Student Saved Choking Victim At Hatboro-Horsham School

HATBORO / HORSHAM TOWNSHIP, PA —A Keith Valley Middle School student has been recognized for his life-saving efforts to save a choking student.

At its Dec. 4 meeting, the Hatboro-Horsham School Board recognized Ethan Williams, a 7th-grade student at Keith Valley Middle School, for his "heroic actions" in performing the Heimlich on a choking student during lunch on Oct. 17, 2023.

"Ethan’s swift and courageous response was crucial, enabling the student to quickly recover after
receiving care from the school nurse," the school board said.

The school board said that Williams' "exemplary actions" earned him recognition with
a citation from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

Schools Superintendent Scott Eveslage also expressed gratitude to Maureen Carroll, Williams' former family and consumer science teacher, for teaching life-saving techniques like the Heimlich maneuver in her classroom.

In other school board news:

• The district welcomed four new teachers to the high school: Susan Boxman (ELD teacher, HHHS), Heather Lyford (ELD teacher, HHHS), Stephanie Farrar (special education teacher, Hallowell), and Joann Malliearis (special education teacher, Blair Mill).
• School Board President Jennifer Wilson presented the following Facilities Committee action items that were unanimously approved. They included a $43,750 allowance adjustment for the Keith Valley Middle School project for rock removal onsite.
• The school board also received a proposal from American Athletic Track and Turf for resurfacing the Hatboro-Horsham High School track, totaling $431,987, about $70,000 under budget.
• Board Member Erin Stroup reported that the Safe Schools Committee met on Nov. 30, and Director of Safety and Security Rick Kerrigan shared that two security guards have been preliminarily hired to fill positions at the middle and high school.
• The school district continues to use PCCD safety grant funding to purchase larger ADD cabinets and fully stocked traumatic bleeding kits for all schools, along with a new security camera DVR server.