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District projects modest enrollment shift; staffing plans aim to maintain class sizes and fund special education needs
Summary
Hatboro‑Horsham staff presented enrollment projections from a Montgomery County Planning Commission study and a staffing outlook for 2025‑26, noting enrollment is slightly above prior projections, elementary class sizes are being preserved, and special education and ELD needs remain areas to monitor.
Dr. Evislak presented the district’s enrollment and staffing update at the Feb. 10 finance committee meeting, telling the board that enrollment trends show a gradual decline since 2021 but current enrollment is slightly above prior projections.
The district cited a Montgomery County Planning Commission study (May 2022) and said an updated enrollment study is underway this spring. Dr. Evislak noted that actual enrollment for the most recent year was reported as 4,260 students compared with a prior projection of 4,208, and she said that the discrepancy is driven by larger incoming elementary cohorts in recent years. The district expects an overall projected enrollment decline for 2025‑26 (the presentation cited a projected 1,824 vs. a current 1,870 figure in one slide) because a large fifth‑grade cohort (reported as 347 students) will be promoted and the incoming kindergarten class is projected at 301 students.
Dr. Evislak emphasized that the district plans to preserve current class‑size targets and that any changes in elementary sections would be handled through attrition and reassignment rather than layoffs. The presentation noted there are approximately 92 total elementary sections this year (versus 94 previously), and projected sections for 2025‑26 could range from about 86 to 94 depending on enrollment and staffing choices.
Special education staffing was summarized: the district reported roughly 79 special‑education professional staff in 2023‑24 and said that number rose to 85 in 2024‑25, with the largest recent growth in emotional‑support and autistic‑support assignments. The district said it monitors state maximum caseloads and aims to keep caseloads manageable. Dr. Evislak also reported increases in English‑learner (ELD) enrollment and said the district continues to allocate teachers to match need; specific ELD counts were discussed in the presentation and will be monitored as a fluid population.
Dr. Evislak said the administration will continue to present budget development materials to the finance committee and board through June, with a final budget approval scheduled for June 16.
