H-H Schools Ready for First Day of School

Hatboro-Horsham students who dreamed of a Hurricane Irene delay for the first day of school on Sept. 6 may have had their dreams dashed. 

District staff began drying up and wiping away last weekend's natural disaster on Sunday - mere hours after the storm flooded homes and businesses, downed trees and knocked out power - in preparation for the district's in-service day on Monday.

Officials said a significant amount of preparation and planning with the district's emergency management team four days before the hurricane's arrival helped in the process. 

The district's maintenance, technology and security/safety staff worked together throughout the week to protect the district's property and systems, and also coordinated with local and county officials to ensure that a plan was in place to address issues associated with the storm.

A tour of district buildings was conducted the day after the storm, with much of the damage occurring at , which is close to nearby . Several classrooms, the gym and cafeteria, and other portions of the building took on a significant amount of water and mud, but supplies and furniture had already been moved out of harm's way. 

also experienced some water damage due to what appears to be a roof leak. An examination of the roof will take place as soon as it is safe. The school has already been cleaned and dried out.

"We were fortunate that Hurricane Irene did not bring as much destruction as predicted to our area," said Superintendent Curtis Griffin. "Over the next few days, we will work to address any remaining issues related to the hurricane so that we can welcome students back to school on schedule Sept. 6."