Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Cyber Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
District officials warn outside cyber enrollments are costly; district cyber seen as lower‑cost option
Summary
Administrators reported recent fluctuations in Delaware Valley Cyber Academy enrollment and showed outside cyber tuition costs far exceed in-house cyber program costs, prompting proposed budget transfers and monitoring of state funding changes.
District finance and program staff reported a volatile but improving trajectory for Delaware Valley Cyber Academy (DVCA) enrollment and outlined the cost gap between in‑house and outside cyber charter tuition.
Jason (district staff) and finance staff gave the board a multi‑year enrollment trend for DVCA: pandemic peak just under 230 students; declines to the mid‑60s in 2023–24; and a rise to 91 actual students for 2025–26. The district said it will budget conservatively for next year but expects to make budget transfers if actual enrollment remains higher than projections.
Finance staff quantified the fiscal impact: "Every child that goes to outside cyber costs the taxpayers $11,368 more," a finance presenter said, showing the mandated outside‑cyber tuition at $15,618 per regular‑education student compared with $4,250 for the district’s in‑house program, and a mandated outside‑special‑education cost of $29,519 compared with $4,250 in‑house. The presenter added the district expects to request budget transfers to cover differences (one transfer discussed for approximately $222,000, plus a separate transfer to cover special‑education outside placements).
The nut graf: the board was told the combination of enrollment swings and state funding formulas can materially affect the district budget; staff recommended close monitoring and, if necessary, mid‑year transfers rather than immediate staffing changes.
Administrators described enrollment controls that recently changed under the Pennsylvania school code: cyber charters must now verify habitual truancy before accepting a transfer, allowing the district to deny enrollment for students who meet the habitual‑truancy threshold. "Students are not entitled to our program," Dr. Pope said, describing DVCA’s family‑engagement process and the authority to deny re‑enrollment for students who fail to make weekly progress.
Board discussion focused on whether the district should plan for larger contingencies, the effect of proposed state formula changes under Governor Shapiro’s budget, and potential strategies (residency verification software and denial of habitual truants) to reduce outside‑charter tuition costs. No formal action was taken; staff will present recommended budget transfers at future meetings if projections hold.
