Merion Elementary School

This school is exemplary. The passion and purpose led by indefatigable principal Anne Heffron is remarkable. Teachers, like Mrs. Whalon and Mrs. Green helped my daughter, who came from another school mid-year, thrive academically and socially. I cannot commend them enough for their outstanding efforts. This school is run far better than some Quaker schools in the area. Bravo from a grateful parent.

This school is led by an outstanding principal and has dedicated, experienced teachers. They go above and beyond to provide a very strong education. By fourth and fifth grade, the kids are really pushed to achieve excellence in math, reading, and writing. The school community is very strong with very involved families.

Former Merion Elementary student here... I had a horrific experience at Merion as a child with Asperger's; I should have been recognized for my gifts, but instead I was shut away in Learning Support classes. The school refused to re-test me for years and years for their gifted program, Challenge. As an adult I am extremely insecure and damaged because of the trauma inflicted on me between kindergarten and 5th grade.

If you are the parent of a child with Asperger's or High Functioning Autism, you should absolutely NOT send your child to Merion Elementary, because Merion Elementary will not recognize or positively reinforce their unique gifts. They will only be seen as problem children to be tolerated at best and ostracized at worst.

I will never forgive Merion for excluding me from the gifted program DESPITE the fact that I was reading Vonnegut in 4th grade and Orwell in 5th. What happened to me there was inexcusable, and I cannot stand by and let the same thing happen to other children.

Merion has a very, very bad reputation in the Behavioral Health Field. It's a shame, since they're usually considered such a high-performing school. They're proud of their kids... as long as they fit in. But if your child is High Functioning Autistic, or has Asperger's, forget it. Fight for an out of district placement. Your child will love you for it.

Do not send a child with Asperger's or High Functioning Autism to this school. Fight for an out-of-district placement. LMSD has a horrible reputation in the mental health field, particularly where it comes to education (miseducating) persons like myself with Asperger's. I was made to attend learning support when I should have been in the Gifted Program. But obviously LMSD doesn't understand the principle of positive reinforcement. Do not send Aspie students to this school. It will only traumatize them.

I am a former student and survivor of their wretched approach to mental health (send all the kids with emotional problems and learning disorders to the same resource room). It was humiliating and not an experience I would wish on my worst enemy. Sure, LMSD gets great reviews, but don't be fooled. This school has no idea how to handle learning differences except by labeling them as disabilities.

I was a student at Merion Elementary. I had Asperger's and emotional problems. I was subjected to the trauma of being held back in Kindergarten because they got rid of the Pre-K program that would have been perfect for me and my parents stupidly didn't look into other options. For years after that, my IEP said "Emotional Support," but that was a lie. Really, I was made to go to Learning Support classes despite getting straight As in pretty much everything except gym class from 2nd or 3rd grade on. In addition to this, I read Vonnegut in 4th grade and had a higher vocabulary than most of my teachers, and YET I was still excluded from the Gifted Program ("Challenge"), which would have provided me with a boost of confidence I desperately needed. The result was a life of trauma and missed opportunity. I hold Merion Elementary School personally responsible for everything that's gone wrong in my life since I left its uncaring clutches.

If your child has HFA (High Functioning Autism) or Asperger's, avoid Merion Elementary like the Black Plague.