Childcare Programs Outsourced At Hatboro-Horsham

HATBORO / HORSHAM TOWNSHIP, PA —The Hatboro-Horsham School District is outsourcing its childcare services in the district’s elementary schools.

At its meeting last Monday, the school board voted 8-1 to approve a three-year contract with Right At School to operate the district's pre-kindergarten program, before-and-after-school programs, and a summer camp program.

The school district was the only one in Montgomery County that provided the programs and had been operating them for 15 years.

School Board Member D.J. Schultz voted against the measure.

"It is Hatboro-Horsham's best interest to keep the childcare program in-house," Schultz said. "These are not Hatboro-Horsham folks. We'd rather keep the program at the high level that it is now. We don't want to abandon this program."

Before the vote, two residents argued for the programs to remain under the school district's control and that outsourcing the programs would mean that the district would eventually lose teachers and staff.

Schools Superintendent Scott Eveslage said that current positions will be retained and there will be no layoffs.

Eveslage said that district employees now working in child care will, within two weeks, meet with Right at School and that all interested and qualified district employees would be hired.

He said the quality of the pre-kindergarten program would be maintained.

Eveslage said the district spent several months exploring the outsourcing, held an "extensive presentation" at the school board's Feb. 5 meeting, and had extensive interaction with employees and internally.

For leasing space at district schools, the company will pay the district 12 percent of annual gross revenue or a guaranteed fee of $220,000 for one year. In the second and third years, the fee drops to 11 percent of gross annual income with a minimum of $220,000 guaranteed.

School Board President Jennifer Wilson said while her children used the program, she wanted to ensure that other parents would have the program available for their children in the future.

"We have to look at this with our ability to run the district in a manner we have of improving outcomes for our students," Wilson said. "Unfortunately, our childcare programs have not returned profit to the school district. It has been a drain on the taxpayers' money. If that happens again, the childcare program goes away. If we bring in a partner, the program can stay and remain viable. I'm hoping this will be a seamless transition for our staff and our students."

Schultz said that the decision puts families at risk for higher costs since third-party vendors concentrate on making a profit instead of looking after the welfare of district students.