In the Feb. 19 article, “Districts want new cyber formula,” it’s abundantly clear that school district leaders couldn’t care less about students and families. Their one and only focus is money.

By supporting significant cuts to students who attend public cyber charter schools, what school districts, many lawmakers, and Gov. Shapiro are proposing is not only unconstitutional, due to it reducing funding to one group of students while significantly increasing funding for another group, but it conflicts with the governor’s statement that “no school gets less than they did last year.”

State lawmakers must reject calls for funding cuts to public cyber charter school students; these students deserve the same funding as their peers in traditional public schools.

Many families choose to send their children to a public cyber charter school because the local school district is not meeting their needs, their children feel unsafe or are bullied, or the relationship with the local district is broken.

Compared to other public schools across the state, Commonwealth Charter Academy, a comprehensive online public school, has higher than the state average of students with special needs and anxiety and students who are teenage parents, LGBTQ+, ethnically diverse, and low-income. These students need extra support, which CCA willingly provides.

Public cyber charter school students should not be left behind. They, too, deserve to receive a high-quality education in a school that meets their unique needs and learning styles.

Tim Eller

Senior Vice President of Outreach and Government Relations

Commonwealth Charter Academy

Harrisburg