Lower Merion High School


Lower Merion High School is a public high school in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, in the Main Line suburbs of Philadelphia. It is one of two high schools in the Lower Merion School District; the other one is Harriton High School. Lower Merion serves both Lower Merion Township and the Borough of Narberth.
In 2026, Niche.com ranked Lower Merion High School ranked 7th among college preparatory public high schools and public high schools in Pennsylvania. U.S. News & World Report ranked Lower Merion High School and Harriton High School 11th and 12th in the state respectively. The school mascot is a bulldog, and its athletics teams are known as the "Aces”, honoring the U.S. Air Force Flying Aces established by Lower Merion alumnus Henry H. Arnold, an American general in both the U.S. Army and Air Force.

History

19th century

In 1894, with the consolidation of the area's three village high schools, Lower Merion began its first year in a stone building shared with the Ardmore Avenue Elementary School in Ardmore. In 1897, nine students participated in the school's first commencement ceremony. The original high school faculty had seven members, including the principal and superintendent. The curriculum offered only a two-year preparation for either college or industry.

20th century

The Ardmore Avenue School burned in 1900 but was rebuilt, also of stone. In 1911, the high school moved out of the elementary school to new quarters, designed and constructed at the present site, 245 E. Montgomery Avenue. Dedicated on December 2, 1911, Lower Merion Senior High School was an impressive granite and stone edifice considered one of the finest new educational facilities in the state. The property, complete with three stone-arch entrances, landscaped grounds, and a football stadium, eventually grew to with the purchase and annexation of the Clarke House. At its opening, twenty-one staff members were employed under principal "Professor" Charles B. Pennypacker.
In 1922, Lower Merion Junior High School, later renamed Ardmore Junior High School, was constructed adjacent to the senior high school, and in 1926 two new wings were added on either side of the main high school building. These additions doubled the size of the original school, helping to accommodate rapidly increasing enrollment. The present administration building was constructed in 1932 to provide office space and an additional twenty-five classrooms. By 1940, the teaching staff had expanded to 61 under the direction of principal George H. Gilbert. Total student enrollment was 1461 for grades 10–12.
In 1943, an adjoining technical building was added along the School House Lane side to house shops for auto repair, metal, print, wood-working and drafting. In 1950, a cafeteria/library wing, designed by the Philadelphia firm of Savory, Scheetz and Gilmour, was added near Pennypacker athletic field. That same year the General Henry Harley "Hap" Arnold athletic fields opened directly across Montgomery Ave. By 1957, enrollment had grown to 1,663 students and the time had come to build a second high school in Lower Merion Township. The original 1910 building was demolished in 1963 and replaced by an air-conditioned classroom structure designed by H. A. Kuljian and Co.
Decreases in enrollment district-wide caused many Lower Merion elementary schools to close in the late 1970s along with Ardmore Junior High School. This move changed the remaining junior high schools to becoming middle schools and moved the ninth grade to the high schools. The Lower Merion High School graduation class of 1982 was the first freshman class at the high school including those students who four years earlier were members of the last graduating class of Ardmore Junior High School.
Due to later enrollment increases and to accommodate changing program needs, the district frequently reconfigured spaces in the facility, including re-opening classroom and storage space in the former Ardmore Junior High School in the 1990s.. Rooms in the technical building were converted to other uses, including art classes, computer labs, and the school's television studio. Original classrooms were repurposed as spaces for individualized learning support and students with special needs.

21st century

In 2004, the central lobby that connected the 1932 and 1963 structures was converted to a college-style help center.
Also in 2004, a community advisory committee determined that existing facilities no longer met the standards of the Lower Merion community and recommended that a new school, configured for 21st century education, be constructed on the same site. The Board and administration authorized construction of this new school in 2007. Demolition of the "Ardmore Annex", the natatorium, and one of the school's two gyms commenced in the summer of 2008 to make way for construction. The new Lower Merion High School opened in September 2010 and was dedicated in a public ceremony on October 17, 2010. In addition to state-of-the-art classrooms, science laboratories, art classrooms, and music rehearsal spaces, the new Lower Merion features a lecture hall with tiered seating, a multi-purpose black box theater, an 850-seat auditorium/theater, a greenhouse for environmental and horticultural studies, high-performance athletic facilities, a swimming pool, a television studio, multi-media production facilities, a music technology lab, an expansive courtyard, and a two-story, glass-encased library that serves as the building's exterior focal point along Montgomery Avenue.
The school also features a planetarium on top of the old building that closed after it was declared a fire hazard. It was then temporarily transformed into a staff lounge room. However, the room is currently vacated.
The new school was constructed adjacent to the historic district administration office building, which is the only original structure that remains on the site. A number of measures were approved by the Lower Merion Historic Commission to ensure the school was designed to complement this Class I historic resource. The placement of the new building provides an unobstructed view of the DAO from Montgomery Avenue. The color and size of the masonry used in the new building is reflective of materials of the DAO.
On November 13, 2021, the school principal, Sean Hughes, was killed in a car crash while driving his teenage son to a soccer game.

Athletics

Lower Merion High School competes in the Central League, part of Pennsylvania’s District I under the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. The Central League expanded in 2008 to include Harriton and Garnet Valley, bringing the league to 12 member schools. Lower Merion athletic teams compete under two nicknames: the Bulldogs, used for football, girls ice hockey, and softball, and the Aces, used by all other sports.
Fall sports at Lower Merion include cheerleading, cross country, field hockey, football, golf, soccer, tennis, volleyball, and water polo. Winter sports include basketball, ice hockey, indoor track and field, squash, swimming, and wrestling. Spring sports include baseball, crew, lacrosse, softball, tennis, track and field, ultimate frisbee, and volleyball.
Varsity Basketball
The Lower Merion Aces boys basketball program is one of the most successful in Pennsylvania history. The team has won seven PIAA state championships, including AAA titles in 1933, 1941, 1942, and 1943, and AAAA titles in 1996, 2006, and 2013. The Aces were also state runners‑up in 2005 and 2012.
In 1996, future NBA star Kobe Bryant led the Aces to a 31–3 season and a state championship, marking the program’s first title in 50 years. In recent years, Lower Merion continued its league success; the team won the 2025 Central League championship, with senior guard Carson Kasmer earning league MVP honors.
Cross Country
Lower Merion’s boys cross country program established itself as a Central League power in the 2020s. The team won three straight Central League championships and remained undefeated in league competition in 2025. Senior Nick Mazzeo capped an exceptional career by winning the New Balance National Cross Country Championship, becoming the first Lower Merion athlete and the only member of the Central League to claim a national title in cross country.
Varsity Tennis
Boys Tennis
The Lower Merion boys tennis program remains one of the top in Pennsylvania. As of 2025, the Aces have won 11 PIAA AAA state championships in boys tennis, with team titles earned in 2006, 2007, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2021, and 2022. They also finished state runners‑up in 2024 and reached the state tournament in 2025, advancing into the later rounds of postseason play.
Individually, Lower Merion players have won state singles championships in 2003 and 2021, and state doubles championships in 2009 and 2021. The 2021 boys team made school history by winning the team, singles, and doubles state titles in a single year.
Girls Tennis
The Lower Merion girls tennis team won back‑to‑back PIAA 3A state championships in 2024 and 2025, defeating top opponents such as Council Rock South and Conestoga in the state finals. The 2025 championship came with a 3–1 victory in the final match at the Hershey Racquet Club.
Several athletes from the 2024 and 2025 teams earned All‑District and All‑League honors, and a number of players went on to compete at the collegiate level.
Boys Varsity Lacrosse
The Lower Merion boys varsity lacrosse program has a rich tradition of success. The team has won seven PIAA and Pennsylvania Scholastic state championships, the most of any high school in the Commonwealth, and finished as state runners‑up in 1970, 1978, and 1980. Over the years, the program has produced 21 All‑American players and numerous collegiate athletes.
Track and Field
The Lower Merion track and field program has produced multiple District I champions and PIAA state qualifiers in both sprint and distance events. Athletes from the program, including members of the cross country team, have advanced to state‑level competition throughout the 2020s. Notable qualifiers in recent seasons have included the Mazzeo brothers in distance events, with Alex Mazzeo also earning collegiate opportunities for track and cross country.
Swimming and Diving
The Lower Merion swimming program has had strong showings in Central League competition and advanced swimmers to the PIAA District I Championships. Standout athletes such as Briana Klock and Katie Potts‑Drew have led the girls team in league meets, while boys competitors like Felix Kohler and Will Stark have posted competitive efforts. Historically, the teams have qualified swimmers for PIAA state meets and continued to develop school records.
Volleyball
Lower Merion’s volleyball program has recorded several Central League playoff appearances and qualified for the District I tournament in the early 2020s. In the 2025 season, the team posted a strong record and returned several athletes such as Nora Prince and Stevie Rothberg who contributed to postseason success.
Crew
The Lower Merion crew program competes at regional and national scholastic regattas. Boats from the team qualified for events such as the Stotesbury Cup and the City Championship Regatta, earning medals and producing athletes like Brooke Jackett and Kalina Rauer who signed National Letters of Intent to row at NCAA programs.
Football and Other Sports
Lower Merion football and other fall sports continue to compete in the Central League, with varsity competitors achieving league wins and playoff appearances. The soccer programs have fielded strong squads, with players such as Cate Cantu and Dylan Steinberg earning All‑League and All‑State honors before committing to collegiate programs.