School Board Adopts Preliminary Budget

As proposed, the spending plan calls for a 1.7 percent tax hike.

Hatboro and Horsham homeowners can expect to pay higher school taxes under Hatboro-Horsham School District’s $86.2 million preliminary budget, which the board adopted Monday night.  The average Hatboro homeowner would pay an additional $51.43 and the average Horsham property owner would pay an extra $75.63 provided the final budget – slated for a June 18 adoption – calls for the same tax levy. The increase represents $42.40 per every $100,000 of assess property value, according to Director of Business Affairs Bob Reichert. The potential tax boost represents a millage increase from 24.992 to 25.416, which is equivalent to a 1.7 percent increase, according to Reichert. Under Act 1, a state law that sets maximum tax-raising thresholds, 1.7 …

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H-H School Board Promises to Keep Taxes Within State Guidelines

The board Monday night approved a resolution to stay within the 1.7 percent Act 1 index for 2012-2013.

Hatboro-Horsham school directors plan to keep the district’s taxation millage rate within the state’s Act 1 index during the upcoming school year budget planning process. The resolution was approved unanimously, with board member Louis A. Polaneczky adding “enthusiastically” to his vote. What that means is the district will cap any tax increases to 1.7 percent, keeping in line with the guidelines established by the Pennsylvania Department of Education under Act 1. By approving the resolution, the board opts out of seeking any exceptions that would allow them to go above the current index or obtain voter approval through a referendum. School district officials believe levying taxes at the current rate or less will be sufficient to balance …

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Hatboro-Horsham School District Faces $2 Million Budget Shortfall

A steady drop in revenues, coupled with rising health care and pension costs contribute to the shortage

Against the backdrop of a $2 million shortfall projected for the 2011-2012 spending plan, the Hatboro-Horsham School Board on Tuesday announced that it would return to formal teacher contract negotiations and a commitment to “establishing an agreement that is fair to teachers, yet fiscally responsible.”  Following a presentation of the $86.9 million budget by Director of Business Affairs Robert Reichert, Superintendent Curtis Griffin said the district would take a hard look at its programs over the next few months to determine how the funding gap could be rectified. The programs that are “very important to the success of our students” would be maintained, he said. “The reality is there will be furloughs and there will be demotions,” …