The letter “Poorly run schools misusing taxpayer money” (June 21, TribLive) notes what 500 school districts across the state have repeated to legislators for over a decade. Cyber charters can educate a child for $8,000-$8,500. Cybers can accomplish this, when no school district can, for numerous reasons.
Cybers don’t run buses every day. They don’t operate cafeterias. They don’t need a new roof on the high school just as the HVAC system fails in one of the elementaries. They aren’t maintaining athletic fields, gyms and art/drama/music performance areas. They aren’t serving the most severely disabled special ed students. Every district has these costs.
It is absurd that, for decades, districts have been forced by legislation to pay so many nonexistent costs to cybers.
Every district in the state would retain hundreds of thousands of dollars per year for local use, if, as per Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed budget, the cost for cyber schools were finally set as a flat fee.
Readers, please call our local senators — Kim Ward (717-787-6063) and Joe Pittman (717-787-8724 ). And call Scott Martin, chair of the Senate Appropriations committee (717-787-6535).
Say you want a flat fee for cyber charters now.
Helen Sitler
Ligonier