Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Cyber Schools topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board questions cyber school payments, requests per‑student counts and academic comparisons
Summary
At a Punxsutawney Area SD board meeting, trustees discussed current and pending payments to cyber schools, asked staff for per‑student counts and academic performance comparisons, and raised concerns about high special‑education costs and state funding proposals.
At its meeting, the Punxsutawney Area School District board discussed payments the district is making to several cyber schools and asked staff to provide more detailed information about how many students are enrolled and how those students perform academically.
Board members asked for a breakdown of how many students are being billed to each cyber provider and for comparisons between cyber‑enrolled students and resident students in the district. “Could it be possible…how many kids, for example, go to any of those cyber schools so we could see what is the cost per student,” a board member asked during the discussion. Susan, who presented the district’s financial report, said the purchase order is currently structured to cover students “that we know are there” and that the district has left an open PO so cyber bills can be posted as they arrive. Susan added the amount the board saw in the packet is “nowhere near what we pay for most of those schools.”
Board members also pressed for academic comparisons. One trustee asked whether cyber students take the state test and how their grading compares to resident students. Susan said some cyber students are supposed to take the state test but “some of them don't,” and that grading systems can differ, making direct comparisons “a little bit difficult.” Multiple trustees said they want a report that shows how cyber students perform both relative to district students and relative to their peers within the cyber schools themselves.
Board members noted special‑education placements can drive up cyber costs. “Those are the big ticket students,” a board member said, observing that some special‑education placements can cost “28, 30,000 for a student.” Trustees asked staff whether students are screened when they enroll in cyber schools; board discussion reflected that screening does occur at enrollment.
The board also touched on wider policy debate about state funding for cyber providers. A board member referenced proposals floated in the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA) and state discussions that would set a flat payment per cyber student — mentioning a number of $8,000 put forward by some proponents — and observed that a low flat rate could “put these cyber schools out of business.” Board members said the question of an appropriate statewide reimbursement level remains contested and will likely be discussed at upcoming conferences.
Financial timing and cash flow were raised: staff said the district is holding some cyber payments until it receives its basic education funding from the state, though the district has sufficient fund balance to meet near‑term obligations. “We’re fine right now. We’re good probably through December,” a staff member said, noting the district is using fund balance and is foregoing some interest earnings as a result.
The board directed staff to prepare more detailed information on the cyber‑school population and academic outcomes for future consideration. No formal vote on changes to cyber payments or policy was recorded during the discussion.
