While growing student enrollments aren't always a plus for public schools, private schools relish the fact their enrollments have shown a steady increase during the past few years.

Enrollments at many of Butler County's private, charter and cyber schools have risen in the past few years.

Charter schools are self-managed public schools approved by local school districts to operate within their jurisdiction.

Cyber charter schools are approved by the state Department of Education and are created and controlled by parents, teachers, community leaders and colleges or universities. Students who enroll in the programs take the classes via the Internet.

Both charter and cyber schools operate without having to conform to many state and educational mandates except for those covering nondiscrimination, health, safety and accountability.

According to the education department, the state has 102 charter schools and eight cyber schools.

None of the charter schools are in Butler County. Seven are in Allegheny County.

The closest cyber school to Butler County is the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School in Midland, Beaver County.

However, proximity is not much of a consideration with cyber schools. Students may enroll from anywhere in the state since the work is done on the Internet, making a common physical location unnecessary.

The Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School opened four years ago and has shown a steady increase in its enrollment.

The school graduated 200 students this year.

"That's the most students the school has ever graduated at one time," said Dan Donovan, school spokesman.

The school enrolled 2,500 students last school year from 60 Pennsylvania counties. Enrollment will be offered in Ohio this school year.

The students who attend these programs often say they do so for the convenience of being able to work at their own pace.

Butler resident Beth Newell said she was home schooled until eighth grade, when she enrolled in the

Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School

.

"I think that one of the biggest benefits is the fact that in cyber school I'm able to focus my complete attention on my studies, which in the long run, gives me more time to participate in the activities that I really enjoy," Newell said.

She also credits the cyber school with helping her realize she is ultimately responsible for her education and how far she goes once she completes her studies.

"I think that the cyber school is a wonderful program," she said. "It gives students a chance to excel at their own pace and to really explore what they're interested in. It has been a very positive experience for me."

In addition to cyber and charter schools, there are 13 private schools in Butler County, many of which are Christian-based programs.

Four years ago, the Penn Christian Academy in Penn Township had 84 students in grades kindergarten through eighth grade, plus 107 preschool students split between its new building and an existing church facility in Center Township.

Today, the school has 115 students in kindergarten through eighth grade, and 102 preschool students.

Cindy Dodds, academy administrator, said enrollment figures have consistently increased at the school since its inception.

Dodds said there are many reasons why parents choose to enroll their children in the academy.

"Parents are looking for security. There's an element of safety here," she said. "And many parents have said they are looking for the nurturing (for their children) they get with a Christian education."

Dodds said the academy has a recruiting strategy as well as a retention plan for current students. School officials hope to expand the program to include grades nine through 12 soon.

Evangel Heights Christian Academy in Sarver also is seeing an increase in enrollment.

Pastor Gary Bracewell, school administrator, said the school has 250 students enrolled in preschool through grade 12.

"We have recently turned around," he said. "We were heading down (in enrollment) for three years, but these last two years have shown an increase back in the right direction."

The school started in 1987 with just preschool classes being offered. It then added grades until it had all 12 grades in 2003.

Bracewell said there seems to be more demand for the kinds of services provided by his school.

"I think both the private schools as well as home schooling is becoming very popular," he said. "For us, the people who come here are looking for a Christian education, and everything we do is Christ-centered."

Charlene Fleming, principal at St. Wendelin Catholic School, which borders Oakland and Summit townships, said her school experienced a slight decrease in enrollment last year but already has rebounded for this school year.

"I think a lot of it is the economy," she said. "When the economy isn't doing well, enrollment can drop because of the tuition."

For this school year, St Wendelin's has 76 students in grades K-8 and another 45 in preschool.

Fleming said there had been talk last year of forming a Catholic high school in the county, but the idea seems to have fizzled.

"I think they decided the problem was it would be too expensive to operate a centrally located Catholic high school in the county," she said.

Fleming said parents choose her school because it presents less of the dangers often experienced in public schools and also for the values taught there.

"But first and foremost, because we are a smaller school, so there's more one-on-one attention," she said.

However, Fleming said she has encountered a common fallacy about teachers' abilities at private schools.

"People are under the misconception our teachers do not need to be certified by the state, and indeed, they do have to be certified," she said.

Many public schools do not support charter or cyber charter schools because they take away from the funding public schools receive for basic education. Public schools are required to pay tuition to cyber charter schools for their services.

All seven of Butler County's public school districts sued the Einstein Cyber Charter School of Philadelphia in Butler County Court in late July 2001, claiming the school was operating illegally. The school districts won the lawsuit the following year.

Several public schools also have withheld tuition payments to other cyber schools as a form of protest, but the state Department of Education docks schools that amount of money in basic education subsidy and sends it to the charter schools when that happens.

For information on private, charter and cyber schools, visit the education department's Web site at www.pde.state.pa.us.