This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Schools

School District To Sue School Lane Charter

At issue is $361,500 the district says it is owed.

The will sue School Lane Charter School over unpaid annual payments totaling $361,500 the district says it is owed.

School board attorney Tom Profy III announced at Wednesday's board meeting that School Lane had failed to pay the district $177,500 for the 2009-2010 school year and $184,000 in 2010-2011. The annual payments, he said, are part of a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) program the then-Mosaica Academy Charter School agreed to when it bought its land from the district in 1998.

The school opened in 1998 and changed its management company and namesake in 2001.

Find out what's happening in Bensalemwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

After the meeting, Profy further explained that School Lane justified its decision to stop making the annual payments by citing a 2009 state law that declares as null and void PILOT programs for charter schools entered into before Dec. 1, 2009.

“We believe the PILOT program is integral to the contract of sale in 1998 and that the state act is unconstitutional,” Profy said.

Find out what's happening in Bensalemwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

He said the lawsuit would be filed in Bucks County court.

The board approved a motion to file the suit with an 8-0 vote. Board member Sherri Underland continued to be absent following news in mid May that she had been charged in late March with marijuana possession.

School Lane Charter officials could not be reached for comment Wednesday night.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?