http://www.citizensvoice.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19849049&BRD=2259&PAG=461&dept_id=455154&rfi=6
Some districts in Pennsylvania are seeing an increasing number of local students choosing to attend public cyber charter schools. Districts pay public charter schools the same amount it costs to educate a student in the district, but are reimbursed by the state for about 30 percent of the tuition costs. District officials say the increasing popularity of the schools means they lose thousands of dollars per student, but still have to pay the same amount of teachers and maintain the same amount of buildings and programs for other students. Wilkes-Barre Area Superintendent Jeff Namey wants to know why a public cyber charter school needs that level of funding when students do not leave their homes, an issue state representatives are considering in HB 2479. The bill would set a state standard for public cyber charter school tuition every year and limits on fund balances. The bill was sent back to the Rules Committee on July 11. Tim Daniels of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Charter Schools said all schools, regardless of their setup, should be focusing on providing the best education at the best price. Districts should look at why students are leaving for the cyber schools if the numbers are concerning. "We're not going to get anything by sending more money to the same systems with an 80-percent graduation rate," he said.
Source: The Citizen's Voice
Date: 07/13/2008
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