The coronavirus pandemic required regional public school districts to respond with great care and concern for the safety and education of the Susquehanna Valley’s students and staff. Schools provided robust virtual options to address learning needs and our districts united to rise above the challenges of COVID-19...

...But now another challenge faces our school districts: the challenge of uncontained cyber-charter school costs. 

You may have heard that cyber-charter schools are “free” but this is far from the whole truth. The cost of every cyber-charter student comes back to the school district and is paid for directly with your tax dollars with no reimbursement from the State of PA. While cyber-charter schools provide a necessary educational option for many families, they are not funded in an equitable way. 

Cyber-charter tuition rates in our 5 counties alone will cost districts an additional 9 million dollars this year, according to the PA Association of School Business Officials. A price tag that schools have no control over and threatens their ability to staff schools, offer electives, and continue to have extracurricular activities, including athletics. 

To understand more about cyber-charter schools and how their costs and outcomes compare to local districts, visit the following websites. 

Pennsylvania School Board Association
www.pacharterchange.org
What you will find here:

• Understanding Charter Schools
• Public Cost of Charter Schools
• Performance Comparisons
• News and Research
• Ways to Take Action

Pennsylvania School Boards Association
What you will find here:

• Online Learning - PA Public Schools
• Searchable information and success stories from public school districts

PA Association of School Business Officials
What you will find here: 

• Interactive Cyber Impact Map 
• PASBO Press Release: Annual Cost Increase
• PASBO Webpage

All 17 of our CSIU Region School Districts offer their own district-run cyber program. 

The CSIU runs eToole ….