From: Jim Hanak, CEO, PA Leadership Charter School
Dear Parents and Supporters of Cyber Charter Schools,On Wednesday September 25, 2013, House Bill 618 passed the PA House of Representatives 133-62. This bill cuts funding for the 15 PA Cyber Charter Schools by over 10% the first year and up to 20% on the out years. It was sold as a “double dip” that cyber charter schools are receiving from the school districts. This “double dip” is actually less than a ½ dip that, if “corrected” by HB 618 it would actually reverse the double dip in favor of the home school district. It was also presented as a “compromise” bill that contained items that cyber charter schools want.The biggest problem with this bill is that it does not begin to address the other inequities in the cyber charter school funding formula that already punishes cyber charter schools.
All charter schools begin with only 70 cents on the dollar from the home sending school district. Despite this, charter schools are held to higher standards than their traditional counterparts and cyber charter schools are graded with more stringent requirements than their equal brick and mortar counterpart.Some will point out that this bill (618) will hold cyber charter schools more “accountable.” This argument was a diversion designed to draw attention away from the real purpose of the bill – to cut cyber charter funding. Most of the so called “accountability” factors contained the bill have already been put in place in law and all cybers are already carefully complying with these accountability requirements.Our opponents will argue that this bill is a compromise and contains features that cyber charter school supports want.
While this is true, the bill was written without any consultation with the cyber charter community and contains features (like a 10 year charter) that, while are nice, do not compare to the financial cuts that cybers must endure. The opponents of charter schools estimate that it will cost cyber charter schools as much as $40 million!...the first year.This bill was supported by the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials and the PA State Education Association (PSEA – teacher’s union), two very powerful status quo educational lobby groups. All PA Cyber Charter Schools were united in opposition to the bill. Thousands of e-mails, letters, phone calls and visits to State Legislators did not stop this bill. It was supported by the Republican Majority Leader but opposed by the Republican Speaker of the House.
To pass the bill, the Majority Leader had to provide promises to Democrats – something he was unwilling to do to pass the same bill last Spring. The only thing this bill does is further cripple Cyber Charter Schools. It cuts cyber schools’ funding dramatically but only saves local school districts .02% of their budget (two tenths of one percent). It saves the State nothing. It saves taxpayers nothing. It simply transfers millions of dollars from students in cyber schools to students in their home school district. What will cyber charter schools do to adjust? Those schools that are growing (most of them) will simply hold off raises for their teachers / staff or increase class sizes or purchase less education software or the like. Those schools that are not growing will have to make layoffs, creating an environment like that of Philadelphia School District encouraging staff to look for more stable job opportunities. What will local school districts do with the additional two tenths of one percent income.
I don’t know. What I do know is that it is not the additional income that is driving the Teachers Union (PSEA) to promote this bill. Rather it is the crippling effect on cyber charter schools. So, where does 618 go from here? It must pass the Senate and be signed by the Governor in order to become law. Now is the time to let your Senator know how you feel about this bill. Most state legislators have no strong feelings as to who should educate our children. They will very likely cast their vote based on how strongly their voters feel about this issue. We thank all of our PALCS families for letting their voice be heard on this issue.
Dr. James HanakCEO, PA Leadership Charter SchoolView in: Mobile | Desktop©2012 Google
