Dear families,

It's all too familiar and, unfortunately, extremely damaging to our schools.  Another school superintendent has attacked public cyber schools in print, this time in the Sunbury Daily Item.

Again, public cyber schools are being used as scapegoats for tax increases and fiscal problems in traditional schools. It is simply not fair or truthful.

Warrior Run School District superintendent Daniel Schaeffer's comments during a school board meeting this week were outrageous.

He is quoted as saying the state only pays 28 percent of the cost of a cyber student's education!  In actuality, it costs more money to educate a traditional brick-and-mortar student in his district than a cyber student.

For those cyber families in the Warrior Run School District, the district uses only 80 percent of your education tax dollar to educate your child and keeps the rest. On top of that, the district is reimbursed another 28 percent of the cost!  Unlike some, this is not creative math on my part. This is state law!  That's a pretty good deal for the district. If anything, the cyber student is getting the short end of the stick here, which is why we have consistently called for full and equal funding.

Mr. Schaeffer goes on to complain about large fund surpluses and then undercuts his own argument by complaining about the state's insistence that school districts obey the law and pay the 80 percent in a timely fashion. It is no secret many school districts are less than cooperative on this issue.   When you don't know when your next payment is, finance 101 says you better have enough in reserve to stay open.  Shame on him! 

Frankly, his complaints are right out of the PSBA and Rep. Karen Beyer's anti-cyber school playbook. Mr. Schaeffer once again proves this is all about money, power and control, and it is not about the education of our children.

The fact this type of smear campaign continues is clear evidence that we are still in a fight to keep our schools from being cut to the bone!

We need to show up in Harrisburg for our "Day on the Hill" on May 13 in force.  We need to let our legislators know we oppose legislation that will erode our children's chances for a quality education!

For those coalition members who live in the Sunbury area, please write a letter to the editor and set the record straight.  For specific points, please download our Mythbusters informational sheet at: http://www.pacyberfamilies.org/uploads/Cyber%20School%20Myth%20Busters.pdf.  To submit a letter to the editor, please go to this link at the Daily Items website: http://www.dailyitem.com/form_letters.

I've include the complete story below.

If you don't live in Sunbury, don't worry -- chances are a similar story will end up in your local newspaper.  School districts are starting the task of looking at their budgets for next year.  Inevitably, they will look for people to blame for rising costs.  Nevermind that school districts spend billions for new construction and other questionable costs.  They'll instead try to blame their "creative budgeting" on cybers, which account for far less than 1 percent of all public school spending in Pennsylvania.  Please be on the lookout in your local papers.  If you find a story, send it to us -- then respond and set the record straight!

Stay energized ... and I'll see you in Harrisburg for our  "Day on the Hill" on May 13!

Jenny Bradmon, president

Schaeffer: Cyber students are costly


By Wayne Laepple
The Daily Item
Published March 25, 2008 12:01 am - This year, 33 cyber school students have cost the Warrior Run School District almost $250,000, Superintendent Daniel Schaeffer told the school board Monday night.

TURBOTVILLE -- This year, 33 cyber school students have cost the Warrior Run School District almost $250,000, Superintendent Daniel Schaeffer told the school board Monday night.

Schaeffer equated that figure to 2.5 mills of taxes, the cost to the district for three to four teachers and funds that could pay for renovations in several district schools.

"These are mandated programs, but the state pays only 28 percent of the cost," he said. "These are real dollars, real to us."

Schaeffer has spoken out before about this problem. He said other area superintendents are displeased because districts have no control over cyber schools, and he said many cyber schools operate with a large surplus since their operating costs are well below those of bricks-and-mortar schools.

Warrior Run is mandated to pay $6,631 this year and may have to pay up to $400 additional next year for each student.

He also noted the state insists cyber schools be paid first, and if a school district fails to do so, the state withholds a portion of the student subsidy. He also pointed out that at least some teachers in cyber schools are not properly qualified under federal No Child Left Behind regulations. In addition, only two of 11 cyber schools operating in Pennsylvania made adequate yearly progress in student achievement.

"They will only get more if we don't speak out," Schaeffer said. "It's public money, and we should have control of it."

In answer to a question from board member Vicki Egli about how many cyber school students pass or fail, Schaeffer said only one of the nine schools reported students' grades to the district last year.