An Op-Ed by Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman
Last year Pennsylvania taxpayers again invested historic levels of funding in public education and for the third consecutive year, the state budget included more than a billion dollars in new funding for K-12 schools.
As part of the upcoming state budget for fiscal year 2025-26, we will once again evaluate the investment of Pennsylvania tax dollars across all educational opportunities, with the vast majority of students receiving their education in a traditional brick and mortar public school. However, here in Pennsylvania there is also a demonstrated need and place for cyber charter schools, private schools and even home schooling.
Empowering parents to have a say in the best educational path for their children must continue to be at the forefront of discussions. Regardless of the total dollars invested in education, it is parents who have the ultimate responsibility for selecting the most beneficial educational track, to address the unique needs of each child.
While cyber charter schools have established their place, criticisms surrounding accountability and funding have merit, which is why as part of last year’s state budget we worked to bring more accountability to cyber charter schools and align school districts tuition payments to more accurately reflect the student population served.
Providing $100 million in cyber charter reimbursements for school districts was a key element to last year’s budget, along with a formula change that, beginning January 1 of the current year, reduces cyber charter school special education costs by approximately $190 million annually. The additional subsidy and formula savings will directly assist nearly all school districts across Pennsylvania in restraining the overall cost of cyber charter education, allowing more funds to be available for student needs and prevent additional tax increases at the local level.
During a recent Senate Appropriations Committee budget hearing, Department of Education Acting Secretary Carrie Rowe stated the Department believes the total savings to school districts because of reduced cyber charter expenses directly helps address the Commonwealth Court ruling requiring the Governor and General Assembly to come up with improved methods of supporting educational opportunities for all students in this Commonwealth. Addressing the broad directive by the court through saving school districts money is a win for schools and a win for taxpayers.
We also expanded ethics and transparency standards for cyber charter administrators and trustees, including filing financial statements and prohibiting conflicts of interest. In addition, a prohibition was placed on advertising as “free” with reporting requirements for total expenditures for advertisements and sponsorships of public events and requirements added to ensure cybers do weekly wellness checks on their students.
It is encouraging to see positive benefits and real savings occur because of cyber charter changes made last year, however there is an opportunity for more to be done. Review of cyber charter reserve accounts, more accuracy in calculating tuition costs and meaningful truancy reforms, are all areas worthy of discussion as we debate the 2025-26 budget.
Cyber charter schools should remain a viable choice for parents to consider as a key part of supporting increased access to educational opportunities. Ensuring their viability can be achieved while further building on the important reforms we enacted just a year ago. Achieving the right balance to foster parental empowerment, at a fair cost to taxpayers, is possible and remains the goal of Senate Republicans.