Wheatland's Educational Alternative's Taskforce will hold a meeting at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 24 at the Wheatland borough building for Wheatland residents who signed a petition seeking to leave Farrell Area School District.

The purpose of the meeting is to give an update on the process of secession, according to a statement from WhEAT attorney Joann M. Jofery.

Wheatland residents who have not signed the petition will have an opportunity to do so between 7 and 7:30 p.m. WhEAT said a number of residents have expressed an interest in signing the petition.

Anyone who did not sign the petition will not be admitted to the meeting.

Ms. Jofery said it is likely she will have to file an amended court petition to include extra signatures.

Ms. Jofery said she does not remember how many people signed the petition, but believed it to be more than estimates by others of 236 and 244.

She also said she did not have an opinion on whether that will be enough to convince a Mercer County judge to ask the state secretary of education to determine the educational merits of the secession request.

"Some of that's going to depend on the judge's definition of taxable inhabitant," she said.

The School Code of 1949 said more than half the taxable inhabitants of an area have to sign a petition to ask to leave one school district and join another.

WhEAT wants the borough to become a member of West Middlesex Area School District.

WhEAT said the reasons it listed in its petition for wanting to leave Farrell "have been taken out of context and mischaracterized" -- Ms. Jofery wouldn't say by whom -- but believes "the proper forum to address the issues raised in the petition is a hearing and not the newspaper."

WhEAT charged that Farrell has "impugned the character and integrity of those who disagree with it," and called such behavior "irresponsible and not in keeping with our system of justice to engage in such public ridicule of those who wish to express their opinions as to the best options for their children."

A hearing has been set for 9:30 a.m. Feb. 4 at the Mercer County Courthouse for Common Pleas Judge Francis J. Fornelli to consider whether the petition was properly filed and has enough support to call on the secretary of education.