On January 27, 2024, The Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School (PALCS), a public cyber charter school, attended the 2024 School Choice Fair in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The event, which took place during National School Choice Week, is an annual event hosted by PA Families for Education Choice and featured over 30 schools this year. With the goal of providing exposure to the wide array of education options available in Pennsylvania, families were able to visit tables, talk to school representatives, hear speeches, and explore the world of school choice.

Less than two weeks later, Pennsylvania Governor, Josh Shapiro, proposed debilitating budget cuts to cyber charter schools in PA which would significantly decrease resources for PALCS and 14 other schools, as well as opportunities for all cyber charter students.

On February 6, 2024, Governor Shapiro delivered his 2024-2025 Budget Address which proposed a $250 million cut to cyber charter school funding, despite running for the office on a platform that supported school choice. Governor Shapiro proposes these cuts can be made by imposing a flat tuition rate of $8,000 per cyber charter student which is less than half of what traditional public schools receive in funding. During his address, Governor Shapiro also proposed to increase his own operating budget to $125.3 million–a budget that would be made possible by the millions being taken away from cyber charter schools. If this proposal goes into effect, cyber charter schools in PA will have to cut their operating costs in half which may mean turning away prospective students or reducing available resources, all to the detriment of students and their learning. 

Education is one of the most important decisions a parent will make for their child–that is indeed, if they are given a choice. And there are a million and one reasons why a student or their family may seek a public education alternative to the traditional public school system. More specifically, cyber charter education provides unique functions to students: individualized learning, teacher-created curriculum, digital preparedness and advancement, flexible schedules, specialized courses or programs, and much more. A school with these opportunities may be ideal for students involved in extracurriculars with complex and demanding schedules, such as competitive athletics or the arts, as well as for gifted students and families who travel frequently. Cyber charter schools also solve many of the health and safety concerns prevalent in the United States today, as well as may be helpful to students with chronic illnesses, those who have been the victim of bullying, or those with social, emotional, and/or behavioral delays. Whatever the reason for their choice–your choice–everyone deserves to make it. 

At PALCS, we believe that every person deserves and has a fundamental right to accessible, quality education and autonomy. We will fight to protect those rights for all of our students and families, as well the other 170,000 current Pennsylvania students and countless future others who benefit from school choice. 

 

If you would like to help support school choice and protect public cyber charter schools in Pennsylvania, you can: