The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania requires all school districts to prepare budgets for their General Fund which account for the day-to-day operations of the school district. Budgets must be approved by June 30 for the fiscal year beginning July 1, and ending June 30 the subsequent year. For the Lower Moreland Township School District, the budget process begins in September of the preceding year when the Act 1 index is announced. This index is set by the State and denotes a limit a district can raise local real estate taxes. For the 2023/24 budget year, this index is 4.1%. In keeping with the practice of staying at or below the Act 1 index, and in accordance with a resolution passed by the Board of School Directors, the District cannot raise taxes beyond the 4.1% Act 1 index. At the April School Board Meeting, the Board of School Directors approved a preliminary budget that showed a preliminary tax increase of 3.97%. Details of that presentation can be found at https://www.lmtsd.org/Page/13641. The District will continue to endeavor to bring the proposed increase down and be as fiscally prudent as possible. The final budget is scheduled to be adopted In June of 2023.

Every year the district focuses on curricular areas to renew. A renewal takes place over a number of years and includes an evaluation of current programming, a review of all aspects of curriculum and instruction, and the procurement of resources for use during the implementation of the program. Here is a summary of the 2022-2023 curriculum work that is being presented at the May 9th meeting of the Board of School Directors:

• Social Studies (Year One): Strengths of the program include rigorous secondary offerings, interdisciplinary approaches, real-life and real-world connections, and the sense of acceptance and support felt by students. Areas noted for improvement include offering social studies-related clubs and field trips, active learning opportunities, additional exposure to diverse topics and perspectives, the inclusion of current events, and career connections.
• Business (Year One): Strengths of the program include the opportunity for students to make and experience real-world connections, personalized content, and financial literacy curriculum. Areas noted for improvement include offering business-related activities for interested students, additional or different electives, and establishing connections to colleges, universities, and career-related experiences.
• Mathematics (Year Two): After a pilot and evaluation process, the following materials are being recommended to the Board of School Directors for adoption: Everyday Mathematics 4 (grades K-5), Carnegie Math Solution (grades 6-8, Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II)
• World Language (Year Two): Vista Higher Learning, Chemins (French I-AP), Vista Higher Learning, Temas (AP Spanish Language), Teacher's Discovery, Flangoo Interactive Readers (Spanish III-VI)
  
  

Professional development will be provided to assist teachers with the implementation of new resources during the 2023-2024 school year.

The Technology Department supports information technology systems and instructional technology programs and practices in the district. Each month, we highlight how our students and teachers engage in 21st Century learning activities. We also share updates on new initiatives and tips and tricks related to devices and technology tools used in the district.

Fourth and fifth grade students at Pine Road are working with Fabmaker to design and create 3D shapes. Fabmaker is a web-based prototyping application in which students can design and build 3D objects. Students in fifth grade designed and fabricated 3D shapes that they learned about in their geometry unit. Fourth grade students are using Fabmaker to create a landmark or capitol building for a state they are researching in social studies.

The New Lower Moreland High School Documentary Team has been hard at work since the start of the construction project. The student documentary team captures still photos and video footage, chronicles construction milestones, and conducts interviews with project personnel. Their mission is to document the construction of the new high school and a brighter chapter in the Lower Moreland community. The documentary website and interview episodes can be found here: documentary website.

The district has a number of students who will be participating in the Special Olympic Track and Field Day on May 23, 2023. The event is being hosted once again by the Hatboro-Horsham School District. The day is filled with race events including the 50-meter race, 200-meter race, 200-meter race, wheelchair slalom, wheelchair 25-meter race, standing long jump, and tennis and softball throw. However, the day is not all sports, as there is also time built into the day when the students can hang out and socialize with students from other school districts while participating in fun activities like bracelet making, coloring, and yard games.

May is Better Hearing and Speech Month! Throughout the month, the LMTSD Speech Dept. will provide the Lower Moreland staff with information on speech and language disorders, tips to make classrooms communication-friendly, hold some fun speech/language trivia events, and offer suggestions for how teachers can protect their own voice and hearing.