The Catasauqua School Board wants the district's money back.

During Monday's school board meeting, the board voted to give the Medical Academy Charter School (MACS) until the close of business Sept. 16 to reimburse the district $16,999. That amount has been deducted from the district account by the state because the local charter school failed to pay its first-quarter Public School Employees' Retirement System (PSERS) payment.

Under state law, the public school district that grants the charter to a charter school is responsible for this kind of debt, should the charter school fail to make a payment. The Catasauqua School Board granted the charter to the medical academy, located on Howertown Road, Catasauqua, which opened in September 2012.

The board voted to mail a letter out this week to the charter school, directing it to remit payment to the district in the amount of $16,999. The letter will also ask representatives from the charter school to attend the Oct. 1 school board meeting to satisfactorily explain why it has been in arrears.

"We have not heard from any of them since last Tuesday," district Superintendent Robert Spengler said.

Near the conclusion of the Tuesday, Sept. 3, school board meeting, MACS Principal Joanna Hughes and MACS Chairman of the Board Craig Haytmanek, MD, appeared. They told the school board the charter school would reimburse to the district the money due by the next business day, Sept. 4.

"Basically, we have the money and we'll send the check," Haytmanek said at the meeting. "We'll get it to you."

Even if the charter-granting school district is following the requisite laws within its own district, it becomes responsible for any shortcomings on the part of the charter school, according to state law.

Spengler confirmed since June 25, the charter school has not made any payments to PSERS. This indicates the charter school has withheld amounts from their employees' paychecks and has not turned those withholdings over to PSERS.

"There is a board of trustees that is supposed to be managing this charter and they're not," Spengler said.

Board member Dawn Berrigan asked district solicitor David Knerr if the failure of the charter school to pay the past-due retirement amount is grounds for revoking the charter.

"I think it is," Knerr said. "You may want to start the same concept you discussed [revocation]. I think it's really awful when they withhold money from someone's paycheck."

Spengler said MACS has been on notice by the state for the past due amount since July 26.

Board member Donald Panto asked if the district can contact the state auditor general or attorney general about the situation.

"I think we ought to start to do something," board President Penny Hahn said. "I don't want to let it go to October. I want to hear something soon."

Board Vice President Carol Cunningham commented she now considers the charter school a questionable institution.

"How can we trust what they say?" she asked. "I don't think they're trustworthy at all."

"At the bare minimum, it shows we don't have a good education partner," Panto added.

Hahn also noted she finds it unusual the charter school can pay for a recent full-page newspaper ad, but is unable to fulfill more important obligations such as paying the PSERS amount owed.

No representatives of the MACS appeared at Monday's meeting.

The board agreed if no representatives from the charter school attend the Oct. 1 school board meeting, it will consider beginning revocation proceedings.

Currently, three students from the Catasauqua Area School District attend the charter school.