The Medical Academy Charter School won approval Monday night from the Catasauqua Area School Board.
School directors voted 8-0 in favor of a three-year charter for the school, which will serve ninth- through 12th-graders who plan to pursue a career in the health care industry. Board member Robert Levine was absent from the meeting.
After the vote, academy founder Dr. Craig T. Haytmanek told the board, "We will make you proud."
The Fountain Hill physician and former Bethlehem Area School Board member later said, "I'm very, very pleased that we'll have the opportunity to achieve our goal. Our goal is to run a successful charter school and contribute to the Catasauqua Area School District and the health and welfare of the Lehigh Valley."
The academy is on track to open at 330 Howertown Road in Catasauqua this fall. The former Lincoln Middle School, now owned by developer Abe Atiyeh, is already home to Lehigh Valley Christian High School. The two schools will share the building, according to the academy's three-year lease agreement.
Before signing off on the charter, board President Penny Hahn said she wouldn't want her child to attend school in a shared building. District solicitor David Knerr noted that administrators from the two schools must work together to make sure religious symbols aren't displayed in their shared spaces, such as the gymnasium.
The academy, he explained, is governed by the same laws that rule public schools when it comes to religion.
Atiyeh said he was happy to get a unanimous decision from school directors, noting, "When you get full support, that's good."
The developer said nearly 150 students are pre-enrolled at the academy; he expects that number to rise quickly now that Medical Academy Charter School has the board's blessing.
The academy, Haytmanek has said, is looking to lay a foundation for the success of all future health care professionals, whether students hope to become nurses, doctors, pharmacists or physical therapists.
All of the board members acknowledged, though some reluctantly, that the academy has met state requirements governing charter schools. Knerr reviewed the regulations before the vote, and subtly warned school directors that they wouldn't have a case should the academy appeal a rejection to the state.
The solicitor noted that the board's rejection several years ago of the Thomas Paine Charter School proposal was based on the applicant's unrealistic budget. That's not an issue with the academy; the school's financial projects are sound, he said.
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Original post:
Medical Academy Charter School earns Catasauqua Area School Board approval
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