HARRISBURG (AP) – Cyber charter schools in PA could see their funding reduced by millions of dollars under a Democrat-backed bill that passed the state House. House Bill 1422 would alter tuition rates, which is estimated to save school districts $456 million. It would also seek additional transparency by targeting conflicts of interest and requiring the schools to comply with the state’s ethics and open records law. PA‘s 14 cyber charters receive public funds to pay for students’ tuition, with the money coming from school districts. Supporters say the programs help students who don’t perform well in typical learning environments. But public school advocates in PA say that by paying cyber charters the same rate as brick-and-mortar schools is creating a burden on school district budgets. The bill moves on to the state Senate.
