Thanks to Act 1, the Pennsylvania Taxpayer Relief Act, Lower Moreland Township School District residents will be receiving a reduction in their 2021-22 school tax bill. Through a provision of the law, school districts throughout the state will be receiving revenue generated by legalized gambling as well as Sterling Tax revenue (the sum of (1) resident wages earned within City of Philadelphia and (2) wages earned outside of Philadelphia but not taxed by the school district because of application of the Philadelphia wage tax credit) and this revenue will be used to lower residents’ property taxes.

The property tax reduction will come in the form of a reduction in property’s assessed taxable value, not in the form of a rebate check. When residents receive the tax bills in July, they may notice additional information on their bill noting an assessment reduction (homestead/farmstead exclusion) which equates to a specific reduction in the overall tax bill. Original assessed value totals and original tax liability information will also be noted on the bill.

It is important to note that residents are only eligible for the property tax reduction if they have filed the appropriate homestead/farmstead exclusion form and have been approved for the exclusion by the county’s assessor’s office. The assessment reduction and net overall reduction on the tax bill will be the same for all approved homeowners. In 2020/21, the amount of revenue received helped to reduce eligible taxpayer’s tax burden by $425. The projection for 2021/22 is also $425 based solely on a slight increase of revenue received from the State but a corresponding increase in the number of approved homesteads.

If you did not file this form, you will not be eligible for this year’s property tax reduction. To become eligible next year, please be sure to complete a homestead/farmstead exclusion form. Homeowners who are not approved from the previous year are sent a notification by the County by the end of December of the previous tax year to sign up for the next year. To obtain a form, visit the assessment department on the Montgomery County website (www.montcopa.org) and download the form.

Homestead/Farmstead applications are due by March 1 of every year. Residents who acquire property in the school district after March 1 must wait until the following year to qualify for the exclusion. The county assessor must notify the property owner of the approval or denial of the exclusion no later than 30 days after the applications receipt. Residents who have an approved application on file for their current residence do not need to re-apply annually.

We are very much looking forward to welcoming our students back to in-person instruction, five days a week, for the 2021-2022 school year! In light of recent communications from Governor Wolf and the major health agencies, we anticipate that the upcoming year will be a return to "normal." With this in mind, the district anticipates the in-school attendance of the majority of its students. Any families with extenuating circumstances should contact their child's Principal by June 30, 2021, in order to address concerns regarding learning location.

An update on the curriculum renewal process was provided at the June 1, 2021 Work Session of the Board of School Directors. Areas that were in years one or two of research included English/Language Arts, Health and Physical Education, Science, Library and Technology. A recording of the update, including the recommended adoption of resources, can be found here.

Finally, a limited number of seats remain in the summer enrichment program. These classes are free to Lower Moreland students and offer a variety of engaging opportunities. Available classes are linked here and enrollment will be taken online through My School Bucks. Enrollment is now open and registration will be closed on June 30th or when class enrollment is full.

The Technology Department supports information technology systems and instructional technology programs and practices in the district. This month, our instructional coaches share some useful tech tips for students and families. Check out this resource from Google to help manage the challenges families face with technology and children.

End-of-Year Wrap-up

As the school year winds down, the Office of Student Services would like to wish parents and students a safe and relaxing summer and say, “Thank You” for working with our teachers and staff to make this school year a successful one for our students with special needs. We would also like to remind all parents of students with IEPs to continue to work with your child during the summer months to reinforce skills and help them prepare for next school year. If your child has been found eligible for Extended School Year, please take advantage of those services which are provided to prevent regression in skills during extended breaks. Our program will run from July 6th to August 5th, Monday through Thursday, from 9:00am-12:00pm.

Kindergarten and First Grade Summer Fun

In order to assist with the reinforcement of fine motor skills for some of our younger students during the summer months our Occupational Therapist, Mrs. Hill, has provided the following list of activities you can do with your child to reinforce fine motor skills:

Games: Operation, Kerplunk, Cooties, Pop Up Pirate, Hi Ho Cheerio, Don't Spill the Beans, Sneaky Snaky Squirrel, Rush Hour Jr, Kanoodle, Mental Blox, Giggle Wiggle, Twister

Other items: Puzzles (24+), Small Legos, Hidden picture books, Activity/coloring books

Apps: Handwriting Without Tears, Dexteria Jr, iTrace, iWrite Words

Fun way to practice writing: Trace letters in the sand, sidewalk chalk, shaving cream, make letter “roads” for cars to drive on, fill a bag with hair gel for long car rides and the kids can practice their letters and site words, use magic paint (water and a paint brush) outside, build letters with rocks/sticks.

https://pts-inc.net/parents-and-teachers/parent-resources/occupational-therapy-elementary-home-activities/

Special Education Data Report

Each year the Pennsylvania Bureau of Special Education reports to the public on the performance of each local educational agency (LEA) on the targets established in the State Performance Plan. This report is published as a “data at a glance” document that can be found by clicking here. These reports are always published using data from the previous school year so this report details the 2019-2020 school year.