school level.

Lower Merion Residents Face a Tax Hike

The proposed real estate taxes have been decreased from the originally proposed 4.4 percent, but not by much.

  Lower Merion Township property owners may be facing a 3.82 percent school tax increase for the 2013-14 school year. Main Line Media News reports that the "total expenditures in the 2013-14 budget is estimated at $221,634,342 which is down from $222,134,342 in the budget released in February. It is, however, still an increase in the current 2012-13 school year of $212,809,404 in spending." Business manager for the Lower Merion School District Victor Orlando said that "a property in Lower Merion with an average assessed value of $250,680 would have a tax bill of $5,887 this year. Under the new budget figures presented Monday night, the new tax bill would be $6,112. That represents a total tax hike of $225 for that home with the medium …

• Photos (1)

4.4% School Tax Hike May Get Some Relief

Finding $1 million in the school district's budget would bring it to about 3.8 percent.

Lower Merion School District officials are working to reduce the 4.4 percent tax hike proposed with the 2013-14 preliminary budget. Business manager Victor Orlando said the district could reduce contracted services by about a half-million dollars, according to Main Line Media News. The newspaper continues: On the revenue side, the district estimates that it expects to bring in an additional half-million dollars in taxes that had not been anticipated. “If it’s around a million, it would bring [the tax increase] down to somewhere between 3.8 or 3.9 percent,” Orlando said. Contracted services can include areas such as technology and operations. According to Supt. Chris McGinley, the district is current spending more on transportation because …

• Photos (1)

Elementary Schedule Changes, Budget Discussed in LMSD Superintendent Letter

Increasing the Lower Merion High School choice area is also being discussed.

Ways to reduce an estimated 4.4 percent tax increase and discussions about increasing the Lower Merion High School choice area are two of the major topics discussed by Lower Merion School District Superintendent Christopher McGinley in a letter posted Wednesday on the school district's website. In McGinley's spring update to LMSD families, he also mentions recent studies of district elementary schools, with maximizing instructional time a primary goal. The district aims "...to make the elementary school day a more organized experience so that students who receive support or enrichment services outside of the regular classroom are not missing new instruction," he writes.  Elementary school principals will be recommending changes to the …

• Photos (1)

Preliminary Budget Carries Tax Increase

Lower Merion's school board approved a 2013-14 preliminary budget Tuesday.

Lower Merion's school board on Tuesday approved a $222 million preliminary budget for the 2013-14 school year. That budget, which will likely be reduced over the coming months, would carry a 4.4 percent real estate tax increase. The preliminary budget serves as a starting point in the budget approval process, said district spokesperson Doug Young. In May, the board is expected approve a “proposed budget,” a more refined budget that forms the foundation for a “final budget” to be approved by the board in June, Young said. School officials had previously cautioned residents that this year’s tax increase is likely to be steeper than last year’s 1.99 percent increase. Altogether, this year’s budget is $222,134,342, with a $7,665,709 funding …

• Photos (1)
• Documents (1)

Lower Merion School District Expects Bigger Tax Hike This Year

The increase was 1.99 percent in 2012-13. The preliminary budget for 2013-14 includes about $222 million in expenses with a potential $7.7 million funding gap.

Lower Merion School District officials introduced the preliminary budget for 2013-14 at Monday night’s school board meeting, cautioning residents that this year’s tax increase is likely to be steeper than last year’s 1.99 percent increase. Altogether, this year’s budget is $222,134,342, with a $7,665,709 funding gap, according to business manager Victor Orlando. That $7.7 million gap would require a tax increase of 4.4 percent, Orlando said.  For a $250,000 home—the median household assessment in Lower Merion Township—that’s a $259 increase over last year, for a total tax bill of $6,146. Orlando noted several major factors impacting this year’s budget, including salary increases and 16 new faculty and staff positions to accommodate …

•  1 Comment
• Documents (1)