Issues Facing Our Schools

During these difficult economic times the Hatboro-Horsham School District and its residents face significant financial challenges. Quality schools positively impact the community, making it a more attractive place to live. We must work to find creative ways to improve our schools while containing costs. The issues we must face together include:

Financial Discipline and Taxes go hand in hand. We must make hard choices on the most cost-effective way to realize a quality education for all Hatboro-Horsham children. We will work hard to keep tax rates low but face many challenges.

Achieving quality education outcomes for all children continues to be a challenge. We must strive for continuous improvement by adopting best in class teaching methods, including parents and care-givers fully, and encouraging participation in extra-curricular activities to develop well-rounded, responsible citizens.

Neighborhood schools are an important element to quality education, particularly at the elementary level. Local, smaller schools build a stronger sense of community and help control costs such as busing. The District needs to work hard to keep neighborhood schools open and thriving. All costs and benefits need to be weighed to accurately assess how best to move forward in making long-term facilities decisions.

Child Safety is a primary responsibility of schools. This includes building safety, transportation to and from school, and educating parents and kids on threats to their safety.

The Willow Grove Naval Air Base will be closing soon. The future use of that land will have a major impact on our community. We must work with Horsham Township to balance commercial development (and its increase in tax revenues) with residential development (and the added strain on schools which may drive up costs). We will work hard and encourage community involvement to resolve these issues promptly.