Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Elementary Schools

Best Elementary Schools
in Lower Merion SD

This page covers 6 elementary schools in Lower Merion SD. Rankings use a composite of neighborhood opportunity, class sizes, and per-student investment — signals available consistently from federal data across all US public schools. Schools in this district score near the national median on neighborhood opportunity. Use these rankings as a starting point; pair them with school visits and conversations with local parents before making any enrollment decision.

6
Schools Ranked
Pennsylvania
State
None
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

Elementary Schools Rankings

Showing 6 of 6
1
rank
Penn Wynne Sch
Grades KG–04615 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (12.7:1) · above-average investment ($38,412/student)
84
/100
Student:Teacher
12.7:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$38,412
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
19%
Low economic need
2
rank
Gladwyne Sch
Grades KG–04540 students
Ranked for: high-opportunity neighborhood (66/100) · small class sizes (12.4:1)
78
/100
Student:Teacher
12.4:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
66/100
Above nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$38,412
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
9%
Low economic need
3
rank
Belmont Hills El Sch
Grades KG–04344 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (10.4:1) · above-average investment ($38,412/student)
76
/100
Student:Teacher
10.4:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
56/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$38,412
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
16%
Low economic need
4
rank
Merion El Sch
Grades KG–04446 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (11.6:1) · above-average investment ($38,412/student)
75
/100
Student:Teacher
11.6:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
58/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$38,412
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
13%
Low economic need
5
rank
Cynwyd Sch
Grades KG–04431 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (12.5:1) · above-average investment ($38,412/student)
74
/100
Student:Teacher
12.5:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
56/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$38,412
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
11%
Low economic need
6
rank
Penn Valley Sch
Grades KG–04514 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (11.3:1) · above-average investment ($38,412/student)
73
/100
Student:Teacher
11.3:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
53/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$38,412
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
17%
Low economic need
How We Rank Elementary Schools

Each school receives a composite score (0–100) built from 4 federal data signals, weighted to reflect what matters most at the elementary school level. All signals are normalised against national benchmarks so a school's score reflects its standing across the entire US, not just within this district.

Neighborhood Opportunity
40%
Harvard Opportunity Atlas score for the school's neighbourhood. Higher means children from this area historically achieve stronger economic outcomes.
Student-Teacher Ratio
30%
Lower ratio = smaller classes = more individual attention per child. Normalised against national range.
Per-Pupil Expenditure
20%
Annual district spending per enrolled student from the NCES F-33 Finance Survey. Compared against national average.
Free Lunch Rate
10%
Percentage of students qualifying for free/reduced-price lunch. Used as a neighbourhood economic-context signal.
Test scores are excluded: they are not published as consistent open federal data across all states, making reliable cross-district comparison impossible with this signal alone.
District at a Glance
6
Elementary Schools
10
Total Schools
84
#1 Score
77
Avg Score
Top Ranked Elementary School
1
Penn Wynne Sch
Score: 84/100
Other School Levels
Compare Lower Merion SD with neighbouring districts
⇄ Compare districts
Frequently Asked Questions
About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets: NCES Common Core of Data (enrollment, school characteristics, student-teacher ratios), NCES F-33 Finance Survey (per-pupil expenditure), Harvard Opportunity Atlas (neighbourhood opportunity scores). Federal data is published on an annual cycle and may not reflect the very latest school-year changes. Rankings reflect available data and should be used as a starting point — not a substitute for visiting schools or consulting district resources directly. What this ranking does not measure: teacher quality, classroom culture, extracurricular programmes, school safety, or parent and student satisfaction.