District profile / Pennsylvania
Lower Merion School District
8,533
Students
2024-25 school year
11
Schools
2024-25 school year
$28,096
Spending per student
FY2020-21 · 78% above the Pennsylvania median
11.1
Students per teacher
2024-25 · Pennsylvania median 13.4
Lower Merion School District is a public school district based in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, serving 8,533 students in 11 schools. By enrollment it ranks #23 of the 382 Pennsylvania districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 94% of them. Its schools average 776 students each, more than the Pennsylvania median of 560. Its superintendent is Frank Ranelli. It spends about $28,096 per student on day-to-day operations, 78% more than the Pennsylvania median. It has roughly 11.1 students per teacher. We've matched 2 news stories to the district.
How Lower Merion compares
Lower MerionPennsylvania median, districts with 1,000+ students
Spending and staffing
Where the money comes from$289.4 million in revenue · FY2020-21
Federal 2%State 14%Local 84%
| Measure | Lower Merion | Pennsylvania median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $28,096 | $15,764 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $18,584 | $10,126 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $299.9 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $289.4 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 768 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Total staff (full-time equivalent) | 1,620 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 11.1 | 13.4 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 275 | 328 | 2024-25 |
Spending: NCES school district finance survey (F-33), FY2020-21. Staffing and enrollment: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25. Via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. The Pennsylvania median compares districts with 1,000 or more students.
Leadership
Moves tracker →Frank Ranelli
Source: Pennsylvania Department of Education, EdNA, checked 2026-10-19. Report a change
In the news
2 stories matchedPeer districts in Pennsylvania
Compare side by side →| District | Students | Schools | Spending per student | Students per teacher | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Allegheny School DistrictPittsburgh | 8,613 | 11 | $17,893 | 13.9 | #22 |
| Lower Merion School DistrictArdmore · this district | 8,533 | 11 | $28,096 | 11.1 | #23 |
| Abington School DistrictAbington | 8,400 | 9 | $17,569 | 14.9 | #24 |
| Wilkes-Barre Area School DistrictWilkes Barre | 8,228 | 9 | $12,267 | 19.7 | #25 |
| Spring-Ford Area School DistrictRoyersford | 8,101 | 11 | $18,101 | 13.3 | #26 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilkes County SchoolsNorth Wilkesboro, NC | 8,547 | $10,776 | 15.1 |
| Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint UnifiedYucaipa, CA | 8,524 | $13,008 | 23.4 |
| Putnam County SchoolsWinfield, WV | 8,518 | $12,241 | 13.2 |
| Sequoia Union HighRedwood City, CA | 8,516 | $20,527 | 17.6 |
Peers are the districts closest in enrollment, so they can still differ in many other ways. Enrollment, school counts and phone numbers are from the NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25.
Printed from Superintendent's Corner: https://superintendentscorner.com/district-pa-lower-merion-school-district