Butler County school districts ‘cautiously optimistic’ about cyber charter funding reform
Butler County school officials have long taken issue with how their districts’ tax dollars were bring directed away to cyber charter schools in large quantities.
Now, that the 2025-26 state budget, which was signed last month, enforces a significant reduction in those cyber charter payments, many local public school administrators, such as Moniteau School District’s business manager Austin Blauser, say the move is one step in the right direction.
“We’re obviously excited to see some of the changes,” Blauser said. “It’s not a cap per year, but it added some rules that cyber charters have to make contact multiple times with students and confirm that student is living in our district.
“It’s not necessarily holding them more accountable, but making sure rules are being followed.”
The state budget implements new oversight and regulations projected to save Pennsylvania’s public districts roughly $178 million in reimbursements toward cyber charters.
The changes come after school leaders from across the state denounced the cyber charter school funding system.
A letter from Moniteau’s school board earlier this year called the funding system a “misuse of taxpayer funds.” Sixty students from Moniteau School District were enrolled in cyber schools for 2024-25 and the district paid $881,447 toward cyber charter tuition, bringing the average per student cost to $14,690.
In Pennsylvania, public school districts must pay tuition to charter schools for any students within their borders who chose to attend the charter. Cyber charter schools receive the same rates as brick-and-mortar charters.
“I think we’re very frustrated with the funding mechanisms with cyber charter schools,” Brian White, Butler Area School District superintendent, said earlier this year. “This is not to say we want to take choice away from parents … (but) the reality is, the way the funding formula is set up, cyber schools have more per child to spend — even though they don’t have a physical building.”
As a result of the formula, cyber charter schools were able to build up large reserves and revenue bases despite not maintaining things like physical facilities, transportation services; or the same level of direct services, such as food service or in-person support staff.
But while Butler County based public school leaders applauded the budget, the leaders of cyber charter schools in Pennsylvania blasted the decision as “another year of lawmakers balancing the budget at the expense of students.”
Cyber charter leaders have painted the reforms as cuts to their own funding and also labeled themselves as public schools relying on taxpayer funds to operate and provide education to children.
“Public cyber charter schools are public schools. Unfortunately the state budget singles out these 14 public schools and imposes punitive and burdensome mandates that will result in fewer opportunities for students,” said Michael Leitera, CEO at PA Distance Learning Charter School, based in Sewickley.
The cyber charter school leaders said the reduction in reimbursements from districts could result in schools being closed, teachers and staff losing their jobs and students losing resources due to insufficient funding.
“The 65,000-plus students who attend public cyber charter schools deserve the same level of resources and support that their peers who attend a public school district receive,” said Don Asplen, CEO at Achievement House Cyber Charter School, based in Oakmont. “The students in public cyber charter schools are not political pawns and should never be used to balance a state budget.”
Eric Ritzert, Karns City’s superintendent, said he’s “cautiously optimistic” about the news, but only time will tell if it addresses the extent of local districts’ concerns.
The cyber charter payment reforms were part of a state budget passed and signed into law over four months late. Previously, Gov. Josh Shapiro proposed capping payments to cyber charters at $8,000 per student. A bill that would do so was approved by a 14-12 vote along party lines in the House of Representatives’ education committee, but did not move forward after that.
