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Exeter Township officials flag rise in cyber‑charter enrollment; district offers in‑house option
Summary
Board members pressed administration for more data after officials reported a rise in students enrolled in outside cyber charter schools; district says it tries to recruit those families to its Exeter Cyber Academy and can break out special‑education vs. regular‑education counts going forward.
Board members at the Exeter Township School District meeting on June 17 pressed administrators for more data after district staff reported a recent increase in students enrolled in outside cyber charter schools.
The concern surfaced during the Education Committee report when board member Allison Wilson asked about year‑to‑year changes in cyber enrollment and whether the district could track reasons families leave brick‑and‑mortar schools. “I did notice that there were some increases this year … in both Exeter cyber charter, as well as out of district cyber charter,” Wilson said, requesting data to understand whether the increases reflected special‑education placements or family choice.
Dr. Josh Hoyt, director of teaching and learning, told the board the district does not routinely ask families why they transfer but does try to intervene when it learns a student is considering a switch. “When students go to an outside cyber charter, sometimes we're not made aware of that until we get the request for records,” Hoyt said. He added that the district refers families to Jason Dolesky, who oversees the Exeter Cyber Academy (ECA), to explain ECA options, including part‑time/hybrid schedules and activities eligibility.
Hoyt gave the board a head count: “Currently, we have, a 111 students who are in our, outside in outside cyber charter schools. And, of that breakdown, 56 are special ed and and 55 are regular education students.” Board members asked that future enrollment reports include that special‑education vs. regular‑education breakdown under the overall out‑of‑district cyber total so the board can track trends over time.
Several trustees said the district should avoid speculation about causes on social media until the administration can gather data directly from families. “If there's a way that we can, whatever that is, exit surveys or some way to contact the, the parents … get an understanding of what was it that drove them out of the brick and mortar district,” said a board member during discussion, calling for targeted outreach and better data collection.
Administrators said they already attempt annual outreach: Hoyt said the district contacts families on the list of students enrolled in outside cyber charter schools and that roughly 80% respond to those outreach efforts. He reiterated benefits the district highlights to families considering ECA: participation in sports and clubs and hybrid course options.
The board asked staff to include the requested breakdown in future reports and to consider whether additional exit‑survey data or other tracking steps could be added to better understand family decisions.
Looking ahead, board members said the district will combine any future mentions of cyber charter enrollment with related agenda items, including the demographic study the board later authorized, which trustees said should inform long‑range planning for staffing and facilities.
