School Board Votes Not to Renew Charter School Agreement

The fate of a local charter school, Lehigh Valley Academy, appeared less certain March 22, after the Saucon Valley School Board rejected an agreement that would have extended its charter through the end of 2016.

Four board members--Charles Bartolet, Edward Inghrim, Lachlan Peeke and Ralph Puerta--voted in favor of renewing the charter. Lanita Lum, Sandra Miller and Sharon Stack voted against the renewal, and Susan Baxter and Michael Karabin abstained from voting because of connections to the school.

Immediately after the roll call vote was taken, District Business Administrator David Bohnenberger said the vote had failed because five votes to approve had not been registered.

Karabin, who identified himself as a founder of the charter school, said its focus is on academics.

"We use what is called an International Baccalaureate program," he said. "It is extremely academically oriented."

Superintendent Sandra Fellin said she agreed with Karabin's characterization of the school.

"I will say this is one of the higher performing charter schools in the area," she said. "I believe academically they serve their students well."

Lum, however, was critical of the arrangement with Lehigh Valley Academy, which requires the district to fund the cost of an education there to the tune of about $2,000 per month per pupil, according to Bohnenberger.

"I do not believe in this type of educational system, where it breaks down the public educational system," Lum said, adding that parents who want their children to enjoy the benefits of a charter school education should be willing to pay for it.

After the vote, Karabin asked school board solicitor Ellis Katz to clarify what will happen procedurally if the Bethlehem Area School Board also rejects the academy's charter renewal.

Katz said that in that case a hearing in front of both boards will be held, at which time another vote will be taken. If the joint board again votes against the charter renewal, Katz said, "an adjudication will be issued" outlining the reasons for the denial. At that point the matter will go to the state's Charter School Appeal Board.

Karabin asked who would provide legal representation for the boards at the hearing and Katz responded that he was not sure how that would be handled.

"Since it's a regional school I'm going to have to check the school code," he said. "I don't believe the school code talks about it."

Karabin then questioned the amount of money in legal fees the district could potentially spend in light of its decision to reject the charter renewal.

Lum, in turn, questioned his and Baxter's involvement with the school itself.

"I think it's a huge conflict of interest," she said.

Karabin then asked Lum if she thought he should "resign"--a question she responded to with a shrug.

Lehigh Valley Academy has struggled for recognition from both districts in the past, Karabin said during the meeting.

When the school was founded more than 10 years ago, its charter was rejected by both the Saucon Valley and Bethlehem Area boards. Those rejections were ultimately overruled by the Charter School Appeal Board, and five years ago Saucon Valley's school board voted to approve a five-year renewal of the school's charter.

Since then both the composition of the school board and the overall economic climate have changed.

Two members of the audience at the meeting were critical of the board's decision not to renew the charter for 5 more years.

Lower Saucon Township resident Kim Schmidtner said she found it "appalling that the board would follow a path that would eliminate (school) choice."

Responding to the comment made earlier by Lum, Schmidtner said, "as far as parents funding education on their own, they do. It's called tax dollars."

Hellertown resident Bryan Eichfeld, who recently declared his candidacy for a seat on the Saucon Valley School Board, spoke of his run as he criticized the board's decision not to renew Lehigh Valley Academy's charter.

"This country needs to change the direction that's going on in the school system and the charter system has been proven to be making great strides," he said. 

Eichfeld referred to the board's decision to reject the charter renewal as an attempt to "build up walls" and possibly protect union jobs.

"I hope that I can be elected to at least swing some of the votes in a different direction," he said.

Eichfeld, who is cross-filed as both a Republican and Democratic candidate in the upcoming May 17 primary ballot, has on other occasions identified himself as being affiliated with the Tea Party.