Proposed charter school hearing leads to questions
“I believe you’re going to find from the district’s perspective thus far, there’s really nothing novel about your curriculum because this district is already engaging in many of those elements on a regular basis.” Jeffrey Sultanik, attorney
A group wanting to open the first brick-and-mortar charter school in Whitehall-Coplay School District faced tough questions about its community support during an informational hearing Wednesday evening.
The Whitehall STEAM Academy Charter School would focus on STEAM subjects — science, technology, engineering, arts and math. It’s proposed for 215 Quarry St.
At the Wednesday hearing, Jeffrey Sultanik, an attorney for the district, questioned applicant representatives on staffing plans, community support and the proposed school’s connection to charter applications in Allentown and Bethlehem.
The Whitehall school is the third proposed STEAM charter academy seeking approval from a Lehigh Valley school board in recent weeks.
All three proposed schools based their applications on a template from the Pennsylvania STEAM Academy in Harrisburg, and plan to use the school as a model if authorized to open. The applicant groups said the Lehigh Valley schools will emphasize project-based and experiential STEAM learning through local partnerships.
David Piperato, former Easton Area superintendent and a consultant for the Whitehall applicant group, presented on the proposed school Wednesday and fielded questions alongside Brian Leinhauser, the group’s attorney. Leinhauser is also representing the applicants in Allentown and Bethlehem.
Piperato is a would-be founder for the proposed Bethlehem Area STEAM Academy Charter School and gave the same presentation before the Bethlehem Area School Board Monday.
Piperato said during both presentations that the Bethlehem and Whitehall STEAM academies would encourage girls and students of color to engage with the sciences through inclusive strategies focused on equity, particularly at the elementary level.
He also said the proposed curriculum will focus on integration to help students make connections to real world problems.
If approved for a fiveyear charter, the Whitehall STEAM Academy Charter School would enroll 300 students in kindergarten through third grade in its first year. By 2029, 600 students would be enrolled in kindergarten through seventh grade. If the charter were renewed, the school would offer eighth grade classes the following year.
When asked by Sultanik Wednesday, Piperato said he’s not aware of the STEAM offerings currently available in the Whitehall-Coplay School District, which has STEAM programming at all grade levels.
“I believe you’re going to find from the district’s perspective thus far, there’s really nothing novel about your curriculum because this district is already engaging in many of those elements on a regular basis,” Sultanik said.
Charter proposals are judged in part on their uniqueness and ability to serve as a model to other schools.
Leinhauser said a charter school can be deemed unique not only based on its educational offerings, but simply because it is “a public school not run by the district.”
The applicant representatives said Whitehall was chosen as the site for the proposed school in part because of the availability of a building and because Whitehall doesn’t yet have a brick-and-mortar charter school.
Whitehall-Coplay spends about $5 million annually in charter school tuition for district students to attend cyber charters or brickand-mortar charter schools located in other local districts.
Sultanik also questioned whether the applicant group did its “due diligence” in investigating the proposed Quarry Street site, noting a structural engineering report indicated the building’s roof is in danger of collapsing. Leinhauser said the applicant was not aware of the report, but any structural issues are the responsibility of the landlord.
Throughout the hearing, Sultanik also took issue with community partners listed in the group’s application. He said several organizations told the district they had not been contacted by representatives for the proposed Whitehall STEAM Academy Charter School and had not lent their support to the school.
These organizations include: Da Vinci Science Center, Lehigh Valley Children’s Center, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Lehigh Valley and Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce.
“The impression you’re trying to create is that there’s all this community support and you listed all these groups without contacting them,” Sultanik said.
The applicant team also did not reach out to the Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit to discuss potential services despite listing them in the application.
“Those kinds of things cause us to question the credibility of your application,” Sultanik said.
Leinhauser said the application documents “anticipated” support, and he’s disappointed organizations would not want to work with the proposed school.
Piperato said he would not be involved in any option for
Lehigh Valley students that he didn’t truly believe in.
“We know that students need options, parents need options. The law provides for that,” Piperato said, noting he was impressed by the Harrisburg model and wants to extend it to the region.
Piperato is paid for his consulting work through Charter Solutions, a local group that gained permission from the Harrisburg charter school to use its application as a template in the Lehigh Valley.
Developer Abe Atiyeh is an owner of Charter Solutions, as well as an owner of all properties being proposed for the charter sites in Whitehall, Bethlehem and Allentown.
The proposed Whitehall charter school’s potential founders include: Westley Morris, owner of Saucon Valley Massage Co.; Celeste Dee, owner of Advanced
Political Strategies, a Democratic campaign and finance firm; Rachel Chapman, assistant professor of education at Lehigh Carbon Community College and instructor in the special education department at East Stroudsburg University; William Leiner Jr., former Whitehall-Coplay school director and current community outreach liaison and infection control officer at New Vitae Wellness and Recovery Inc.; and Michael Makhoul, former principal of Dieruff High School in Allentown.
Morris, Dee, Chapman and Leiner also all are would-be founders of the Bethlehem Area STEAM Academy, as well. Makhoul serves as a consultant for the proposed Bethlehem school.
During public comment Wednesday, Nathan Kromer, a district parent and engineer, expressed concern about the founders “not having a background in science and technology” and questioned how they would be able to oversee the implementation of STEAM learning.
Anthony Kopack, a district resident, questioned why most would-be founders haven’t been at recent hearings.
“What works in Harrisburg might not work here,” he said. “This charter application does not have a lot of support from a lot of the community.”
Bruce Charles, a resident with grandchildren in the district, said he’s concerned about taxes and spending.
“Charter schools receive funds and spend as they wish,” Charles said, noting the “severe” impact charter schools have on school districts’ budgets.
However, Sultanik said the board can’t legally base its decision on the potential financial impact.
A second hearing for the proposed Whitehall STEAM Academy Charter School will be held 6 p.m. Jan. 30 in Whitehall High School’s large group instruction room. The school board must approve or deny the application Feb. 26.