Catasauqua Area School District Solicitor David Knerr advised school board members during the board's Aug. 13 meeting that if the Medical Academy Charter School, located at 330 Howertown Road, and scheduled to open Sept. 4, does not fulfill certain stipulations, the school board may commence revocation proceedings against the school.

At the meeting, CASD Superintendent Robert Spengler presented the future principal of the charter school, Joanna Hughes, with a list of areas the school is currently deficient in and in violation of.

Hughes is a retired school superintendent from New Jersey with 33 years of experience in the education industry.

"Your obligation is to monitor [the charter school]," Spengler reminded board members.

According to the "Status Report of Medical Academy Charter School Requirements" document provided by Spengler to The Press Aug. 15, areas the charter school is currently deficient in include its assessment plan, course curriculum, the integration of technology into its curriculum and adoption of a professional development plan and a more refined emergency crisis plan. The charter school's emergency crisis plan does not include an evacuation plan or reverse evacuation plan, no on-site evacuation plan and maps and descriptors, no memorandum or understanding with the local police force, no plan for coordination with local agencies, no campus maps and no inventory of emergency of equipment, the document states.

The plan also includes inconsistent references to the district office, school principal and CEO/school principal, according to Spengler.

"We're in the process of getting the information," Hughes told board members at the meeting. "I don't think we'll have a problem getting it to you."

The charter school is also in violation of the Pennsylvania School Code concerning its ESL/ELL curriculum plan. According to the Pennsylvania school code, students with limited English language capabilities must be graded using the same grading system as all other students. However, the charter school's documentation shows a modified grading system and accomodations for struggling students, ELL students and special education students.

School board Vice President Carol Cunningham asked if the charter school does not meet the areas it is lacking in and in violation of, if the school may open and operate by next month.

Knerr explained if the charter school fails the meet the stipulations set out by the Catasauqua School Board when it gave its approval to the chartering of the academy, the school board may initiative legal proceeding to delay or prevent the school from opening.

"If there is a problem with them following the charter, then you as a school board have the right to commence revocation proceedings," Knerr explained.

He cautioned, however, the process is lengthy and requires the school district to set forth a list of charges, upon which a hearing is set. During the hearing the school district would present its argument as to why the charter should be revoked. After the hearing, 30 days must be allowed for public comment before a revocation vote. The charter school can then appeal an adverse court ruling to the charter school appeals board.

"Just because there's a violation, it's not mandatory that you revoke," Knerr told the school board.

Knerr said more serious violations, such as the school's deficient evacuation plan, are cause for revocation proceedings.

"It needs to happen from day one," Knerr said of a proper evacuation plan. "If we're sitting here a month from now and we're dealing with the same issues, then you should commence proceedings.

"The purpose is not to hijack these people," added Knerr. "The purpose is to help them do things the right way."

Hughes said she does not foresee any difficulty in providing the school district with the information and documentation currently lacking.