Cyber Charter Trouble: High Cost, Low Scores
At a DVA! meeting, PA State Representative Tarah Probst, DVSD Superintendent Brian Blaum and Brian Carso, school board member, talked about cyber charter schools' cost to taxpayers.
Evidence that private cyber schools are bloating school taxes by charging exorbitant rates that pay for lobbying and advertising while resulting in poor outcomes for students was presented by Pennsylvania State Representative Tarah Probst, of District 189, and Delaware Valley School Superintendent Brian Blaum in a September presentation to Delaware Valley Action! at the Waterwheel Cafe in Milford. She pointed out that school tax money paid to cyber charter schools goes to political action committees lobbying for the schools and advertising claiming that the schools cost families nothing.
Probst is promoting HB1422, a bill passed by the House, supported by both parties, but never brought to the Senate floor, to put limits on cyber school spending, comparable to public school spending. Recently Governor, Josh Shapiro mentioned the bill in his state budget speech, Probst said, prompting hope of action.
For Delaware Valley School District students attending the district’s program, the cost is $4200, while the charter cyber school designates each student as needing an individualized education program (IEP) and charges $15,000 to $29,000 per student, DVSD Superintendent Brian Blaum said.
Even when students move out of the district, that district continues to pay for the cyber school, Probst said.
“The charter school offers free cell phones and lap tops to recruit students, but people aren’t aware of the statistics,” said Blaum. “Their graduation rate is 59%, and 4.9% have grade level math proficiency, even though only a small percentage do testing.”
“Why does this happen? The Commonwealth Foundation funds campaigns for charter schools,” Probst said. “Parents think the charter schools are free, but they pay with taxes.”
“Cyberschools lack transparency,” said Brian Carso, DVSD school board member. “The proposed legislation provides a formula for tuition with an $8000 tuition cap and requires transparency.”
“Kids go to cyber school because they’re tortured at school,” said a woman in the DVA! audience who said she volunteers at Triversity, a Milford center for LGBTQ activities.
“I’m sensitive to LGBTQ,” Carso responded. “Our culture’s become crass because of what’s allowed outside schools.”
Probst suggested that change is afoot. “Moms for Liberty show up at school board meetings to protest books, but times are changing.”
“Kids are caught in the cross-hairs,” said Taylor James, a DVSD graduate and executive director of Triversity, adding that he had almost taken his own life.
“This has been an issue for a long time,” said Blaum. “The administration at the top has been stagnant. . .Society is crass. With persistent, pervasive attacks, communicate. There are mental health student services for bullying and students at risk. We hear they’re scared. No single administrator tolerates bullying. Give us a chance to rectify it. We can’t be there when someone’s alone with other kids.”
Probst said that a $100 million mental health bill is moving forward, although schools are short $6 billion. Meanwhile, HB1422 has been “stuck” in the Senate, not being put forward. Senators from Pike County, Lisa Baker (R-20) and Rosemary Brown (R-40), are among those ignoring it, Probst said. “But they’re reasonable people.”
Baker did not return calls for comment. Brown said, “I’m for family choice, including private and cyber school. We put many bills to the House, but many aren’t moving. This bill deals just with cyber charter. Then there’s one for charter brick and mortar. When building choice, do it appropriately with transparency and don’t fight with each other.”
However, divisive points persist. While public schools have a fund balance limit of 8%, Probst pointed to lavish charter cyber school fund balances, resulting from the large amounts charged for students, that are spent on lobbying and advertising for “free” charter schools.
Brown countered that taxes are spent on teachers unions, and, she said, “I’ve seen public schools put up billboards for registration.”
Blaum said that taxes are not spent on teachers unions beyond money teachers spend from their salaries.
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