Hatboro-Horsham presents draft Special Education Plan for 2026–2029, posts 28‑day public display

Kimberly Myers, the Hatboro‑Horsham School District Director of Special Education, and Supervisor of Special Education Patty Eichert presented the district’s draft Special Education Plan for 2026–2029 at the board’s Feb. 9 work session. Myers said the plan "provides a comprehensive view of our special education programming, including parental involvement, process for evaluation, and secondary transition planning."

Myers told the board the timeline: the draft will be posted for public display for 28 days, the district will gather recommendations, then return the plan to the board for approval in March with a plan to submit it to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) by May 1, 2026. "It will then go on for public display for 28 days," she said. If approved by PDE, the plan would be effective through June 30, 2029.

Presenters reviewed data and areas the state monitors. Myers said preliminary 12‑1 counts—used by PDE for funding comparisons—indicate about 21.6% of students have IEPs this year, consistent with recent trends. Eichert described district work on state indicators, including assessment (Indicator 3) and timely evaluations, and said the district has conducted training with the intermediate unit to review IEP quality and secondary transition planning. "What we did is we went through each of these indicators and we looked at what are we doing currently and what do we want to do to improve in these areas," Eichert said.

The presenters described program placements across buildings (learning support in every building; two elementary buildings hosting autistic support programs; a life‑skills program in one elementary building; district middle‑ and high‑school supports) and listed personnel resources such as psychologists, paraprofessionals and intermediate‑unit contractors. Myers emphasized Positive Behavior Support, incident reporting, and transparency for restraint reporting. She also noted procedures for supporting nonresident students living in a local group home and for ensuring IEPs for students temporarily placed in correctional facilities.

Next steps: the draft plan will be posted on the district website beginning Feb. 10, the board is expected to consider the plan in March, and the district aims to submit the final plan to PDE by May 1, 2026. The board did not take a vote on the draft during the work session; Myers requested feedback and public comment during the display period.