$5.57M Approved For Hatboro-Horsham School Upgrades

HATBORO / HORSHAM TOWNSHIP, PA — Hatboro-Horsham schools will see $5.57 million in capital improvements next year.

The Hatboro-Horsham School Board, at its last meeting before Tuesday's general election, approved capital improvements Monday night that include $2.1 million for the Simmons Elementary School pool decommissioning.

Five school board seats are up for grabs with incumbent School Board President Jennifer Wilson on the ballot. Four school board members decided not to seek re-election, with School Director Jill Whalen running instead for Horsham Township Council.

The capital improvements also include $900,000 for a roof replacement at the operations center and part of the high school, $745,000 to replace tennis courts, $726,000 to purchase five propane school buses, $489,000 for ventilator replacement at Blair Mill Elementary School, $200,000 for HVAC system upgrades at the high school, $145,000 for flooring replacement at four schools, and $120,000 for painting at four schools.

Joe Crowe, the school district's of operations, had said at the previous school board meeting also detailed some of the work completed this past summer, including Hatters Way paving, operations barn replacement, Steinly Stadium bleacher repairs, new goal posts, HVAC work at Blair Mill, Simmons and the high school, Simmons concrete repair, new monument signage at the high school, and a new gym floor at Hallowell.

Roof work at Hallowell continues, with installation of a water-tight membrane and the new metal roof in place over 50 percent of the building. The roof is expected to be completed by Thanksgiving.

A state grant of $575,000 will help pay for the roof, and the district continues to pursue legal and insurance claims to recoup the cost of replacement, Crowe said.