Schools

Hatboro-Horsham Superintendent: District's Staffing Situation on Track

The district was able to reduce teaching positions without furloughs or demotions.

Written by Community Editor Nicole Foulke

Hatboro-Horsham School District will have eight fewer teachers in the coming school year, but the reduction did not result from furloughs or demotions, a district official said.

Hatboro-Horsham School District Superintendent Curtis Griffin delivered his staffing plan update at the school board’s meeting Monday night, sharing that the district’s 2013-14 staffing situation was at a good place.

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Griffin spoke about the district’s objectives during this period of declining student enrollment, noting that the district is working to maintain the quality of education, to reduce demotions and furloughs through attrition, to address local, state, and national requirements, and to alter programs to meet those requirements.

“We are in absolutely great shape,” Griffin said.

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Regarding the teaching and staffing positions, said Griffin, “we’ve been able to reduce those positions. But all of the people who had jobs last year have jobs this year, but have been allocated in other positions in the district.”

There were eight staffing positions cut this year, according to Griffin. Based on the figures, 12 teachers retired for the 2013-14 school year. 

Other issues aside from retirement that impact district staff are declining student enrollment, changes to programs, and changes to special education needs. 

District student enrollment has declined from 5,362 in the 2007-08 school year to approximately 4,751 in the 2013-14 school year, according to Griffin’s statistics.

Due to resignations there are several open administrative positions, such as a high school assistant principal position and Keith Valley Middle School’s assistant principal, said Griffin.

The district is also responding to the growing number of students who need autistic support and learning support in Keith Valley Middle School, said Griffin. 

From this point, the district will attend to administrative positions, teaching positions, long-term substitute positions, instructional coaches, and future resignations. 


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