School Board Engages Law Firm to Fight Logo Use

The Hatboro-Horsham School Board approved the project-by-project hiring of a law firm to represent the district in the misuse of its logo.

You may have seen the Hatboro-Horsham School District logo on T-shirts and hats in stores and online.  The merchandise–and its school Hatboro-Horsham branding–is being sold without permission from the district, according to Superintendent Curtis Griffin. As such, Hatboro-Horsham is not receiving any money from the sale of these goods, Griffin said. With help from the law firm of Condo Roccia, LLP, Griffin said the district hopes to stop the sale of its brand without consent. The school board recently approved an "engagement letter" with the firm to provide representation regarding copyright issues.  The firm would work "project by project" at a rate of $200 to $400 an hour, according to Griffin. The goal, he said, is to not only stop the …

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Sale of Limekiln Simmons on Hold

The Hatboro-Horsham School Board has agreed to extend an option agreement on the former Limekiln Simmons School for another year.

It could be another year before Hatboro-Horsham School District sells the former Limekiln Simmons School. The board, this week, approved another one-year extension of its option agreement with Horsham Township. The district has had an option agreement since 1992 with Horsham that would give the township the "right of first refusal" for the property. The Horsham Township Council approved a similar option agreement extension during Wednesday night's meeting.  "Those discussions are ongoing with the school district," Horsham Township Manager Bill Walker said, adding that both parties are seeking an "option that would benefit the school district and the township the best." With the latest option agreement extension, it will be in effect …

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Tax Increase Doesn't Solve Budget Shortfall in Hatboro-Horsham

Hatboro-Horsham School District is narrowing the gap for its spending plan, which, earlier this year, had a $2.2 million deficit.

With a 1.7 percent tax increase figured in, the Hatboro-Horsham School District is still staring down a nearly $850,000 budget gap for its roughly $90 million spending plan, officials said Monday night.  But, Bob Reichert, the district's director of business affairs, pointed out during Monday night's school board meeting that as of January, the deficit was $1.3 million with the same tax boost and $2.2 million without an increase.  "We're continuing to budget for using about $3 million of our fund balance," Reichert said.  To make additional cuts, district officials said staff reductions–preferably through attrition–would be necessary. Other cost-cutting measures being considered include charging students an activity fee for sports and band…

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New Head Football Coach Hired for Hatboro-Horsham

Michael Kapusta was hired as head coach of Hatboro-Horsham High School's football program.

A new head football coach will join the Hatboro-Horsham High School team this season. The Hatboro-Horsham School Board appointed Michael Kapusta as the high school's head football coach during Monday's meeting. Kapusta, who will earn a $6,753.60 annual salary, replaces Gary Pagliaro, a 1980 Hatboro-Horsham High School graduate hired as head football coach in 2010 during the teacher contract stalemate. A 2000 North Penn High School graduate, Kapusta told Patch that he's been working with the football team for the last five weeks and has high hopes for the upcoming season, which gets underway on Aug. 30 with a game against Norristown Area High School, where Kapusta teaches art. "The main thing really is to teach our kids to compete," Kapusta…

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Liberty 1

7:52 pm on Thursday, March 21, 2013

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Limekiln Simmons School May Go on the Market

The former Simmons Elementary School has been vacant since 2011. Hatboro-Horsham School District hopes to sell the 10.5-acre property.

The Hatboro-Horsham School District is looking to sell one of its unused schools and adjacent ground. The district decided to "test the market" in trying to sell the former Limekiln Simmons School, which is situated on Limekiln Pike in Horsham Township, according to Bob Reichert, the district's director of business affairs. The building had been used to house the district's special education offices and pre-school until 2011 when the roof started leaking.  Now, Reichert said he will be working with a real estate office to gather relevant property information, and, eventually set a "value" for the 10.5-acre parcel. An asking price has not yet been set, Reichert said.  Reichert said real estate agents would prepare a marketing plan and …

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School Bus Routes May Get Scaled Back in Hatboro-Horsham

In an attempt to diminish a budget shortfall, the Hatboro-Horsham School District may reduce some of its existing school bus routes.

As the Hatboro-Horsham School District stares down a deficit in its nearly $90 million 2013-14 spending plan, officials are working to ensure every bus ride and every route count. To help close the shortfall, the district is considering scaling back the existing 4:15 p.m. pickup at Keith Valley Middle School from five days to once a week, according to Director of Business Affairs Bob Reichert. That alone would save the district $25,000 a year, Reichert told the board during Monday night's work session. And since the roughly 45 kids on the buses at those times are either coming from a club or detention, Reichert said the school could schedule everything for one day. "We could still make it all work with the other available buses," Reichert …

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Should Students be Charged an Activity Fee?

The Hatboro-Horsham School board is considering implementing a 'one-time fee' for student athletes and band members.

Playing sports and participating in the marching band could become more expensive if the Hatboro-Horsham School Board moves forward with a proposal to implement student activity fees. District officials are mulling over the possibility of charging a $100 "one-time fee" per student athlete or band participant. The fee would cover the student's participation in as many activities as he or she wishes, officials said during Monday night's school board work session.  For more news and updates about Hatboro and Horsham, subscribe to our free newsletter,"like" us on Facebook or follow @Hatboropatch on Twitter. Based on that rate, the measure, if put into place, would raise $88,100 a year, according to figures Director of Business …

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Crooked Billet Student Shares Anti-Drug Message

Crooked Billet Elementary School fifth-grader Lily Bigley was one of 13 student artists selected statewide as part of an anti-drug contest.

The colors are vivid. The message simple: "Don't Get Busted Because of Drugs!" Crooked Billet Elementary School fifth-grader Lily Bigley, 10, of Hatboro, spent about a week last year designing what would end up being a winning entry in a statewide art contest sponsored by the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office. For her win, Lily's piece was displayed as the February masterpiece in a calendar featuring all of the art contest winners. “I am so proud of her,“ gushed Lily's mother, Donna, who said her daughter has been into crafts and arts practically her whole life. And those creative juices must run in Lily's family. Mrs. Bigley said Lily's twin sister Mia's contest entry also made a good showing in the contest. No small feat when you …

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Students Offer Melodic Start to Board Meeting

Hatboro-Horsham students sing at the start of Monday night's school board meeting.

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Hatboro-Horsham School Board Reorganizes

The Hatboro-Horsham School Board chose a new president and vice president.

Board member Louis A. Polaneczky was elected board vice president. Marge Lotter was re-elected as the representative to the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit Legislative Committee for another year.

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