Property for education, public service, and the community’s honor are under threat in Horsham.

Dorothea Simmons generously gifted a property, now known as Limekiln-Simmons, to the Hatboro-Horsham School District to support social good and education in our community.

The intent of her donation was clear—that this property would be permanently dedicated to educational use.

However, the Hatboro-Horsham School District has plans to sell this land to a developer who will turn it into a housing development, in a move that contradicts the gift's original intent of preserving open space and education. This proposed sale and repurposing of the space not only goes against the ethics of this gift but also compromises our community's values and quality of life.

As an alternative to yet another housing development, a proactive group led by community-minded locals have proposed and lined up initial funding to turn this now-closed school and its associated 10-acre space into a nonprofit farming, food and sustainability school to benefit the community—an innovative idea that would provide unique learning opportunities. This is one fitting way of transforming Limekiln-Simmons into a unique educational environment that benefits the community without needing taxpayer funding. 

There is a SHORT TIME TO ACT: the Hatboro-Horsham School District currently has the opportunity to terminate, at no obligation, its initial agreement to sell the property for conversion to housing, but its time window to terminate its agreement without obligation is down to a matter of weeks. 

We believe it's essential to honor Dorothea Simmons' wishes and uphold ethical standards by keeping the property within its intended purpose—as a beacon of education and public good. We also believe that a new educational environment for Horsham will create a better future for the township’s residents than yet another housing development.

Join our campaign today to secure a future that enriches our community and honors Dorothea Simmons' legacy.

Please sign this Petition to urge the Hatboro-Horsham School District not to sell off our shared heritage but instead to embrace the future to create a new relevant educational experience in Horsham.

In signing, you support your name being added to the following message to the Hatboro-Horsham School Board, Administration, and other relevant local representatives:

Dear Hatboro Horsham Administration and Board,

Please terminate the agreement to sell Limekiln-Simmons for conversion to housing now. This is an ethical issue of great importance. What you do reflects on the ethical values and impacts the resilience of our whole community and beyond. Please enable continued honoring of Dorothea Simmons’ gift as intended and allow the local community to continue to benefit from this educational space.

Thank you.