Tunkhannock district offers $2,000 incentive to encourage cyber‑charter students to return

Superintendent Doherty said the district mailed letters to 57 families offering a $2,000 grant, paid in $500 quarterly installments, to encourage cyber‑charter students who have been out of the district more than one year to return to Tunkhannock Area School District.

Doherty said the incentive was timed after changes in the state budget related to cyber‑charter funding and the district projects roughly $300,000 in reduced cyber‑charter payments under the new rules. "It was for a $2,000 grant paid in $500 quarterly installments, should a child return," he said during the board meeting.

Why it matters: District officials said the outreach is a low‑risk investment compared with the per‑student tuition amounts the district pays to cyber charters. Doherty described typical cyber‑charter tuition figures discussed in the meeting as roughly $18,000 for a general education student and about $41,000 for a student identified as having a disability; the district estimated total budgeted payments for cyber‑charter placements at about $3,200,000 for the current year.

Details and context: Doherty said the district withheld sending the letters until the state budget implications were clearer and that the $2,000 offer is intended to be a modest incentive. He said about 49 of the students contacted had never previously attended the district — roughly 40 percent of the outreach list, a detail he provided while speaking with a reporter. The superintendent said the district plans follow‑up outreach (tours and calls) this summer if families respond.

Board discussion: Board members pressed for clearer monthly reporting on how enrollment changes move the cyber‑charter numbers (how many return vs. leave), and asked for breakdowns showing whether changes are driven by students returning, new enrollments, or departures. One board speaker described public social‑media responses and said some messages cherry‑picked district fund‑balance figures; another board member cautioned that some cyber‑charter programs have offered family stipends and internet subsidies that can make retention more competitive.

Allegations and oversight: During discussion a board member referenced a high‑profile case involving a student who died while enrolled in a cyber charter and said the legislature changed rules to require weekly visual contact and more frequent address verification; the board did not provide additional documentation at the meeting. Those statements were presented as member testimony and were not substantiated or disproven at this session.

Next steps: Doherty said he will bring back any responses from families to a future board meeting and requested more granular monthly reporting on cyber‑charter enrollment movements.

Quote: "We offered a $2,000 stipend… If they came back, we're not paying $18,000. We're paying 2," Doherty said, describing the comparative fiscal case for the outreach.

Ending: The board did not take a separate vote on the outreach at this meeting; the superintendent said he will report back if families respond and staff will continue routine recruitment and vetting for the district's in‑house cyber program.