Hatboro-Horsham School Budget Preparations Begin

HATBORO / HORSHAM TOWNSHIP, PA —While municipalities are passing their preliminary budgets, the Hatboro-Horsham School District is setting the table for its 2024-2025 school budget.

At a recent meeting, Director of Business Affairs Bill Stone made a presentation to the school board about the budget development process.

Stone told the school board at its Nov. 27 meeting that the district has consistently stayed below the state’s mandated Act 1 index for property taxes, leading to a modest millage rate compared to other school districts in the county and a sound financial position.

Last year, the school board approved the highest tax increase for Hatboro and Horsham Township residents in the past 15 years. The increase was 3.68 percent.

The 2024-25 budget anticipates the opening of the new Keith Valley Middle School, a continued focus on student achievement, and the alignment of the budget with the new strategic plan that will be developed this year, Stone said.

The upcoming budget will need to address an expiring administrative compensation plan,
continued implementation of the support staff compensation model, evaluation of the current
substitute staffing model, a PSERS contribution rate increase, and potential declines in certain
local revenues.

Stone also emphasized the need to address the expiration of federal ESSER funds, posing a significant decision for the District regarding planning future programming. He concluded with a recommendation to approve the Act 1 Opt-Out Resolution, ensuring that real estate taxes will not increase beyond the Act 1 index in the upcoming year.

The Act 1 index for the 2024-25 school year will be 5.3 percent.

The Act 1 index is the maximum allowable real estate tax increase a school board can enact for any given year. Anything more than that must be approved by a referendum.

In other school business:

At its October meeting, it was announced that Sarah Johnson will no longer serve as district solicitor. She has joined the Chester County District Attorney’s Office as a prosecutor. Johnson served as district solicitor for four years.