During a special meeting Feb.10 the Bethlehem Area School District board voted unanimously to deny the Advanced Military Aerospace Science Academy Charter School's application to open a new school in the district.

The board found that the proposed school's application did not satisfy all the requirements needed and failed to show community support for the school.

Bethlehem resident and president of the Bethlehem Chapter of the NAACP Esther Lee spoke out against the school.

"The NAACP does not support charters," she said. "They drain the public school system.

"Common thought is that charters are free," Lee continued. "They are not; they just don't have to put the money in. Charters will and are releasing segregated populations."

Board President Michael Facinetto said the school did not show a viable source of funding and had no plan for making the proposed school building the charter would use compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act. There were also other environmental and space issues in the building that were not addressed.

Enrollment was another concern. The school had pre-enrolled 37 students, 28 of whom are BASD resident students, but they have proposed an enrollment of 160 students to start.

The board held a public hearing for the applicant Dec. 9, during which members of the public spoke out against the school ,with few supporters speaking on its behalf.

The school proposed opening in the former Holy Child School building in Fountain Hill and offering Project Lead the Way Curriculum along with a JROTC program. Charter representatives said they had hoped to open next year starting with ninth grade, then adding a grade each year.

The curriculum and programs this school proposed to use are similar to what is already offered in district schools. Project Lead the Way offers pre-engineer training and is scheduled to begin next school year and at BASD schools through a partnership with the Bethlehem Area Vocational Technical School.

Charter school organizers can appeal the decision to the State Charter Appeals Board.

In other business during the finance meeting after the charter school special meeting, the committee approved the preliminary budget 8-1 with director Basilio Bonilla casting the dissenting vote.

A preliminary budget of $242.5 million will require the district to file with the state for exceptions to the cap for annual property taxes. Bonilla, in recognition of the many senior citizens in the district, said he could not support a budget that exceeds the cap.

"Many people in the district are over 60 and on Social Security and can't afford a tax increase," Bonilla said. "I cannot vote for a preliminary budget that calls for an increase."

Members of the public also disagreed with how the budget process is being handled by the board.

"We taxpayers can't afford an increase," said resident Carlton Rohrbach. "There should be no rainy day funds, just revenue in the budget. If some teachers are laid off, so be it. If class sizes increase, so be it. I would propose the superintendent give a budget that stays within the revenue."